Travellers' Diarrhoea
What is Travellers' Diarrhoea and How Can I Prevent it?
Travellers' Diarrhoea
What is Travellers' Diarrhoea?
Travellers’ diarrhoea is spread through food and water mainly, but it can also spread from person to person. It is the most common health problem experienced during travel. Most cases usually get better within 3-5 days, are mild and do not need specific treatment. It can be caused by many different germs like bacteria (E.coli, Salmonella), viruses (norovirus) and parasites (Giardia). All these germs are spread through eating and drinking contaminated food and water, or using contaminated dishes and cutlery. We do not routinely recommend antibiotics to prevent travellers’ diarrhoea; however, if you are travelling somewhere remote or with limited medical access or to a place with different hygiene standards to your country of origin, we can prescribe antibiotics for travel for if symptoms of travellers’ diarrhoea occurs. It is especially important for those individuals who have travellers’ diarrhoea to avoid dehydration.
How Common is Travellers' Diarrhoea?
Travellers’ Diarrhoea is the most predictable travel-related illness. Reported rates are between 30-70% of travellers during a two-week period (depending on the destination and season of travel).
What the Symptoms of Travellers’ Diarrhoea?
The symptoms of Travellers’ Diarrhoea usually appear within the first 24 hours of eating or drinking contaminated food and can consist of:
- Loose, watery stools
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain or cramps
- Blood in the stool
- Urgency to have a bowel movement
- Feeling tired
- Fever
Can Travellers’ Diarrhoea be Prevented?
Travellers’ Diarrhoea can be prevented with prior planning and good hygiene.
- Wash your hands
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using the bathroom and before eating. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Keep your hands away from your mouth as much as possible. - Choose food and drinks carefully.
Eat only foods that are cooked and served hot and avoid food that has been sitting on a buffet. Wash and peel raw fruits and vegetables in clean water. Only drink beverages from factory-sealed containers, and avoid ice because it may have been made from unclean water.
What is Azithromycin?
QuickDoc offers Azithromycin prescriptions for Travellers’ Diarrhoea that is used for the treatment and prevention of Travellers’ Diarrhoea infection.
Azithromycin is an antibiotic that fights various bacteria. It is the preferred first-line treatment antibiotic for acute watery diarrhoea (travellers’ diarrhoea) as it has the broadest activity against the bacterial pathogens causing travellers’ diarrhoea.
What is my dose of Azithromycin?
The usual dose that our Doctors recommend of Azithromycin, is to take one 500mg tablet once daily on an empty stomach. Take one 500mg tablet every day after symptoms start for 3 days.
If you vomit within one hour of taking your dose, repeat the dose. Ensure to store Azithromycin in its original packaging at room temperature and keep out of reach of children.
