Worried that Diarrhea will Ruin your Holidays? Here’s How to Stop the Runs in its Tracks - December 2024

With the holiday season right round the corner, excitement is in the air. Plans are afoot to bring the kids to Japan for the first time, or maybe it’s to the Gold Coast, Australia or Vietnam or somewhere even closer to home like one of Malaysia’s beautiful island resorts or heritage and discovery sites. It’s going to be many days of non-stop action and fun. The itinerary is jam-packed, you need to make sure nothing goes wrong. You’ve made a checklist for everyone, including for your little toddler and your six year old. Did you pack: Your documents ─ passports, visa, tickets for airline, boat, train, bus? Check. Cash? Got them changed? Check. Appliances, such as your handphone, charger, videocamera? Check. Enough changes of clothes for day and night wear plus activity wear including swimsuits, swim trunks, trekking shoes and socks? Check. Toiletries ─ moisturisers, adult toothpaste, children’s toothpaste, toothbrushes for everyone? Check. Diapers, diaper cream, wipes, bibs, bottles and formula? Check. But what about medication? Ah! Here’s when you remember all those poopy predicaments your fellow travellers got into when they regaled you with their tales of travel the last time you met up. According to Mayo Clinic, it is possible that Traveler's Diarrhea may stem from the stress of travelling, a change in diet and climate. But usually an infectious agent — including various bacteria, viruses and parasites — is to blame. You typically develop Traveller's Diarrhea after ingesting food or water that's contaminated with organisms from feces. “We were in Legoland, Johor Bahru queuing for tickets when my boy suddenly made a loud, wet, gassy sound in his diapers. Immediately after, a poop fountain shot out of his diapers up the back of his shirt before dripping down on the floor over his pants and shoes and everywhere else. Needless to say, everyone was aghast and backed away. I myself was smeared in poop too. It was so terribly embarrassing. I scrambled for the wipes, tissues, anything I could find but obviously that wasn’t enough to clean up the mess. I left hubby there to handle the horror at the counter and rushed Tim to the nearest toilet for a full washdown. He dripped a brown trail all the way. All his clothes were soiled but luckily I had brought spares. Still, the whole day was spoilt after that. We didn’t go in to the park, we were too embarrassed to show our faces at the counter again. Tim also started a fever and we wound up holed inside the hotel attending to him for the rest of our trip.” “On our last trip to Thailand, we were in a boat heading to the nearby islands and snorkeling spots when I was suddenly hit by a terrible stomachache. I knew I needed a toilet fast. A few minutes later, we arrived at an island. I spotted a bathroom but all my hopes were dashed when I saw that the shack consisted of three squat toilets with no doors, huge gaps under the stalls, and a line of tourists. I was desperate, but couldn’t get myself to use those toilets. It even briefly crossed my mind to swim out into the middle of the ocean and let go there. Luckily, I had diarrhea medicine with me but had to cancel all of the outdoor adventures we had planned for the day because I just didn't feel up to it anymore.” “We had eaten ice-cream from a street vendor and knew we were going to regret it because I think it was made out of tap water and milk powder. Sure enough, it happened. There’s nothing quite like staggering around Afghanistan completely exhausted from having yellow waterfalls gushing from your behind 20 times a day. I didn't seek medical attention because I heard that local clinics were reusing needles, so I struggled on until I was literally too weak to stand two weeks later.” Diarrhea Happens Bottled is best. Always avoid unsterilized or unboiled water and unpasturised milk and dairy products including ice cream. Always use bottled water to make baby food and formula, don’t consume ice cubes or mixed fruit juices made with tap water but feel free to drink canned and bottled water, juices and beverages in their original containers. Do wipe off any can or bottle before drinking or pouring. The thing is ─ diarrhea happens to the best of us, regardless of whether you are an adult or a child. If you travel, you are automatically at risk. In fact, diarrhea happens so commonly when travelling that it is even called Traveller’s Diarrhea. Often explosive, watery, painful, draining, dehydrating, and not to mention embarrassing, it’s a mood spoiler; all the wind gets knocked out of a family holiday and everybody gets crestfallen because you’re sick and worrying everyone else. But that’s not all. Because it happens suddenly and usually at the worst possible time, desperation has found many an afflicted traveller making emergency calls behind bushes or boulders, or sleeping in the toilet because you cannot afford to be too far away from one when the urge to purge hits you. Some travellers have even missed flights because they were still in the toilet when the plane took off. The moral of the story is ─ if you’re planning on travelling soon, taking care of yourself and your family’s travel health should be high on your priorities. Luckily, Traveller’s Diarrhea never lasts too long although many travellers would attest that it lasts long enough to bring a holiday to an end. And if you think that’s bad for an adult, it’s worse for a child. According to research done on Travellers’ Diarrhea in children, they say diarrhea is the most common medical problem affecting all travellers where up to 50% can expect to have at least one episode of acute diarrhea during a two-week stay. Younger children are at especially high risk of acquiring Travellers’ Diarrhea and of suffering more severe consequences. Young Children are at a Higher Risk Traveller’s diarrhea is more common in young children than in adults, and they have a higher risk of dehydration and severe illness. (Image Credit: MagicMaman) Apart from experiencing abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting, fever and a frequent and urgent need to defecate loose uncontrollable stools, Traveller’s Diarrhea in children can cause severe dehydration. You need to bring the child to a doctor if he exhibits the following signs and symptoms: Persistent vomiting A fever of 102° F (39° C) or more Bloody stools or severe diarrhea Dry mouth or crying without tears Signs of being unusually sleepy, drowsy or unresponsive Decreased volume of urine, including fewer wet diapers in toddlers Very quickly, Traveller’s Diarrhea in children can become a medical emergency. The best thing to do is to stop the diarrhea in its tracks as soon as it happens. DiaResQ® to Diarrhea Rescue Enter DiaResQ®. It may be the very thing to alleviate mums’ concerns with Traveller’s Diarrhea in their children and in themselves. The thing about DiaResQ® is that it isn’t medication per se, but a food. Yes, DiaResQ® is not a drug or an antibiotic which is no good for children but a different kind of relief for diarrhea. Made with naturally derived ingredients including bovine colostrum and egg solids, DiaResQ® works with your body by providing the necessary nutrients and immune factors to rapidly settle the stomach so that you can get on with the programme. For a child, this is good news. The faster the diarrhea is stopped, the less fluids he will lose from his body, preventing dehydration and related complications. What’s Bovine Colostrum? DiaResQ® includes bovine (cow) colostrum, which is the first milk that is produced by cows after they calve. It is rich in nutrients, immune factors, and protective proteins. Colostrum also has an abundance of immunoglobulin IgG antibodies, supporting intestinal health. Egg Solids DiaResQ’s® eggs come from hens raised without antibiotics, hormones, or additives. Hen eggs are used as a source of high-quality, bioavailable protein, and immunoglobulin IgY antibodies, which help support intestinal health. Part of the travel adventure is in discovering the food of the country. However, to avoid Traveller’s Diarrhea, you need to avoid street vendor fare. Steer clear of raw or undercooked meat, fish and shellfish; moist food left at room temperature such as sauces and buffet, and only eat fruits that you can peel yourself. Stay away from salads too. (Image Credit: Moroccan Street Food from Foodofy) How DiaResQ® Works Diarrhea is often caused by your body’s immune response to an unwanted or unbalanced microorganism in the gut. The body is attempting to flush out the unwanted intruder and regain balance, which is why diarrhea is an expected and normal reaction to an abnormal situation. Think back to your last vacation. Remember that street meat you ate that might have been contaminated? Wanting to protect itself, your body jumped into action to rid itself of the potentially harmful microorganism as quickly as possible. Many diarrhea relief products alleviate the symptoms of diarrhea by interfering with your body’s natural immune response to flush out an unwanted organism. While this may temporarily control the symptoms, it keeps the problem-causing microorganism in your body longer. But DiaResQ® is different. It addresses the issue, not just the symptoms. Providing the nutrients that it needs, it works with your body’s natural immune response to restore normal intestinal function. A different kind of diarrhea relief, DiaResQ addresses the underlying issue quickly, not just the symptoms and without unwanted side effects. It is safe for adults and children from as young as one year old. What Mothers Really Want to Know is ─ Does it Work? The answer is Yes! The best news is: DiaResQ® has been shown to resolve most cases of diarrhea from Day One of Use. It is suitable for the whole family from one year old and above. Mums, if you are worried about diarrhea interfering with your holiday plans, now you have your solution. Go to Motherhood’s marketplace here to purchase DiaResQ® before you leave for your vacation so you can keep it handy for your entire family. To find out more, go to DiaResQ® website or ask questions at DiaResQ Malaysia Facebook by clicking on the links provided.

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