Author Topic: Have any of you gotten sick on tour?  (Read 21021 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline johnsondasw

Re: Have any of you gotten sick on tour?
« Reply #15 on: August 27, 2010, 02:44:56 pm »
Thanks all.

I guess I just have to...
...stop worrying and go.



Yup, that's the best plan.  Deal with it if it happens.  Common sense will allow you to figure out most of these kinds of problems.
May the wind be at your back!

Offline cyclocamping

Re: Have any of you gotten sick on tour?
« Reply #16 on: August 29, 2010, 11:16:56 pm »
During our 5-year tour, my wife and I got sick a few times including one Giardiasis in Cambodia (my wife). I just wanted to add something about gastroenteritis also called food poisoning or Turista. I have a diploma of tropical medicine and travel medicine (as a RN I figured it might get handy to get this diploma before going on a trip around the world  ;)), so I figured I could share some of what I was taught - mostly according to the guidelines of the W.H.O. (World Health Organization).

What to do when you get sick: The first thing is to rest in a quiet environment and make sure you drink a lot of water. This is the MOST IMPORTANT thing DRINK A LOT OF FLUIDS - dehydration is the killer. If the diarrhea becomes severe (> 5-6/24h) with persistent vomiting, you should drink drinks with sugar, salt and minerals (potassium, sodium are the most important). Flat coke is sometimes recommended. Check for signs of severe dehydration like: dark smelly urine, unstoppable thirst. Difficulty to think, agitation, confusion are serious signs of dehydration and one should find a hospital immediately. Seek for a doctor after 72 hours if diarrhea persists or at any time if you have any signs of: severe diarrhea, severe inexplicable pain, or more than just strikes of blood, or pus in the vomit or diarrhea (sorry for the details). Start to re-introduce food slowly. Start with rice and unripe bananas, then pasta, bread, dry fruits, nuts, and yogurt. When food starts to be well tolerated, reintroduce slowly your regular diet. NO fatty food, no hearty sauce, no vegetables, no spices, no fresh fruits, no red meat. Eat small, frequent meals. W.H.O. DO NOT recommend to take Imodium to treat diarrhea in case of Turista unless you really have to (important business meeting, exam, athletes etc.). There is a reason for the body to react that way. The body is trying to evacuate the toxins produced by whatever the germ is, so you should try to suck it up as long as you can. You can take ibuprofen or paracetamol to bring the pain and fever down (if any). Rest a few more days after the symptoms are gone.

How to prevent Turista: In developing countries, when tourists get the Turista, they often blame it on the water or ice but numerous studies shown that the food is very often involved. It is close to impossible to get sick from brushing your teeth or by drinking a few drops while taking a shower. One advice often given by doctors is "Boil it, Cook it, Peel it or forget it; rather simplistic but this is a good one as it summarizes everything quite well. Anything that was just cooked (not rewarmed) is usually safe to eat. Some studies have shown that people get more sick eating at the buffet in fancy restaurants for tourists than in local street-restaurants. This is due to the turnover of the food at the local restaurant compare to food sitting for hours at the buffet and served again the next day in touristic hotel. Of course do not drink tap water unless boiled or filtered. Buy sealed water bottle (check the seal) or filter your own water with a travel water filters and purifiers. Eat fruits that can be peeled in case they were picked from the ground or washed with bad water (I personally don't always follow that recommendation). Eating salad is usually not recommended although I also did it hundred of times in India and never got sick (it's hard to resist the slices of tomato, fresh jalapenos, and cucumber served with their daal!)

In any case, being in a bed, staring at a fan and literally feel like s&@$% for days, is everything but fun. Make sure you have someone to keep an eye on you, drink a lot of water, follow the right diet and you should feel better pretty soon.

Hope this helps. Happy tailwind

Stephane
« Last Edit: August 30, 2010, 08:35:44 am by cyclocamping »
www.CycloCamping.com "Gear Up and SAVE on the Best Touring Equipment!
Silver Corporate Partner of Adventure Cycling Association
www.CycloCampingForum.com - www.facebook.com/cyclocamping

Offline Shane

Re: Have any of you gotten sick on tour?
« Reply #17 on: August 30, 2010, 07:44:28 am »
Good tips from cyclocamping  ;) I once had to take imodium to survive the bus trip 100km to the hospital.......that stuff just gives the illness more time te develop instead of just shitting it out ::)  only use in emergencies.....!!!

Offline cyclocamping

Re: Have any of you gotten sick on tour?
« Reply #18 on: August 30, 2010, 08:36:46 am »
Yes, spending hours in a bus can be a reason for taking immodium  ;D
« Last Edit: September 02, 2010, 07:41:36 am by cyclocamping »
www.CycloCamping.com "Gear Up and SAVE on the Best Touring Equipment!
Silver Corporate Partner of Adventure Cycling Association
www.CycloCampingForum.com - www.facebook.com/cyclocamping

Offline RatchanonWS

Re: Have any of you gotten sick on tour?
« Reply #19 on: February 20, 2020, 01:53:47 am »
You should be extra careful about cleanliness. I always carry wet wipes for obvious reasons. But especially after going to the bathroom - helps you stop the pain, especially when sitting on the saddle
หลักการแทงมวยออนไลน์ที่ดีที่สุด 2020
for many hours Sorry if you have breakfast In addition, I tend to use foot powder to prevent mold every morning and usually sit in the middle. And Dave B is correct about fresh salads and
หลักการแทงมวยระดับมืออาชืพ
vegetables. I think you're OK in the United States. But I remember one time in Thailand, because the fresh vegetables that I gave cauliflower look very good. Raw, sick children, I served me right.
หลักการแทงมวยแบบเด็ดๆ

Offline BikePacker

Re: Have any of you gotten sick on tour?
« Reply #20 on: February 20, 2020, 07:53:24 am »
I pack BC Powder which I like cause it contains caffeine to allay ill feelings .... of course, it does not address anything beyond a malaise.

Offline bobbys beard

Re: Have any of you gotten sick on tour?
« Reply #21 on: February 22, 2020, 05:40:22 am »
I never tour without a small first aid kit. Bandages, plasters, tea tree oil, imodium and ibuprofen gel and paracetamol.

Exhaustion is always a danger on longer tours. I tend to book into a cheap motel for a night or two with a bottle (or 2; this accounts for the above paracetamol) of wine and some nice food, to recharge.

Offline hikerjer

Re: Have any of you gotten sick on tour?
« Reply #22 on: February 26, 2020, 10:35:28 pm »
I got sick of the head winds in Kansas once.  Other than that, no problems.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2020, 10:41:20 pm by hikerjer »

Offline froze

Re: Have any of you gotten sick on tour?
« Reply #23 on: March 23, 2020, 11:27:04 am »
As others have said you could get sick or hurt for one reason or another, so you need to bring stuff to protect you from that; stuff like Imodium A.D., Sinus congestion and headache pills, allergy pills, regular headache pills, Ibuprofen (for swelling and fever, this stuff does nothing for me in regards to headaches), hydrocortisone cream, and Benadryl cream, and of course adequate first aid to take care of most minor injuries. 

I either buy the small travel tube shape with the pills already inside, then I put more inside because those little tubes aren't even half full when new.  I don't carry the boxes around, some pills go into a small ziplock bag, I just mix them together since I know what each one does.  Since pills take up such little space I take more than I might need especially Imodium AD, Ibuprofen and sinus congestion headache stuff as well as a couple of tubes of hydrocortisone cream and Benadryl cream because bug bites are a very real problem when touring.  I take enough pills and cream to last me 3 days just in case I'm that far out from civilization to get what I need, better safe than sorry. 

Again this stuff takes up very little space on your bike and sometimes riding to the nearest Walmart or some such place that might have that stuff could be at least a couple of hours ride away, and when your sick, especially with diarrhea, those miles will take a huge toll on your body, not to mention the hassle of pulling over to the side of the road every 15 minutes or so with the runs and not having enough TP with you, and that will tire you out a lot which could lay you up for an extra day you didn't account for.  Not a good way to be in.