Common and

uncommon health concerns

                      
Handling Stomach
and Intestinal Problems

Stomach upsets often are the result of a bacterial infection or from consuming strange foods and drink. Too many rum punches and too much fresh fruit can cause problems because your system isn't used to them.

In some remote regions, tap water may be unsafe during the rainy season. Avoid drinking from streams or waterfalls, no matter how clear/clean they look or how much the locals reassure you.

Diarrhea and dehydration are the most serious problems: drink plenty of fluids except alcohol and milk, which seem to prolong bouts of diarrhea.

A bland diet of tea and toast seems to help some people. Loperamide (brand name Imodium)and atropine (Lomotil) help control the problem. You might also want to check with your doctor before departing to get a prescription for something that will destroy the reason there is a rumble in the tummy, not just control its aftermath.

If you have fever and severe abdominal pains, pass blood in your stools and generally feel weak, you may have been unlucky enough to contract either amoebic or bacillary dysentery.

If in doubt, see a doctor immediately and see a physician once you return home to minimize long-term health effects. See this article for recommendations.

Bilharzia

Also called schistosomiasis, this parasite is common in lakes or slow-moving streams infested with snails. Islands where this has been a problem are few: Martinique, Guadeloupe and St. Lucia.

The parasite enters your body through an open cut or by drinking the water. If entrance is through the skin, you may have an itch and a rash (swimmer's itch). In this condition, the schistosome is destroyed within the skin.

Intestinal symptoms include abdominal pain and diarrhea (which may be bloody). Urinary symptoms include frequent urination, painful urination or blood in the urine. A may cause fever, chills, lymph node enlargement, and liver and spleen enlargement.

Schistosomiasis is easily treated with medication. But if left unchecked, it may prove fatal. This disease has been around a long time, as the mummies of ancient Egyptian pharaohs have revealed.

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