The Traveler’ Diarrhea; Avoid It This Holiday Season
It is time to eat and make merry. But remember apart from the rampant flue and accidents resulting from overindulgence over the festive season, food is the other silent nuisance that sometimes we don’t pay much attention to. If you are not going far from home, you might feel confident about the hygienic condition around your home. But if you are travelling, be wary of the annoying illnesses such as Shigella – often referred to as traveler’s diarrhea. It causes moderate to severe illness with fever, diarrhea containing blood or mucus or both, and the constant urge to have bowel movements. It is transmitted in water polluted with human wastes, something pretty common when travelling abroad backpacking, living camps or eating in small hotels whose standards might not be up to scratch.
Food poisoning is a common especially this holiday season when we store a lot of leftovers. Usually it is mild, but sometimes can be deadly illness. Typical symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea that occur suddenly (within 48 hours) after consuming a contaminated food or drink. Depending on the contaminant, fever and chills, bloody stools, dehydration, and nervous system damage may follow. Remember more than 250 known diseases can be transmitted through food.
Symptoms of food poisoning depend on the type of contaminant and the amount eaten. The symptoms can develop rapidly, within 30 minutes, or slowly, worsening over days to weeks. Most of the common contaminants cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping. Usually food poisoning is not serious, and the illness runs its course in 24-48 hours. Many cases of food poisoning are not reported because people suffer mild symptoms and recover quickly.
Short episodes of vomiting and small amounts of diarrhea lasting less than 24 hours can usually be cared for at home. Do not eat solid food while nauseous or vomiting but drink plenty of fluids. You should drink sips of clean clear water at intervals, which is the best way to stay hydrated. Children might need to see a doctor. More often than not, stomach pain can go away without over-the counter medications. But if you feel like you can’t withstand the pain, then you can always buy these freely available remedies from the local pharmacies or supermarkets, but your diagnosis must be correct because bacteria can be treated with antibiotics while viruses do not respond to antibiotics. But you owe it to yourself to make the right a decision about treating yourself and going to your GP and if you are on holiday seek medical advice.
Don’t rush into eating solid food. Consider eating rice, wheat, breads, potatoes, low-sugar cereals, lean meats, and grilled chicken to start. Avoid milk if you suffer from lactose intolerance. Hospitals and the Ambulance Services should be left to deal with serious accidents. Don’t burden them with unnecessary emergencies due to too much drink or ingestion of bad food.
Enjoy your holiday responsibly
Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest in travel blogs (http://blog.holidayextras.co.uk/), and airport parking (http://hubpages.com/hub/gatwick-airport-parking) and has interest in travel videos too http://uk.youtube.com/user/hextras1