How do you confirm travelers diarrhea?

How can I tell if I have traveler's diarrhea? You probably have traveler's diarrhea if you have at least three loose stools in 24 hours. You also will have one or more of the following symptoms: fever, vomiting, stomach cramps, or bloody stools.



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Although loperamide is the recommended first-line agent, patients should be informed that if the diarrhea worsens or is accompanied by moderate-severe or invasive symptoms (1 or more of fever, moderate to severe abdominal pain or bloody diarrhea), then antibiotics should be used (Table 2).

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Seek medical attention if you have bloody diarrhea, high fever, persistent vomiting, severe abdominal pain, profuse sweating, or signs of dehydration.

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Your diarrhea lasts beyond two days. You become dehydrated. You have severe stomach or rectal pain. You have bloody or black stools.

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Untreated, bacterial diarrhea usually lasts 3–7 days. Viral diarrhea generally lasts 2–3 days. Protozoal diarrhea can persist for weeks to months without treatment. An acute bout of TD can lead to persistent enteric symptoms, even in the absence of continued infection.

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Pepto-Bismol (2 ounces four times daily or two tablets four times daily) decreases the diarrhea and shortens the duration of the illness. This medication also appears to be effective in preventing traveler's diarrhea, but it should not be taken for more than three weeks at a time.

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Learn some ways to treat travelers' diarrhea
  1. Drink lots of fluids. If you get diarrhea, drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated. ...
  2. Take over-the-counter drugs. Several drugs, such as loperamide, can be bought over-the-counter to treat the symptoms of diarrhea. ...
  3. Only take antibiotics if needed.


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Traveler's diarrhea may get better without any treatment. But while you're waiting, it's important to try to stay hydrated with safe liquids, such as bottled water or water with electrolytes such as an oral rehydration solution (see below).

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Who gets traveler's diarrhea? Gastrointestinal infection can happen to anyone, anywhere. At home, we might call it food poisoning or a stomach flu. But it's easier to get it during international travel, when you're more likely to be exposed to pathogens that may be less commonly transmitted at home.

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