Preventing Traveller’s Diarrhoea When You Travel
Over the years, one thing I have noticed as people travel daily, is the illnesses they tend to “grab” during their travels. Many of us stay away from restrooms on the plane because people always tend to have a diarrheal episode in there. Traveller’s Diarrhoea in particular is the term used to describe diarrhoea characterized by at least 3 loose stools during travel, in combination with other symptoms such as vomiting, fever and stomach cramps.
From the time we board an airplane or get into a vehicle on a trip, to the time we arrive and finally return to our homes, the food we come across may not be as safe as we are used to. The food handling culture and hygiene practices are not the same in every country. Consequently, many people become ill with traveller’s diarrhea when they travel. High risk areas include Asia, Africa, The Middle East, Central America, Mexico and South America
In order to have an enjoyable trip where you do not find yourself running for the nearest restroom to ease yourself, here are some useful tips:
Always wash your hands: Wash your hands when you use the toilet. Wash them before eating. Wash them with soap. As I always say, one of the most successful public health interventions in history is hand washing. When you wash your hands properly, you rid your hands of many diarrhoea causing germs that could have otherwise (unknowingly) gone into your mouth. If you go into a restroom with no soap, demand for soap before using it.
Drink water from reliable sources: The water at your travel destination may not be as clean as you think it is. It is best that you rather buy water that has gone through additional cleaning processes and is more trusted.
Avoid places with poor food handling practices: Unfortunately, this is not always obvious. However, fresh food from the streets and dirty restaurants or fast food joints can be avoided.
Ensure you know how to rehydrate: In the event that you find yourself experiencing diarrheal symptoms, start to rehydrate immediately. To learn how to do this the right way, check my article on Gastroenteritis.
Ensure you ALWAYS travel with travel insurance: Unfortunately, traveller’s diarrhoea can become quite severe and may require medical attention. This could range from a simple doctor’s visit to a hospital admission. Either way, healthcare can be very expensive, and you do not want to be in the middle of nowhere trying to source funds for medical treatment. So, as a precaution, when you purchase your plane ticket, ensure you pay for travel insurance as well. It could save you quite a lot of money in the long run.
Avoid taking antibiotics except prescribed in the event of severe traveller’s diarrhoea: Travellers represent the largest carriers of resistant bacteria, and this is linked to misuse of antibiotics before and during travels. This is something we are trying to curb to preserve the efficacy of the antibiotics we have. If we don’t, travellers could end up with diarrhoea that is resistant to treatment.
As simple as these tips are, I hope you remember every one of them and I hope you have safe travels this year!
References
Kantele, A., Mero, S., Kirveskari, J., & Lääveri, T. (2016, 01). Increased Risk for ESBL-Producing Bacteria from Co-administration of Loperamide and Antimicrobial Drugs for Travelers’ Diarrhea1. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 22(1), 117-120. doi:10.3201/eid2201.151272
Riddle, M. S., Connor, B. A., Beeching, N. J., Dupont, H. L., Hamer, D. H., Kozarsky, P., . . . Ericsson, C. D. (2017, 04). Guidelines for the prevention and treatment of travelers’ diarrhea: A graded expert panel report. Journal of Travel Medicine, 24(Suppl_1). doi:10.1093/jtm/tax026
Sanders, J. W., Riddle, M. S., Brewster, S. J., & Taylor, D. N. (2008). Epidemiology of Travelers’ Diarrhea. Travel Medicine, 177-189. doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-03453-1.10016-1
Gale A.R., Wilson M. (2019) Traveler’s Diarrhea. In: Graham A., Carlberg D. (eds) Gastrointestinal Emergencies. Springer, Cham