What is Traveler's Diarrhea?

we might get a mild diarrhea when we travel to a place when food hygiene is poor. diarrhea is loose and not watery with mild cramps, fever and vomiting but it get resolved quickly on its own. it is a mild form of food poisoning. watch the full video for all the details.

Have you ever had a sudden onset of loose diarrhea for a short period while you are traveling, and it improved on its own? This is most likely related to a condition called traveler’s diarrhea. it is a mild form of food poisoning. This is common when traveling to a country where the food hygiene is poor.

Traveler’s diarrhea is caused by eating or drinking foods or water which are contaminated with a virus or a weak bacteria called E. coli. Normally, it does not cause a serious illness and gets resolved without treatment, unlike typhoid fever or severe food poisoning.

You might ask why peoples who live in those countries don’t have this condition frequently?
It is believed that their bodies have developed an immunity to these weak strains of bacteria.

Most of the time the diarrhea starts during the trip. It consists of few loose stools per day and mild abdominal cramps. sometimes vomiting and mild fever can occur as well. Usually this condition gets better on its own in few days.

If you are planning a trip to 1 of these countries, you should take with you some Imodium pills which will help relief the diarrhea in 1 to 2 days. It is better to ask your doctor to prescribe you some Antibiotics for severe cases. Also, you might need to take some oral rehydration packets to use them in case you develop dehydration.

The best things you should do to avoid this condition is to be careful with what you eat and drink. Most importantly, you should avoid tap water and only drink bottled water without ice.

Any foods which are well cooked is safe to eat, but foods which were kept at a room temp should be avoided as well as any raw vegetables like salads or unpasteurized dairy products. if you are going to eat any fruits, they should be washed well and eat the ones that you can peel yourself.

Remember, it is important to wash hands frequently before eating, esp for children.
Finally, please consult your doctor if your condition is getting worse and is not improving in few days.
In addition, seek medical help immediately if you are having high fever or severe vomiting, also if you see blood in the stool or having severe dehydration.

Video shot by: Galia Helbaoui and edited by: Fadi Helbaoui

[sarahk]

Indeed Dr this is a common condition that stresses many travelers

[elifkoc]

Thanks dr for your helpful information 👍🏻🧿

[xhiexcx]

Please help me, I have been having pain in my stomach my bowel my diarrhea is watery barely even getting some out, I just moved in a new country eating new foods and new diets. Please tell me what’s wrong !

[satyanarayanapitani]

Yr Pronounciation is to good to understsnd