Each travel is important, it can be a vacation trip you have planned for months, a very important business affair, something you need to do to accomplish an important task or you are representing your country for a special event. But when a sudden onset of various inconvenience brought by traveller’s diarrhoea gets into the way, you only have two choices: let it ruin your trip and everything you have traded for that, or strike back and prevent things before it breaks you. And for most cases, everyone will definitely choose the latter option.

Diarrhoea or traveller’s diarrhoea (TD) is considered the most common enemy of travelers from industrialized or developed countries spending days or weeks in developing countries, as the sudden change in their gastrointestinal environment is attacked by microorganisms generally found in these countries, which includes, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. This condition is also known as bali belly, delhi belly, Montezuma’s revenge and Rangoon runs, among other names, is basically caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with traveller’s diarrhoea causing microorganisms. Even though it is a self-limiting condition and usually clears up after 3 to 4 days, the inconveniences of this illness is just an utter nuisance of your trip (or right after you went home). The symptoms of diarrhea or diarrhoea in UK, includes the following:

• Frequent loose bowel movements in 24-hour period

• Abdominal cramps

• Abdominal bloating

• Urgency to go to the toilet

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Mild fever

• Blood in stools (in some cases)

Because of these said symptoms, that may occur 1 or 2 weeks after the arrival to the developing country, getting paralyzed all throughout your travel is a great hindrance from you accomplishing all your tasks or enjoying the vacation. Luckily if these occur when you got home, but the case is just downright hassling at any point you look at it. Since traveller’s diarrhoea is characterized by frequent bowel movements and vomiting, lots of fluid gets off your body, and as most people know, dehydration can be fatal once ignored. The feeling of lack of energy due to dehydration caused by diarrhea or diarrhoea can stop you from accomplishing tasks. Aside from that, when dysentery occurs, which is marked as bloody diarrhoea with fever that occurs to 10% of all cases of this illness, there is a high risk that you might get confined to bed or be advised to curtail your activities until your condition improve.

With these simple facts alone, there is no question that traveller’s diarrhoea should not be disregarded, as it can strip off every ounce of enjoyment and productivity in you during your travel. Be informed, be safe and be responsible for yourself.