Traveler’s diarrhea: what it is, symptoms, treatment and prevention

Traveler's diarrhea is a fairly common problem. Let's find out together what it is and how to prevent or cure it.

When we talk about traveler's diarrhea we mean a diarrhea problem that usually affects people who travel to places with precarious sanitary conditions and whose food (including water) is contaminated.
This is a very common problem and it occurs particularly when traveling to tropical countries. For this reason, if you plan to go on a trip, it can be very important to recognize the symptoms and the rules to prevent the problem.

Traveler's diarrhea: what it is and how to recognize it

Traveller's diarrhea can have different origins ranging from food contact with bacteria, parasites, viruses and pathogens. This can occur through the consumption of raw or undercooked foods or contaminated water.

Going more specifically, the microorganisms that can cause the aforementioned diarrhea are: esterichia coli, Giardia, Rotavirus, Enterovirus, Salmonella, Pelsiomonas, etc…
These viruses, in combination with the change of diet , climate and the stress caused by travel, can lead to diarrhea.
Going to the various symptoms, the main ones are:

– Diarrhea with 3 or 4 episodes in one day
– Nausea
– I vomit
– Abdominal cramps
– Fever
– Exhaustion
– Sense of general malaise

When these occur it is good to remember that in most cases, they tend to disappear on their own within a day or two. In other cases, however, the situation may worsen and require medical intervention. Especially if it affects more fragile subjects. For this reason, in case of doubts and in the presence of these symptoms, it is essential to seek the opinion of the treating doctor.

In some cases, this may prescribe an antibiotic to be taken only in more severe cases.
Although not everyone knows it, there are medicines that can be taken to prevent diarrhea. These, however, do not always work and when they do they can cause serious side effects including black stools and tongue. In order not to take risks, it is therefore very important to prevent everything by paying attention and following a few simple rules that can improve your holiday.

What are the rules to prevent traveler's diarrhea

Since this is a problem that particularly affects travellers, this disturbance should be carefully avoided. To do this, all you need to do is develop a few simple rules which, if followed correctly, can really make a difference. The most important are:

– Choose only well-cooked foods
– Do not consume fruit and vegetables if they are raw or peel them well
– Avoid eating undercooked meat or fish
– Always check the hygienic conditions of the places where you eat
– Do not eat dairy products
– Avoid drinking unpasteurized milk
– Use bottled water also to brush your teeth
– Do not drink tap water
– Choose only bottled drinks
– Do not drink from glasses containing ice cubes

By following these simple rules, the risk of contracting traveler's diarrhea significantly decreases and with it the risk of ruining your holiday due to problems that prevent you from going out.

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