Before our trip to Bali I had heard of Bali belly, more commonly known as Travellers diarrhoea. I thought nothing of it as I believe my immune system to be rather strong. That, and also no-one thinks it will happen to them.
What is Bali Belly?
We came to learn just what Bali belly is. It is bad news for any traveller. Put nicely, symptoms are chronic puking from both ends of your body. I do not think I need to paint you a verbal picture, but let’s just say that day five was a complete write off. We believe it was from swimming in and swallowing contaminated water.
It is quite common for first timers to Bali to experience this.
Here are a few pointers to best avoid the situation:
Drink only bottled water
Avoid consuming tap water – including in the shower and cleaning your teeth
Even avoid drinks with ice – the ice is usually made from tap water
Eat out at places you trust will thoroughly cook meat.
Do not keep left over food for later consumption
Wash your hands before eating – always carry hand sanitizer as a few public toilets do not washing facilities
Invest in travel insurance. We all think “it won’t happen to me.” That is exactly what I thought.
If you still end up getting sick here are some tips which helped me through:
Drink plenty of (bottled) water – you need to keep your fluids up as you will be losing them constantly. This will also help flush out the bacteria which is making you ill.
Eat – The thought of food will probably make you gag. But trust me you need to force yourself to eat so you avoid barfing up acidic stomach lining and to keep your energy levels up.
If you really cannot keep the food down try having some fruit juice of flat lemonade. Your body will thank you for the sugar.
Sleep – Give yourself some needed bed rest. Do not attempt to go sightseeing as you only have a split second of notice before having to rush to the bathroom. Save yourself the risk of embarrassment and stay close to a toilet.
If the symptoms are not slowing down within a few hours then consider going to the hospital.
