Educate yourself about alternative medical treatments available for specific diseases and conditions. This site is presented to help you research alternative medical treatments, natural and herbal remedies and different ways of thinking about how to solve specific medical problems.  Please read our disclaimer.

Alternative Treatments for Traveler's Diarrhea

Alternative treatments for Diarrhea have been used by people in other cultures for many years.  Some treatments are very effective for some people.  Others may only work because the patient believes they will work, much like the way placebos sometimes work in medical experiments.  However, we believe that the more you know about the options, the more you will be able to make intelligent, informed decisions about the medical treatment, which may be right for you and your particular medical conditions.  Please read our disclaimer.

About Traveler's Diarrhea

While Diarrhea is not an uncommon occurrence in regular life, when travelling the chances of experiencing such an episode can be as high as 50%. The reason is that different regions of the world have different strains of bacteria that our bodies have not developed resistance to. When these new bacteria enter our system, often through water-borne routes, our body lacks the proper defenses. As a result, foreign bacteria lodges itself within our upper intestine, wreaking chaos for anywhere from a day to a week or more. In addition to diarrhea, accompanying symptoms of an infection can occur, such as fever, headaches, abdominal pain and vomiting. While traveler’s diarrhea is quite common, it is not unpreventable. There exists a wealth of knowledge that will prevent you from contracting traveler’s diarrhea, as well as the necessary information to help you treat an incidence effectively.

Prevention:

• Know the risk of the area to which you are traveling and act accordingly. The more foreign a place, the more likely it is that you have not encountered their local bacterial strain. To Western travelers, Mexico, South American nations, Africa and Asia generally have the highest risks. While we may think that the United States carries few risks, it does to those foreign to its bacteria.
   
• Avoid unfiltered water. Water often holds the foreign bacteria that can cause traveler’s diarrhea in underdeveloped countries. Many hotels and restaurants often have filtered water, but always ask before assuming. Be careful for ice cubes, they often are made from unfiltered water, and though frozen, contain the same harmful bacteria. Further, be mindful of whether other products, like lemonade, use water in their production. Tea, other heated products and carbonated drinks are generally okay. Finally, when purchasing bottled water, purchase from a respected vendor if possible. Unfortunately, recycled bottles are sometimes filled with tap water and the plastic top melted and resealed by disreputable persons.
   
• Avoid uncooked vegetables that cannot be peeled. The reason? Most vegetables used in salads or foods may not be washed, and if they are, will be washed in unfiltered water. As such, it is very possible that you can contract traveler’s diarrhea from the vegetables. However, if you can peel it, you can eat it. And if it is cooked thoroughly, it should be considered fair game.
   
• As per usual, avoid unpasteurized dairy products and undercooked or raw meats.
   
• Come prepared. Packing small snacks and perhaps a few pills that will purify water if no pure source can be found is a good idea.

Treatment:

• If you do get traveler’s diarrhea, the most important thing to do is stay hydrated. Thousands of people, mostly infants, die from dehydration due to diarrhea every year. When experiencing diarrhea, remember that you are losing fluids at an incredible rate from your body. As a result, you should drink as much as possible to replenish this loss. If no pure water source exists and you feel dehydrated, it is better to drink unpurified water than none at all. It is better to risk recontamination than the life-threatening effects of dehydration.
   
• When rehydrating, it is important to not only replace the water that is being lost. When we experience diarrhea, sodium and sugar are lost at high rates, but are essential substances for our body’s functioning. Abroad, there exist many premade substances that contain these ingredients and will most likely be available at any local pharmacy. They are produced under such names as “ORS – Oral Rehydration Solution,” and often are made with the WHO’s (World Health Organization’s) support. If you cannot get a hold of these packets, try to recreate their effects by mixing sugar, salt and, if possible, a small amount of backing soda into water. Juices, tea with sugar and other non-carbonated drinks are good sources of sodium and/or sugar as well.
   
• Avoid foods that will upset the stomach. Foods that commonly do include those that are spicy, exotic, or contain milk and dairy products. It is best to stick with a bland, familiar diet until traveler’s diarrhea has sufficiently been eliminated.
   
• Avoid medication that will slow motility. Such medications include Imodium AD, Lopex, Dimor and Pepto Diarrhea Control. These will help to relieve the symptoms of diarrhea, but will complicate your health more and prevent the elimination of the harmful bacteria. If you do decide to take antibiotics, you can use these motility reducing medications, but only after two hours from the first time you took antibiotics.
   
• Consume probiotics. Probiotics are living organisms that help the human body in beneficial ways. The most common example is the live cultures that are existent in yogurt. Probiotics can help to combat the detrimental bacteria in the body that causes traveler’s diarrhea. In addition to yogurt, probiotics are contained in aged cheeses and cottage cheese, milk, some soy beverages, and miso. Before consuming these products, it is worthwhile to check if they are pasteurized, and avoid the probiotics that are not.
   
• Consuming fiber products can help to alleviate symptoms of traveler’s diarrhea. Although we commonly associate fiber with helping to relieve constipation, it also helps with diarrhea. It does so by coating the walls of our intestines, creating a lining that absorbs excess water and in doing so, helps to relieve some diarrhea. Insoluble (the most helpful) fiber is found in oat, bran, rice, corn, wheat, vegetables and beans.
  
   

Have questions about Alternative Treatments?

We recommend that you review the information about physical therapy on this website, look at the alternative medical treatments on the appropriate websites, do your own independent research, talk with your doctor or other medical professional and learn as much as you can before making the decision that is right for you.  We are not qualified to answer medical, behavioral or health related questions, so please do not ask.