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Abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and having to go to the toilet several times a day? Travelers’ diarrhea, commonly known as the “pharaoh’s revenge”, has thwarted many of us on holiday plans. Fortunately, we can prevent it by taking appropriate steps. One of them is a probiotic with proven effectiveness in a travel medicine cabinet …
In summer, the risk increases
Holidays are a time of relaxation and fun that we look forward to all year round. Regardless of whether we plan to spend a holiday in the country or abroad, our trip may be disturbed by gastrointestinal infections with severe diarrhea. Children and the elderly are at greatest risk of infection.
We can talk about several reasons responsible for the fact that it is in summer that food poisoning occurs more often. First of all, during the holidays, we do not always take proper care of hygiene, we forget about washing hands and using liquids or gels for disinfection. In addition, we change the way we eat – we eat meals prepared at home less often, and we eat more often in restaurants, bars or food trucks, where food is not always properly prepared and safely stored.
Unwashed strawberries eaten at the market, thawed ice cream from the stand or stale fish ordered in the fry room by the road – succumbing to the temptation may end up with food poisoning with severe diarrhea for us.
One type of diarrhea that can happen on a trip is travelers’ diarrhea (TD), commonly referred to as “the Pharaoh’s vengeance or curse,” “the Sultan’s revenge” or “Moctezuma’s revenge.”
What is “travelers’ diarrhea”?
Travelers’ diarrhea is a complex of gastrointestinal symptoms most commonly associated with gastrointestinal infections in travelers. It is estimated that it affects from 38 to 79 percent. * people going to the tropical zone. Apart from tourists, the group of particularly vulnerable people includes soldiers going on missions and pilgrims. We also know that traveller’s diarrhea is more common in children under 2 years of age. and adults from 20 to 30 years of age The areas with the highest risk of contracting the disease are India, African and Latin American countries.
The risk factors outside the place of destination include the length of stay – over 3 weeks, as well as the nature of the planned trip – travelers staying in hostels and hostels, as well as camping sites, are more exposed.
Considering that pathogen infection occurs as a result of eating microbiologically contaminated food or drink, the type of food consumed is also important. Dangerous foods include unwashed and unpeeled vegetables and fruits, raw or poorly cooked meat, fish and seafood, and unpasteurized dairy products. Do not drink water straight from the tap, use unboiled water to rinse your teeth, add ice cubes to drinks.
Unfortunately, as research shows, many people believe that it is difficult to adhere to a restrictive diet, hence it is estimated that as much as 95 percent. traveling within a few days of their arrival accidentally or intentionally breaks the principle of “safe eating and drinking”.
For more than 80 percent. bacteria are responsible for traveler’s diarrhea. Usually these are enterotoxic strains Escherichia coli but also Campylobacter, Shigella, Salmonella, Aeromonas, Plesiomonas, Vibrio. In 5-10 percent. travelers’ diarrhea is caused by viruses (rotaviruses, noroviruses, adenoviruses type 40 and 41, astroviruses), pathogens can also be protozoa such as: Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium.
It can lead to complications
The first symptoms of travelers’ diarrhea usually appear in the first week of stay, and 90 percent cases in the first two weeks. Patients most often complain of abdominal cramps, diarrhea, which may be watery or bloody, fever, nausea and vomiting.
While most travelers’ diarrhea is self-limiting, it can have many undesirable consequences, including lost time and opportunity to visit, need to change plans / itinerary, and seek local medical care or even hospitalization.
About 10 percent. People may develop complications such as persistent diarrhea or post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS), which occurs approximately six months after having had travelers’ diarrhea. Less common complications, often associated with a specific pathogen, include bacteremia, which may progress to asymptomatic sepsis, hemolytic uremic syndrome, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and reactive arthritis.
Take control!
Fortunately, traveler’s diarrhea can be prevented by taking the right steps. First of all, it is worth following the principle of “cook, brew, peel or forget”, that is, do not eat anything raw, unwashed and unpeeled (fruit and vegetables). In addition, drink water only from a proven source (preferably bottled). We also avoid ice in drinks, which can be a source of bacteria and viruses.
It is equally important to take care of hygiene, i.e. washing your hands before each meal and using an antibacterial gel or liquid.
Probiotics, i.e. live microorganisms, which when taken in appropriate amounts provide the host with health benefits, also apply to the prevention of traveler’s diarrhea. Their main benefit is their influence on the gut ecosystem by: restoring the balance of the gut microbiota, improving intestinal physiology (including strengthening the mucus barrier that prevents harmful bacteria from accessing cells), digesting food and influencing the immune system.
Previous studies have shown that the intake of yeast Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 5 days before departure, and also during the stay, significantly reduces the risk of travelers’ diarrhea. Probiotics with this strain are produced in one place in France at the Biocodex factory with the highest standards of purity and quality of the strain. The flagship product of Biocodex is the Enterol probiotic drug, based on a unique strain Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745.
Enterol not only prevents traveler’s diarrhea or post-antibiotic diarrhea, but also treats infectious diarrhea caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites. For this reason, Enterol should be used not only before the planned vacation, but also packed in a travel medicine cabinet in the event of unforeseen infections. It is one of the few probiotic drugs that do not need to be kept in the refrigerator, available at a pharmacy without a prescription.
Importantly, Enterol is a drug, not a dietary supplement, so it has undergone a thorough inspection in terms of production, composition stability and patient testing. It can be successfully used by both adults and children, including infants.
Pack the probiotic in a travel medicine cabinet
To sum up, diarrhea during the holidays may occur not only in the form of the so-called travelers’ diarrhea, associated mainly with foreign trips to countries with a lower hygienic standard, but also during domestic trips, which increase the risk of problems with the gastrointestinal tract. By packing a good diarrhea probiotic with proven effects in the travel kit, we can not only protect ourselves in the event of acute diarrhea, but also prevent it by using a probiotic a few days before departure.
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