Travellers' Diarrhea: Prevention and Planning Advice in Brampton

Ask any seasoned traveller about their worst day abroad, and there is a good chance the story involves a stomach upset. Travellers’ diarrhea is widely described as the most common health problem on international trips. It is usually short-lived, but it can turn a long-awaited holiday, a family wedding or an important business meeting into a day spent close to a bathroom.

The good news is that a few consistent habits reduce your risk, and preparation makes it much easier to manage if it happens anyway. This guide explains what causes travellers’ diarrhea, how to lower your chances of getting it, and how to plan for it with help from a pharmacist before you leave Brampton.

At Wellness Point Pharmacy, 115 Dufay Road, the Travel Health Clinic includes consultations on both preventing travellers’ diarrhea and planning self-treatment, tailored to your destination and health history.

What causes it

Travellers’ diarrhea is most often caused by bacteria, and sometimes by viruses or parasites, picked up from contaminated food or water. The germs involved are not always exotic. Many are the same kinds of organisms that cause food poisoning at home. The difference is that sanitation, water treatment and food handling vary widely around the world, and your gut has not encountered the local mix before.

Symptoms usually include loose or frequent stools, stomach cramps, and sometimes nausea, bloating or a mild fever. Most cases settle within a few days. A smaller number become more severe or last longer, which is why knowing the warning signs matters.

Who is more likely to get it

Risk depends on several factors:

• Destination. Risk is generally higher in parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South America, though it can happen anywhere.
• Length of stay. The longer you stay, the more meals you eat and the more opportunities for exposure.
• Where you eat. Street food, buffets that sit out for hours, and small restaurants with limited refrigeration can carry more risk.
• Your health. People who take medicines that reduce stomach acid, those with weakened immune systems, and people with inflammatory bowel disease or diabetes may be more susceptible or more affected.
• Age. Young children and older adults can become dehydrated more quickly.

Being in a higher-risk group does not mean you should avoid travel. It means preparation deserves a little more attention.

It is also worth thinking about what a bout of illness would mean for you in particular. For a healthy adult on a flexible holiday, a day or two of stomach trouble is unpleasant but manageable. For someone who takes medicines that must be absorbed reliably, someone with kidney disease, or a person travelling for a once-in-a-lifetime event, the stakes are higher. A pilgrim on a tight religious schedule, a guest at a multi-day wedding, or a professional with back-to-back meetings may want a more detailed plan. Explaining these circumstances to the pharmacist helps shape advice around what you actually need from the trip.

Food habits that make a difference

The old travel saying “boil it, cook it, peel it or forget it” is a memorable summary, even if few people follow it perfectly. Some practical points:

• Choose food that is freshly cooked and served steaming hot.
• Be cautious with raw or undercooked meat, seafood and eggs.
• Fruit you peel yourself, like bananas and oranges, is safer than pre-cut fruit.
• Raw salads may have been washed in untreated water.
• Unpasteurised milk and dairy products carry extra risk.
• Sauces and dips left at room temperature are a common source of trouble.

You do not have to give up local cuisine to travel well. Busy restaurants with high turnover often serve fresher food, and watching it being cooked in front of you is reassuring. Use judgment rather than fear. If you are staying with family or friends, it is fine to explain kindly that you are being careful with water and uncooked foods; most hosts understand.

Water, ice and drinks

In destinations where tap water is not reliably safe:

• drink bottled water with an intact seal, or water that has been boiled or properly treated
• use safe water for brushing your teeth
• avoid ice unless you know it was made with safe water
• hot tea and coffee made with boiling water are generally fine
• canned and bottled drinks are usually safer than fountain drinks

If you are staying somewhere remote, ask the pharmacist about water purification tablets or filters, and how to use them correctly.

Hand hygiene is easy to forget

Many cases of travellers’ diarrhea come from hands rather than food. Wash your hands with soap and water before eating and after using the toilet. Where soap is not available, carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. It is not a perfect substitute for washing, but it helps.

This is especially important with children, who touch everything and often put their fingers in their mouths. Packing a small bottle of sanitizer for each child can make the habit easier to stick to.

Vaccines and preventive options

There is no single vaccine against all causes of travellers’ diarrhea. However, some vaccines protect against specific infections spread through food and water, such as hepatitis A and typhoid fever. Depending on your destination, a pharmacist may also discuss whether any other preventive options suit your situation.

These decisions depend on your itinerary, your health and your preferences. Preventive medicines are not recommended for most healthy travellers, and they have their own risks and considerations. A consultation helps sort out which options, if any, make sense for you.

Planning for self-treatment

Even careful travellers can get sick, so it helps to have a plan before you need one. The core of that plan is fluid replacement. Oral rehydration salts help replace fluids and electrolytes, and they are particularly valuable for children and older adults. Pack enough for the trip and learn how to mix them correctly with safe water.

Beyond rehydration, a pharmacist may discuss over-the-counter remedies and, in some situations, a prescription medicine to carry for more significant illness. Each option has specific circumstances in which it is or is not appropriate. For example, some anti-diarrheal medicines are not suitable if you have a high fever or blood in your stool. Make sure you understand:

• which product to use for which situation
• how to take it, according to the label and the pharmacist’s directions
• when to stop self-treatment and seek medical care

Write these instructions down and keep them with the medicines. It is hard to remember details when you are unwell.

Warning signs that need medical attention

Self-treatment is for mild to moderate illness. Seek medical care promptly, whether abroad or after returning home, if you notice:

• high fever
• blood or mucus in the stool
• severe abdominal pain
• signs of dehydration, such as very little urine, extreme thirst, dizziness or confusion
• symptoms that continue for more than a few days, or keep coming back
• diarrhea in an infant, a pregnant person, or someone with a serious medical condition

Before you leave, find out where reputable medical care is available near your accommodation and check how your travel insurance works.

What about after you get home?

Most travellers’ diarrhea clears up during the trip. If symptoms continue after you return to Brampton, or start soon after you get back, see a health care provider and mention exactly where you have been. Persistent symptoms sometimes need tests to identify the cause. The Public Health Agency of Canada’s travel health pages also encourage travellers to tell their health care provider about recent travel if they become unwell.

A short Q&A

Is it safe to eat street food? It can be. Choose busy stalls where food is cooked fresh and served hot, and skip items that have been sitting out.

Will probiotics prevent it? Evidence is mixed. If you are curious, ask the pharmacist whether a particular product is reasonable for you.

Should I stop my regular medications if I get sick? Do not stop or change prescribed medicines on your own. Some medicines may need temporary adjustment during dehydration, so ask the pharmacist before you travel which of your medicines this could apply to and what to do.

Can children use the same products as adults? Not always. Ask for child-specific advice before you go.

Plan ahead with Wellness Point Pharmacy

A little planning makes travellers’ diarrhea far less disruptive. Bring your itinerary and medication list to a consultation, and leave with a clear plan for prevention, self-treatment and knowing when to seek help.

Wellness Point Pharmacy is located at 115 Dufay Road, Brampton, ON L7A 0B5. Call (905) 843-7155 to arrange a travel appointment, see the contact page for store details, or request a time through the booking page. The earlier you start, the more options you will have.

The information in this article is general in nature. Speak with a pharmacist or other qualified health professional for advice about preventing or treating illness on your own trip.