How To Avoid Traveler’s Diarrhea

By BobbyRica | January 16, 2009

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One of the more common mishaps in traveling in Mexico is when you get afflicted by turista or traveler’s diarrhea. It is usually caused when one drinks contaminated water or contaminated fruit or vegetables. If you want to avoid spending your vacation in solitary confinement to a Mexican toilet, follow these simple rules:

1. Stay away from uncooked food and unpasteurized milk and milk products.

2. Drink only bottled water or water that you’ve seen boiled for at least ten minutes. Ask by saying “quiero el agua hervida por diez minutos“.

3. When you brush your teeth, use mineral or boiled water.

4. Skip the ice. You’re better off chugging on canned drinks that are fresh from the icebox or the cooler. If you’re in a more respectable restaurant, insist on ice made by purified water.

5. Avoid ceviche from places you wouldn’t normally eat.

6. Unless you really know how the food is prepared, avoid tacos al pastor. This is a dish comprised of pork thin slices on a spit garnished with onions, chili powder and cilantro.

7. Avoid hamburgers sold in the street. You never know where the meat came from.

When you do start getting symptoms, you can start by popping loperamide, or commonly known as Imodium. Pepto-Bismol also works. Fortify yourself by drinking plenty of purified water. This avoids you from getting dehydrated. Chamomile tea is also a good remedy.The phenols in the tea helps kill off the invading bacteria and helps balances the acidity of the stomach. If it gets worse, have a Gatorade handy before you call the doctor.