Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
diarrhoea, it is usually enough to drink lots of liquids and eat lightly, avoiding spicy or greasy
foods in favour of bland noodle soups until your system recovers. The use of Lomotil or Imo-
dium should be avoided, as they just prevent your body clearing the cause of the diarrhoea,
unless long-distance road travel makes it absolutely necessary. Diarrhoea accompanied by
severe stomach cramps, nausea or vomiting is an indication of
foodpoisoning
. As with com-
mon diarrhoea, it usually ends after a couple of days. In either case, be sure to increase your
liquid intake to make up for lost fluids. It's a very good idea to bring
oral rehydration salts
with you from home; the sachets are easily mixed with bottled water. If symptoms persist or
become worse after a couple of days, consider seeking medical advice in Thailand.
Blood or mucus in the faeces is an indication of dysentery. There are two types of dysentery
and they differ in their symptoms and treatment.
Bacillary dysentery
has an acute onset,
with severe abdominal pain accompanied by the presence of blood in the diarrhoea. Fever
and vomiting may also be symptoms. Bacillary dysentery requires immediate medical atten-
tion and antibiotics are usually prescribed.
Amoebic dysentery
is more serious: the onset is
gradual with bloody faeces accompanied by abdominal pain. Symptoms may eventually dis-
appear but the amoebas will still be in the body and will continue to feed on internal organs,
causing serious health problems in time. If you contract either type of dysentery, seek imme-
diate medical advice in Thailand.
HepatitisA
, a viral infection contracted by consuming contaminated food or water, is quite
common in Laos. The infection causes the liver to become inflamed and resulting symptoms
include nausea, abdominal pains, dark-brown urine and light-brown faeces that may be fol-
lowed by jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of eyes). Vaccination is the best precau-
tion; if you do come down with hepatitis A, get plenty of rest and eat light meals of non-fatty
foods.
Another scatological horror is
giardia
, symptoms of which include a bloated stomach, evil-
smelling burps and farts, and diarrhoea or floating stools. As with dysentery, treatment by a
physician in Thailand should be sought immediately.
Occasional outbreaks of
cholera
occur in Laos. The initial symptoms are a sudden onset of
watery but painless diarrhoea. Later nausea, vomiting and muscle cramps set in. Cholera can
be fatal if adequate fluid intake is not maintained. Copious amounts of liquids, including oral
rehydration solution, should be consumed and urgent medical treatment in Thailand should
be sought.
Like cholera,
typhoid
is also spread in small, localized epidemics. The disease is sometimes
difficult to diagnose, as symptoms can vary widely. Generally, they include headaches, fever
and constipation, followed by diarrhoea.
