6 Ways to Avoid Diseases due to Contaminated Water

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:06:12 +0000

Gastrointestinal problems are common problems encountered by travelers especially by drinking local unpurified water. Contaminated water often cause diarrhea and also predispose travelers to bacterial infection. Aside from bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli, pollutants and chemicals may also lead to health problems when drinking contaminated water.

We drink water every day, and if we are not careful, it may cause different health problems. Follow the tips given below to avoid problems like these.

1. If available, always make sure that you drink only bottled water. Although bottled, this doesn’t always mean that it is safe to drink. Make it a point to check if the product is sealed and be certain that there are no leaks in the bottle. If there are holes or leaks in the bottle, there is a great chance that the water is contaminated. Make it a point to drink only popular bottled water. This will eliminate your doubts of the water being contaminated or improperly decontaminated.

2. The elderly are more easily infected. If no bottled water is available, boiled water is a good substitute to avoid contamination. Boiling the water will kill the bacteria and decontaminate it. Cold water is not usually safe. To develop immunity to the contaminated water, younger people can take in light amounts gradually to develop immunity against bacteria present in the water.

3. Aside from bottled water, tea, fruit juice, cola and other manufactured drinks are good alternatives to rehydrate the body. This will keep you away from drinking contaminated water.

4. Like the elderly people, children are also more prone to infection. When brushing, always instruct children to use clean and safe water to avoid the risk of infection. Don’t allow your children to brush using tap water. Use bottled water instead. Drinking small amount of water is unavoidable with children especially when they are rinsing their mouth after brushing their teeth.

5. Contrary to most beliefs, cooling the water does not decontaminate and kill bacteria. Avoid the use of ice in your drinks during trips even if the restaurant or waiter insists that they had boiled the water before using it to make ice. Remember, it is better safe than sorry.

6. You can bring your own water purification device during trips. There are products in the market that can disinfect water discreetly even in the restaurant to ensure safe drinking water. It is small so you may take it all the time, ultra violet light is used for disinfection.

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6 Ways to Avoid Diseases due to Contaminated Water