Travellers Diarrhea - How Do You Treat Them?

By Author: Vijay Koragappa Shetty
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Travelers diarrhea or TD occurs when a traveller has three or more unformed stools in 24 hours. This is accompanied by abdominal cramps, bloating and nausea. Escherichia coli is common in people suffering from TD. This could be due to contaminated food and water consumption. Travellers often suffer from this TD as they are not sure of how hygienic is the food they eat. He should always check for the expiry date before consuming any food and ensure that the mineral water is sealed properly and is of a good brand.

This diarrhea occurs within the first week of travel, but may occur at any time while traveling. In few cases it can happen after one returns back home from his trip.

Symptoms of TD are:

Symptoms of TD are diarrhea as the name implies, vomiting at times, abdominal cramps, experiences four to five loose or watery bowel movements each day, bloating, low fever, urgency and uneasiness. Dehydration is also common and one should not ignore this as it may lead to death in serious cases.

Eat plenty of natural yoghurt, soy milk and other fermented products which comprises of live Lactobacillus bacteria ...
... during your treatment. These bifido bacteria help to restore the stocks of friendly bacteria in the large intestine and gut. It thus fights the disease causing bacteria like salmonella and others. Diarrhea is caused due to bad bacteria such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Yersinia, Aeromonas, and Plesiomonas spp. Sometimes Cryptosporidium and Giardia lamblia may also be responsible for it.

Over the counter antimotility agents have been helpful in treating travelers' diarrhea by decreasing the duration of diarrhea. However, these agents should never be used by travellers who are suffering from fever or bloody diarrhea, because they can increase the severity of disease by delaying clearance of causative organisms.

As travellers suffering from TD experience dehydration, oral rehydration therapy proves to be beneficial to replace lost fluids and electrolytes. There is a need for proper water quality management systems in hotels and resorts. Travellers should also take some safety measures when they travel to a foreign country. Always make sure that the water or food you consume is safe. Do not eat anything on the roadside, go to hotels which are hygienic. Drink plenty of water. Eat curds, but do not eat packed curds which are expired. Avoid salads and half cooked meat. Unpasteurised milk and seafood should be avoided. dairy products, mayonnaise and pastry icing consumption can increase the symptoms of TD. Therefore avoid it.

Vijay Koragappa Shetty, Expert author, platinum status. Find more information on: Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Get more information on: Travellers Diarrhoea