While diarrhea, at times, is a sign of an underlying health condition and can be unavoidable, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk and avoid some of the causes.
Wash Your Hands Frequently
One of the most important things you can do to prevent diarrhea is to wash your hands properly and frequently. It’s the most effective way to prevent the spread of germs from person to person and throughout an entire community. Times when you should wash your hands include:
After using the bathroomBefore, during, and after preparing foodBefore eating foodBefore and after caring for someone who is illAfter changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the bathroomAfter blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughingAfter touching an animal, animal feed, or animal wasteAfter touching garbage
There’s also a proper way to wash your hands to ensure they are disinfected. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you should wet your hands with clean water, turn off the tap, and apply soap. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with soap, making sure to get the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. Continue scrubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds, about the same time it takes to hum the tune “Happy Birthday” twice. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water then dry them using a clean towel. You may also air dry your hands. If soap and clean water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 percent alcohol. These hand sanitizers can reduce the number of germs on your hands, but don’t get rid of all types of germs. When you are able and have access, it’s important to wash your hands properly even if you have used hand sanitizer, to effectively stop the spread of germs that can cause diarrhea. (1) According to the CDC, before this vaccine became available, rotavirus was a serious health threat in the United States. Each year before the vaccine was available, more than 400,000 young children had to see the doctor for an illness related to rotavirus, more than 200,000 had to go to the emergency room, and between 20 and 60 died. Since the introduction of the vaccine, hospitalizations due to rotavirus in the United States have dropped significantly. The CDC recommends babies get their first dose of the rotavirus vaccine at 2 months old. The second dose should be administered at 4 months, and the third, if needed, at 6 months. The rotavirus vaccine will protect babies from severe diarrhea caused by rotavirus and most babies will not get rotavirus diarrhea at all. (2) Still, there are a number of steps people can take to avoid it. These include:
Check the CDC’s website for travel warnings. The travelers’ health website maintained by the CDC will alert you to disease warnings and health risks for various countries. If you’re planning to travel outside of the United States, check this website for warnings and tips to help you and your family reduce the risk of becoming ill.
Watch what you eat and drink. In certain countries, the CDC will advise taking steps to avoid ingesting parasites that can make you sick. In these instances, you should avoid raw fruits and vegetables unless you peel them yourself. It’s also important to avoid raw or undercooked meat or seafood and to eat hot, well-cooked foods. In certain countries, tap water is not safe to drink. In such places only drink bottled water and avoid tap water and ice cubes. Remember to keep your mouth closed while showering and used bottled water to brush your teeth.
Talk to your doctor about antibiotics. Before you take off for your destination, make an appointment with your healthcare provider to discuss possible health risks while on your trip. If you’re going to a developing country for an extended period of time, ask your doctor about antibiotics. In certain cases, such as if you have a weakened immune system, your doctor may start you on antibiotics before you go, in an effort to ward off travelers’ diarrhea. In other instances, your doctor may give you a prescription for antibiotics that you can begin taking while you are away if you have symptoms of diarrhea. (3)
