Getting sick while on a trip is one of the most common yet worst scenarios that travelers have to contend with. In many cases, people are willing to pull through, particularly with things like stomach issues. They’ll take something over the counter because, truthfully, who wants to be at the ER in a foreign country just so they tell you that you have food poisoning? Unfortunately, not every health issue that you can pick up abroad can be healed with a bottle of Pepto-Bismol. In fact, some of these problems can linger long after a trip.
Getting the right medical studies taken to diagnose the actual problem is going to be the first step. If you are back home when this happens, it could be a good idea to see your family doctor or even an internist. That’s especially the case if you’re developing aches and pains in different parts of the body. People will regularly assume that they’re dealing with a stomach issue, so they may hurry to visit a gastroenterologist. If you visited a very tropical place, you very well could be dealing with something like dengue fever or similar diseases that can show up with stomach complications.
Since running the right tests is so important, having a doctor who will essentially head the investigation may be ideal instead of trying to head directly to a specialist based on the current symptoms. One of the biggest mysteries in these situations is when to quit using over-the-counter remedies and visit a doctor. If pain or symptoms intensify, that’s a very clear sign that the current treatment may not be what you need. Also, if pain persists days after travel, it’s going to be necessary to see a doctor.
One of the biggest questions that travelers may want to ask themselves before neglecting to visit a local doctor where they’re vacationing is if certain illnesses are common in the area. At times, some of these local doctors could have more experience treating some of these diseases than the specialists back home, not to mention the fact that treatment may be cheaper in some places, particularly if you have traveler’s insurance. In the case that you do decide to wait until you get home to seek medical treatment, ideally, that should be something you do almost upon arrival.
When dealing with stomach issues, one fact that’s very important to keep in mind is that food poisoning only last about 48 hours to three days max. If symptoms persist, then it’s very likely that there’s a bigger issue at hand. These are signs that you won’t want to overlook. In any case, hopefully, these tips can provide a bit of clarity for travelers. They are, however, not to be taken as direct medical advice. That’s something that only medical professionals can provide. That’s why the main advice is to see a doctor as quickly as possible!
