Basics - The Rough Guide to Bali and Lombok - page 60

Intestinal trouble
The priority with an upset stomach is to prevent dehydration. Start drinking rehydration
solution as soon as the attack starts, even if you're vomiting as well, and worry about a dia-
gnosis later. Rehydration salts (such as Oralit and Pharolit) are widely available in pharma-
cies but it makes sense to carry some with you. The home-made form of these consists of
eight teaspoons of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt dissolved in a litre of clean water.
Stomach upsets can either be a reaction to a change of diet or can signal something more
serious. You should seek medical advice if the attack is particularly severe, lasts more than a
couple of days or is accompanied by constant, severe abdominal pain or fever, blood or mu-
cus in your diarrhoea or smelly farts and burps.
Drugs such as Lomotil and Imodium, which stop diarrhoea, should only be used if you get
taken ill on a journey or must travel while ill; they are not a cure, and simply paralyse your
gut, temporarily plugging you up, at a time when your insides need to get rid of the toxins
causing the problem.
Cuts, bites and stings
Divers should familiarize themselves with potential underwater hazards and the appropriate
first aid, although you're probably more at risk from the cold and scrapes from coral than
from tangling with sharks, sea snakes, stingrays or jellyfish. All cuts should be cleansed and
disinfected immediately, covered and kept dry until healed.
On the land, there are poisonous snakes on both Bali and Lombok, although they're only
likely to attack if you step on them - they are most often encountered in ricefields, so if you
are exploring these look where you're stepping. In jungle areas wear long thick socks to pro-
tect your legs when trekking and walk noisily. If you're bitten, try to remember what the
snake looked like, move as little as you can and send someone for medical help. Under no
circumstances do anything heroic with a Swiss army knife. There are also a few poisonous
spiders in Bali and Lombok, and if you're bitten by one you should also immobilize the limb
and get medical help. If you get leeches attached to you while trekking in the jungle in the
rainy season, use a dab of salt, suntan oil or a cigarette to persuade them to let go, rather than
just pulling them off.
MEDICAL RESOURCES FOR TRAVELLERS
Canadian Society for International Health 613 241 5785, csih.org . Extensive list of
travel health centres.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1 800 232 4636, cdc.gov/travel . Official
US government travel health site.
Hospital for Tropical Diseases Travel Clinic UK 020 7388 9600, thehtd.org .