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This week on Health Watch, we’ve been talking about staying safe and healthy during travel. When you travel to an unfamiliar place, the combination of exotic food and different sanitation levels can result in traveler’s diarrhea.
Dr. Don Rockey, a digestive diseases specialist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says traveler’s diarrhea is the number-one travel-related ailment, and it can strike up to two weeks after you get home. The illness is transmitted through food and drink, so to protect yourself, be careful about what you eat and drink. If you become ill, anti-diarrhea medication and fluids will help most people. You don’t have to stop eating if you can tolerate food. The most important thing is to stay hydrated. The elderly, the very young and those with underlying health problems may need additional medical care.
Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/digestive to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in digestive.
