WHAT YOU SHOULD
KNOW
The loose, watery stools of traveler's diarrhea usually
appear after a visit to a country where food and water is not
carefully cleaned and cooked. The problem generally lasts 2 to
7 days.
Causes
Bacteria viruses, and parasites
can thrive in unclean food and water. When you swallow the
infected material, the germs often take up residence in the
bowel, causing diarrhea.
Signs/Symptoms
Typical symptoms include loose,
watery, or unformed stools; abdominal cramping and pain;
nausea; and a generally ill feeling.
Care
You may take medicine to stop the
diarrhea or fight the infection. Be sure to drink lots of
liquids. If you have a severe infection or lose too much fluid,
you may need a stay in the hospital.
Risks
The greatest danger posed by
severe diarrhea is loss of too much of the body's water and
salt. This dehydration, if untreated, can be
life-threatening.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
-
You may use Pepto-Bismol to relieve discomfort. Take
it according to the directions on the
label.
-
Take clear liquids, such as defizzed ginger ale or
cola, bottled or boiled water, hot tea, or broth during the
first 24 hours or until the diarrhea stops. If you are sick
to your stomach, suck on ice chips.
-
During the next 24 hours, you may eat bland foods
such as cooked cereals, rice, soup, bread, crackers, baked
potatoes, eggs, and applesauce. Avoid alcohol and
caffeine.
-
You can return to your regular diet after 2 to 3
days.
-
Drink 2 to 3 quarts of fluid a day. Most
complications are caused by loss of
water.
-
To help keep from getting travelers' diarrhea in the
future:
-
Take 2 tablets of Pepto-Bismol 4 times a day (with
each meal and at bedtime), beginning the day before you
leave and continuing for 2 days after arriving home.
Continue for up to 3 weeks.
-
Drink only bottled or boiled water or canned or
bottled beverages (soft drinks, beer, wine), without ice.
Boil water for at least 4 minutes or use purifying
tablets to treat the water.
-
Brush your teeth with mouthwash solution. Do not
use tap water for this purpose or to wash off food.
Always wash your hands before handling or eating
food.
-
Avoid all raw fruits and vegetables except those
that can be peeled. Also stay away from milk, ice cream,
and other dairy products; raw meat and fish; and cold
sauces, salsa, and dressings. Relatively safe foods
include steaming-hot dishes, grilled foods right off the
fire, and dry foods (breads,
crackers).
Call Your Doctor If...
-
Diarrhea lasts for more than 3 days; you find blood,
mucus, or worms in the your stool, or you have pain in the
abdomen or rectum.
-
You have a high temperature.
-
You have signs of water loss, including dry mouth,
extreme thirst, wrinkled skin, little or no urine, or
dizziness or light-headedness.
IF YOU'RE HEADING FOR THE
HOSPITAL...
What to Expect While You're
There
You may encounter the following
procedures and equipment during your stay.
-
Taking Vital Signs: These include your temperature,
blood pressure, pulse (counting your heartbeats), and
respirations (counting your breaths). A stethoscope is used
to listen to your heart and lungs. Your blood pressure is
taken by wrapping a cuff around your
arm.
-
Pulse Oximeter: You may be hooked up to a pulse
oximeter (ox-IM-uh-ter). It is placed on your ear, finger,
or toe and is connected to a machine that measures the
oxygen in your blood.
-
IV: A tube placed in your vein for giving medicine
or liquids. It will be capped or have tubing connected to
it.
-
Daily Weight: You will be weighed about the same
time every day.
-
Strict Intake/Output: Care givers will carefully
watch how much liquid you are drinking or getting in your
IV, and how much you are urinating.
-
Activity: You may need to rest in bed. Once you are
feeling better, you will be allowed to get
up.
-
Medicines:
-
Antibiotics may be prescribed to fight the
infection. They may be given by IV, in a shot, or by
mouth.
-
Anti-nausea medicine may be given to get rid of
your upset stomach and control vomiting. These medicines
will help prevent excessive loss of
fluids.
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