Food poisoning, intestinal infection, or heartburn after spicy local cuisine — stomach and intestinal problems remain among the most common travel mishaps. To avoid ruining your holiday, doctors recommend preparing a travel first aid kit in advance. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Madina Tatiyeva, a gastroenterologist at the Good Doctor clinic, explained which remedies may come in handy during a trip and why some of them are much more important than popular "stomach" medications.
Oral Rehydration Salts
The expert calls oral rehydration salts (ORS) the most important and underestimated item in a travel first aid kit. According to the doctor, during diarrhea and vomiting, the danger lies not so much in the infection itself, but in the loss of fluids and electrolytes, especially in children and the elderly. For trips, it is better to choose ready-made powders for solution preparation, such as Regidron or Normobact Aquabalance.
Loperamide (Imodium)
If an intestinal disorder occurs on the road, during an excursion, or before a flight, Loperamide may help. The drug reduces stool frequency and makes the trip easier. However, it cannot be used in all cases. If diarrhea is accompanied by high fever, severe pain, or blood in the stool, seek medical help.
Prokinetics for Those Suffering from Post-Meal Heaviness
For people with functional gastric motility disorders, the doctor recommends having prokinetics on hand. For example, drugs based on itopride help reduce the feeling of stomach fullness, post-meal heaviness, early satiety, and nausea.
Heartburn Remedies
Vacation often involves dietary changes: more fried, spicy, and fatty foods, late dinners, and on-the-go snacks. All this can trigger heartburn. Therefore, it is worth taking antacids or proton pump inhibitors if a person is prone to it.
Simethicone for Bloating
This remedy helps reduce bloating and abdominal discomfort.
Probiotics
In some situations, probiotics based on the yeast microorganism Saccharomyces boulardii (Enterol) can be a useful addition to the first aid kit. Such drugs are used for the prevention and treatment of certain types of diarrhea.
In addition to gastrointestinal remedies, the expert advises to definitely take all medications that a person takes on a regular basis. It is advisable to have a supply of drugs for several days beyond the planned trip duration, as well as prescriptions.
In a previous article, Kursiv Health, with Madina Tatiyeva, discussed how lactose intolerance works and whether it is possible to "train" the body to tolerate dairy products.