One of my favorite aspects of any international travel is sampling the local cuisine. I savor every delicious meal I come across, from Mexican street tacos to the curries prepared by my Indian Airbnb host. Travelers Diarrhea
Unfortunately, when it comes to my health, my exploratory taste buds don’t always make the best choices. Anything that appears spoilt, outdated, or unhygienic is something I strive to avoid. However, when something seems too good to resist, I have also taken my share of chances.
The outcome? It doesn’t really matter what you call it—Mummy Tummy, Delhi Belly, or Montezuma’s Revenge. In actuality, between 30% and 70% of all passengers suffer from travelers’ diarrhea, according to the CDC.
Fortunately, there are ways to greatly reduce your risk, and the medical profession has been addressing this issue for years. It just requires a bit of information and planning.
Let’s first discuss what traveler’s diarrhea is before moving on to how to avoid it.
What is Montezuma’s Revenge (Traveler’s Diarrhea)?
Montezuma’s Revenge, sometimes referred to as Traveler’s Diarrhea, is a general name for gastrointestinal illness brought on by a variety of infections. The most typical places to find these germs are on unhygienic food or in contaminated water. An intestine infection results from the bacteria’s presence in your body.
It can be difficult to avoid harmful microorganisms, which are present everywhere. After a lifetime of exposure, our bodies typically become accustomed to the harmful microorganisms in our surroundings. Because of this, residents are far less likely to contract the same bacteria that infects tourists.
Montezuma’s Revenge symptoms might differ significantly from person to person once afflicted. Bloating and stomach pains may be the only symptoms of a moderate illness. Fever, diarrhea, and vomiting are more severe symptoms that can happen up to ten times in a single day.
Depending on where you get it, there are many different names for traveler’s diarrhea. However, the symptoms are essentially the same in the end.
What Causes Montezuma’s Revenge?
E. coli bacteria are among the most prevalent pathogens that cause traveler’s diarrhea. Both humans and animals’ intestines contain E. coli. Fecal matter is how it spreads to other people. This implies that consuming feces can indeed result in Montezuma’s Revenge. Oh no!
Contaminated food or water is the most typical cause of its spread.
The infrastructure for sanitation is just not as developed in many poor nations. Wastewater may be discharged into drinking water rivers. There may be no regulations at all on the production of meat and dairy products.
In other situations, the cause may be as simple as poor cleanliness. Even in industrialized nations, traveler’s diarrhea can be contracted. A waiter or cook simply needs to forget to wash their hands.
However, certain parts of the world are far more dangerous than others.
How Long Does Montezuma’s Revenge Last?
The duration of a traveler’s diarrhea episode is mostly determined by the afflicted person’s body. Some people may only have discomfort for a day or two after contracting the infection. Others experience symptoms for a week or longer, ruining their entire trip.
Depending on where we were raised and currently reside, our bodies are all accustomed to a distinct degree of bacteria. After months of travel, a person may be able to recover from an infection more quickly.
However, every immune system is somewhat unique. For the normal person, traveler’s diarrhea might not be a major problem. However, the illness can be far more dangerous for somebody with a weakened immune system.
Nevertheless, an infection often lasts between one and five days. It’s normal to have symptoms for a week, but the longer you’re ill, the more stress you put on your body. Staying hydrated is crucial to avoiding more serious issues.
You should consult a doctor if your illness lasts longer than a week. Certain less prevalent bacterial types are more challenging for the body to combat. To combat the illness in certain situations, you might need to take prescription medicine.
Is Traveler’s Diarrhea Contagious?
You are infectious when you are ill. You are not, however, contagious in the sense that you can make anyone who comes into contact with you ill. Your gut contains the infectious microorganisms.
Traveler’s diarrhea is an indication that you were exposed to a source and were contaminated.
The majority of infections come from tainted food or water. There is little you can do to stop them if they are polluted at the source. However, it is quite easy to prevent the spread of traveler’s diarrhea from person to person.
What is the most important thing you can do to stop the virus from spreading? After using the restroom, be sure to thoroughly wash your hands!
How to Treat Montezuma’s Revenge? (Travelers Diarrhea Treatment)
Prevention should be your top priority when visiting a poor nation. Steer clear of street food, only eat at immaculate restaurants, and don’t drink tap water. Travelers Diarrhea
Your doctor may advise you to do that, but let’s be a little more practical. To eat at the tourist chain restaurants, you won’t make the trip halfway across the world. You need a different strategy if you are more prone to dine at local hidden eateries or on the street.
Fortunately, a few precautions and preventative drugs can make a big difference. You can have both your street taco and your cake!
You might want to bring Travelan, a supplement designed specifically to lower the risk of traveler’s diarrhea. Clinical research and scientific formulation have demonstrated that it can lower the risk of traveler’s diarrhea by up to 90%. It accomplishes this by neutralizing any invading germs that could cause you to become ill and settling anti-traveler’s diarrhea antibodies into your digestive system.
Traveling has even been tested by the US Defense Force against 180 distinct bacterial samples, and it has responded to each and every one of them, including Shigella, Campylobacter, and E. coli.