Travellers’ diarrhoea is the most common illness people get abroad. It’s usually caused by bacteria in contaminated food or water, starts within the first week of a trip, and lasts 3 to 5 days. Most cases are mild, but it can spoil a holiday, so prevention is worth the effort.
Prevention: food and water
- Drink bottled or treated water where tap water isn’t safe, and use it for brushing your teeth too.
- Skip ice unless you know it’s made from safe water.
- Eat food that’s cooked and served hot. Be careful with buffets where food sits out.
- Peel fruit yourself, and avoid salads and raw vegetables washed in tap water.
- Avoid unpasteurised milk and dairy, and undercooked meat, fish and shellfish.
- Wash your hands before eating, or use hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol.
If you get it
- Rehydrate first. Sip safe water and use oral rehydration salts, especially in hot climates.
- Eat plain food as you feel able: rice, bread, bananas, crackers.
- An anti-diarrhoeal such as loperamide (Imodium) can reduce trips to the toilet for adults and children 12+. Take 4 mg after the first loose stool, then 2 mg after each loose stool, no more than 8 mg in 24 hours.
- Don’t use loperamide if you have a fever or blood or mucus in your stool.
For full details, see our guide to stopping diarrhoea fast.
See a doctor if you have
- Blood in your stool or a high fever
- Diarrhoea lasting more than 3 days, or severe stomach pain
- Signs of dehydration: dizziness, very little or dark urine, a very dry mouth
- Symptoms in a young child, an older person, someone pregnant, or someone with a long-term illness
- Diarrhoea that starts after you get home
Pack before you go
Oral rehydration salts, an anti-diarrhoeal and hand sanitiser belong in every travel health kit.
More in our Travel Health guide: all our articles and products on this topic in one place.
This article is for general information only and isn’t a substitute for advice from a doctor or pharmacist. Always read the label before using any medicine.
