Definition
"Diarrhea of the traveler" is defined as a particular infection of the digestive tract (or enteritis), typical of the inhabitants of industrialized countries traveling in developing countries, where the level of hygiene is very low. The traveler's diarrhea is characterized by the alteration of bowel movements, in which the emission of faecal material becomes very frequent, often accompanied by abdominal cramps, which tend to self-purify in a few days.
Causes
Most often, traveller's diarrhea is the result of bacterial-borne infections ( Escherichia Coli, Salmonella, Staphylococci, Campylobacter), viruses or protozoa: these pathogens, after infecting food or water, can damage the subject who takes these foods, causing a marked or marked alteration of intestinal motility, which results in the traveler's diarrhea.
Symptoms
The traveler's diarrhea begins in the same way as common acute diarrhea: after an incubation period varying from one to two days, the beating triggers an alteration of intestinal peristalsis, which is generally associated with weakness, low-grade fever, severe abdominal pain, watery discharge (4-8 a day), vomiting.
Diet and Nutrition
Information on the Diarrhea of the Traveler - Drugs for the Treatment of Diarrhea of the Traveler are not intended to replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Traveler's Diarrhea - Viable Diarrhea Treatment Medicines.
drugs
Being so brutal and violent, the traveller's diarrhea can cause dehydration, a condition in which a loss of fluids, salts and electrolytes from the body is observed. In order to avoid this complication, it is recommended to take plenty of fluids, especially sugary and rich in potassium, sodium and glucose, even from the very first symptoms; in other cases, it is possible to rehydrate the patient through the administration in the vein of liquids.
The administration of electrolytes useful to counteract dehydration is called "rehydration therapy": the intake of liquids and electrolytes can contain alkalizing substances, useful to counteract any acidosis that accompanies the traveler's diarrhea. Furthermore, rehydration therapy is indicated to increase the absorption of water and electrolytes, as well as avoiding osmotic diarrhea and accelerating the patient's recovery.
Lactic ferments : the administration of lactic ferments appears to be a very effective solution to restore the intestinal bacterial flora altered by the traveler's diarrhea:
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus (eg Lacteol, Lacteol Forte): it is an antidiarrheal of microbial origin, consisting of inactivated microbes of Lactobacillus acidophilus. In particular, it is indicated for the treatment of diarrhea associated with dyspepsia or colitis, especially in the newborn. For the treatment of acute diarrhea, start therapy with 2 capsules of 5 billion Lactobacillus acidophilus, three times a day; continue with 2 capsules, twice a day.
- Saccharomyces boulardii lyo: this antidiarrheal / probiotic is indicated for the treatment of acute diarrhea and for the traveler's diarrhea: indicatively, the dosage is 250 mg (1 capsule), twice a day.
Spasmolytics: spasmolytic drugs do not affect the cause triggering the traveller's diarrhea, but they are a valid aid to accelerate healing and alleviate the aggressiveness of symptoms. Medications with spasmolytic activity are particularly effective as a parallel therapy to antibiotics.
- Loperamide (eg Imodium): this drug balances intestinal motility thanks to its anti-diarrheal potential: the active ingredient, which can also be given to children, decreases the fecal mass, also reducing the frequency of discharges. It is recommended to start treatment for acute diarrhea with 4 mg of drug per os, to be taken after the first evacuation. Continue therapy with 2 mg of substance (do not exceed 16 mg in 24 hours). Generally, the disorder vanishes in 48 hours. Do not take the medicine for more than 5 consecutive days. For the treatment of chronic diarrhea, take 4 mg of the drug orally, followed by 2 mg of active after each evacuation. Do not exceed 14 mg in 24 hours. The maintenance dose varies from 4 to 8 mg. In general, the clear clinical improvement is observable after 10 days of therapy.
- Difenoxylate: take 2 tablets or 10 ml of solution per os, 4 times a day. Maintenance therapy involves taking 2 tablets once a day. The dosage just described is indicated for the treatment of acute diarrhea in adults; for the child, the dose varies according to age (1.5-10 ml, 4 times a day). Consult your doctor.
Antibiotics : the administration of antibiotics is clearly indicated for the treatment of traveler's diarrhea, given that bacteria - in most cases - represent the main trigger.
- Cyprus (eg Ciprofloxac, Samper, Periactin): the drug belongs to the class of fluoroquinolones. It is recommended to take 500 mg of drug (tablets) every 12 hours; the duration of the therapy is 5-7 days. Consult your doctor.
- Levofloxacin (eg Levofloxacin, Tavanic, Aranda, Fovex): in general, the indicative dosage is 500 mg per day for 7 days; however, the dosage and duration of treatment must be established by the doctor.
- Cotrimoxazole: drug of choice for the treatment of diarrhea of the infant traveler.
- Azithromycin (eg Azithromycin, Zitrobiotic, Rezan, Azitrocin) is a macrolide antibiotic, whose recommended dose is - even in this case - variable based on the severity of the traveler's diarrhea. Consult your doctor.
Antiprotozoans : when traveler's diarrhea depends on protozoan infections (eg from intestinal Giardia), specific drugs are used, such as:
- Nitazoxanide (eg. Alinia): indicated for immunocompromised subjects suffering from diarrhea of the traveler dependent on protozoa. Indicatively, the dosage is 100-200 mg of drug twice a day. Consult your doctor.
- Sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim (eg. Bactrim): it is a sulfonamide antibiotic, indicated for the treatment of traveler's diarrhea related to infections with Cryptosporidi (genus of protozoa). It is recommended to take 160-800 mg of the drug orally, every 12 hours, for 5 days, in full compliance with what is prescribed by the doctor.
- Metronidazole (eg. Flagyl, Metronidazole-Same, Rozex): indicatively, take 250 mg of drug every 8-12 hours, according to the doctor's decision.
Notes : some doctors hypothesize that the single administration of an antibiotic (attack dose) is effective to combat the bacteria responsible for the traveler's diarrhea; however, this theory does not seem to report positive results, so there is still an unproven hypothesis. The effective antibiotic therapy (demonstrated) for the traveler's diarrhea must last for a few days.
Diarrhea of the traveler: prevention
Before embarking on a journey, especially in developing countries, where the level of hygiene is rather poor, it is advisable to follow some important rules of prophylaxis, useful for preventing traveler's diarrhea:
- Respect hygiene-food standards
- Consume bottled water
- Pay particular attention to oral hygiene
- Wash the vegetables well to remove any waste
- For those at particular risk (immunocompromised), it is sometimes possible to follow a prophylactic therapy with antibiotics (fluoroquinolones, the only dose)
- It is also possible to undergo an oral anticolera vaccine (eg Dujoral) for the long-term prophylaxis of traveller's diarrhea (particularly indicated for E. Coli's prophylaxis against infections)
