What is diarrhoea?

Diarrhoea is a term that describes an increase in the frequency of bowel movements and/or a decrease in the form of stool (i.e. greater looseness and water content). It is usually a symptom of an illness, infection or other condition or some external factor.

Other common causes are anxiety, stress, IBS, Crohn's disease, dysbiosis (an imbalance in bowel flora), medication (such as antibiotics), and poor diet (including too much coffee or alcohol). Most of these causes aren’t relevant as far as travellers’ diarrhoea is concerned, apart from maybe alcohol, (you know who you are!).

What is “normal" will differ from one person to another, but people with a healthy digestive tract tend to have, on average, no more than three bowel movements a day. This will depend on how much you have eaten, of course, but if you are going to the loo more often than usual, you could be suffering from diarrhoea.
 

The symptoms you experience will tend to vary depending on the cause. For example, if your diarrhoea is the result of an infection, (likely to be the case with travellers' diarrhoea), you are more likely to also have stomach cramps and, possibly, a fever.

The good news is that most cases of diarrhoea are not serious and clear up after a few days without treatment, but that won’t be particularly comforting if everyone else is sipping margaritas by the pool while you have to keep telling the hotel housekeeping to “come back tomorrow”.

Please note that if you have any concerns (or if you have had diarrhoea for a prolonged period) it is a good idea to consult your GP or other qualified health practitioner, as well as to make sure you stay hydrated.

So, below are a few tips that might help to prevent the problem from happening in the first place:
 

Boost your immunity
 

Your immune system is your body's first line of defence against harmful micro-organisms, so it makes sense to try to boost your immunity to give yourself the best chance of fighting them off.

Did you know that the most important part of your immune system is in your digestive tract? There is a special collection of immune cells in the intestines, called Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (or GALT), which is the largest collection (70%) of antibody-producing cells in the body.

With that in mind, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that supporting your immune system is something you should be doing all year round; not just before travelling. This is because a strained immune system can take months, or in some cases years, to correct and can’t be fixed the day before you travel by taking one pill!

To give yourself the best chance of avoiding travellers' diarrhoea, you should (subject to any pre-existing medical conditions or medical advice to the contrary) be:

• eating a balanced diet rich in natural whole foods, packed with antioxidants, enzymes, phyto-chemicals and other cleansing and protective nutrients;
• exercising regularly to promote healthy circulation and detoxification, particularly through the cleansing of the lymphatic system (the body's “garbage collection service");
• detoxifying your body (and your colon, more particularly) on a regular basis, to help minimise your toxic load and any associated strain placed on your immune system;
• supporting healthy levels of gut microflora by, for example, eating more probiotic foods (like sauerkraut, kefir, tofu, miso etc) and taking a multi-strain probiotic supplement.

Recent studies suggest that maintaining healthy levels of friendly bacteria in the body, and gut in particular, is an essential component of strong immunity and resisting infection by bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeast and parasites. This is because, in high enough numbers, they can help to “crowd out" these unwanted pathogens by competing with them for space and food. As such, many people believe that probiotics are a traveller's best friend!

It is equally important to address any food allergies, sensitivities or other factors, which might be compromising your digestive health. For example, it is estimated that about half of all people with IBS have an abnormal balance of bacteria. As well as resulting in unpleasant symptoms, such as diarrhoea, this also has a direct impact on immunity and the body's ability to resist infection.

Many food reactions are not solely due to food allergy or intolerance, but are due also to the feeding of unfriendly bacteria which then produce substances that activate the immune system in the gut.

Improve your gut health and integrity

Gut infection (as with travellers' diarrhoea) is a very common cause of diarrhoea in both adults and children, (and if your child is a holiday victim, so are you, let’s face it).

Diarrhoea tends to occur in cases of gut infection because some viruses, bacteria and parasites cause increased secretion of fluid, either by invading and producing toxins that stimulate the lining to secrete fluid, or by inflaming the lining of the small intestine (which can increase the speed at which food passes through the intestines, reducing the time that is available for absorbing water).

When the digestive tract is inflamed, it can become abnormally permeable. This, in itself, is a major contributing cause of the development of food allergies, intolerances, detoxification problems and a strained immune system.

It is therefore important to ensure a healthy gut, with good integrity of intestinal wall linings.

Why it's important to tackle infections immediately
 

As well as ensuring that your body is in a good position to be able to prevent infection, it is equally important to deal with any infections that do manage to take hold.

If bacteria, yeasts, fungi and parasites are allowed to remain in the body for a prolonged period of time, they can establish themselves and spread, leading to an imbalance of good and bad bacteria, through the overgrowth of harmful gut flora. This can, in turn, result in a vicious circle of poor digestion, gut toxicity and permeability, immune system strain and digestive disorders - all of which can result in symptoms such as diarrhoea, bloating, stomach cramps and flatulence.
 

Improving digestion, boosting your immunity and supporting your gut health are all excellent ways to help avoid or combat travellers' diarrhoea, but make this a daily priority if you wish to stand a better chance of being fit to travel.

Anton at Halcyon Wellness