Live Life Team
Most of the people might have experienced this sickness while travelling continuously. It is also known in other names like diarrhoea, food poisoning, Delhi belly, runs, squits etc.
Compromised hygienic practice is the chief cause for this condition. A person gets infected via faeco-oral route through unclean hands or food or drinks that are contaminated. Though this condition is more commonly seen in tropical regions, anyone travelling can develop this state. The places that are backward economically with compromised sanitary practices are more at risk.
It is estimated that about half of the travellers develop this disease in their travel to less developed countries.
About 8% of people passing across Australia, northern Europe and North America are likely to suffer from travellers’ diarrhoea.
About 30% of visitors from Britain to southern Europe are also at risk.
Diagnosis
Though unpleasant, diarrhoea is a mechanism adopted by the body to expel the toxins. Usually this condition won’t persist and will be disappearing within 24 to 36 hours. This makes pharmacological intervention unnecessary. A person who is healthy in general won’t have any ill effects upon him other than the discomfort. One who suffers from this should take care to consume a plain soup diet, pasta, rice and a lot of water and the symptoms of travellers diarrhoea will subside in no time. Medical intervention is required only if the condition is not getting improved even after 3 days or the person also has fever or stains of blood along with the faeces. In such cases a stool examination may done in the laboratory. This will easily identify the causative organism and appropriate antibiotic can be prescribed.
Treatment
Dehydration is the immediate and most common after effect of diarrhoea. His is because this condition inhibits the efficiency of normal food and fluid absorption by the body. In this situation the person should be given oral rehydration solution that readily compensates the dehydration. It is commercially available in the form of powder or one can prepare it in the home setting with a mixture of water, salt and sugar.
Clear drinks and soups, weak black tea/coffee etc are other drinks that need to be given. ORS solution is most suited for the children as they arte more likely to develop dehydration.
Try to avoid, tinned or fatty foods as they will only aggravate the condition. Also try to avoid oily and fried foodstuffs. Restrict consumption of milk and milk products as the gut will be irritated.
Anti-diarrhoeal medications like lomotil can give fast relief from diarrhoea and will be helpful to people who cannot postponed an important journey. If the condition persists or is associated with other abnormal manifestations, better don’t try self management. Always consult the physician and stool examination may be needed in these cases to identify the underlying pathology. Avoiding foodstuff rich in fats and oils can be helpful. Modification to the lifestyle is also proved to be useful. On the whole this condition is relatively mild and need not worry over it.
