Have you heard of the infamous Pharaohs Revenge? Whom does it strike? How do you deal with it? Travellers to Egypt are, for the most part, familiar with this dreaded phenomena. You will find the remedy here, along with a list of symptoms that let you know you have been stuck down, a list of ways to avoid it and how to distinguish it from a simple stomach-upset.
Pharaohs Revenge is the Egyptian tummy bug that many tourists to Egypt dread and/or experience. Therefore, most tourists arrive in the country armed with a plentiful supply of medicinal products designed to combat stomach problems. These remedies, for the most part, are not designed to combat the Egyptian tummy bug.
Many tourists, who get the tummy bug, confine themselves to cruise cabins or hotel rooms because they are afraid to stray too far from the toilet! The mistake these tourists make is thinking it will pass if they drink a lot of water. It probably will not pass, in fact it will, most likely, get worse. The secret to a quick recovery is acting in time. If you have ingested a bad bacteria you will have to take a specific type of antibiotic. Drinking lots of water is most unlikely to wash it out. There is an added danger in not taking care of the problem while in Egypt. If left untreated, the tummy bug can escalate into chronic, colonic conditions requiring hospitalization.
Court of Amenhotep III – Luxor Temple by Cameron Grant Fine Art Photography, on Flickr
Symptoms
Contrary to common misconception, the onset of vomiting and/or diarrhoea is not always the first symptom of the Egyptian tummy bug. People who are tuned-in to how they are feeling may experience symptoms in the following order:
- General feeling of malaise – a feeling of something not quite right
- Bloated and/or squishy feeling in the stomach/bowel area
- Nausea
- Lack of energy
- Weak legs
- Desire to sleep
- Stomach cramps
- Hot or/and cold sweats
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
Sources of the Egyptian Tummy Bug
Apart from food, there are other ways people pick up the tummy bug. While most outdoor structures, such as hand rails which are in the sun, are unlikely to have surface bacteria on them, touching almost anything indoors can be a source of bacteria!. Among the main culprits are toilet flushers, door handles and light switches. However, money is the worst culprit of all and few consider the friendly handshake a possible source of infection, but it can run a close second to money as an infection source.
Would you think that licking your lips could end up giving you a tummy bug? Think about this – you have just handled money or shaken hands with a few very friendly children, you are hot and sweaty, you wipe the beads of sweat from around your mouth, a few minutes later you moisten your lips with your tongue – what are the chances you have just ingested some not-so-friendly bacteria?
Treatment
If you feel you are in the clutches of Pharaohs Revenge the weapon you need is an Egyptian product called “Antinal”, available from all pharmacies in Egypt without prescription, for the princely sum of 5 – 8 Egyptian pounds. One or two tablets should set you right within a couple of hours. If it does not, you just need to take one tablet every 4 hours until you are feeling like your old self again. The best advice for tourists going to Egypt is to stop at the first pharmacy, on arrival in Egypt, and buy a packet of Antinal.
Pharaoh’s Head – By laurenz on Flickr Creative Commons
Differentiate Between Egyptian Tummy Bug & Upset Stomach
There is a difference between the Egyptian tummy bug, which contains bad bacteria, and the simple upset stomach, which you can get from any of the following:
- Too many carbonated drinks while in the sun/heat.
- Taking iced drinks in the sun and/or too soon after coming in from the sun/heat. Your internal body temperature will be hotter than normal, and drinking an iced cold beverages can put your body into shock, resulting in tummy upset. Wait at least 30 minutes before taking an ice-cold drink.
- A cold shower, if taken immediately after coming in from the sun, can also shock your system. It cools down the body exterior too quickly, while the core temperature remains hot. Wait at least 30 minutes after coming in from the sunshine or take a warm shower.
- Drinking too much alcohol in the heat/sun.
- Many tourists push themselves too hard in high temperatures they are not used to, travelling from one place to another and attempting to see everything in a short time. This can result in the body crashing and demanding rest, sometimes the first symptom of which is an unwell feeling in the stomach…listen to your “gut feeling”.
- Eating food you are not used to eating.
Finally, it would be a shame to miss tasting all the exotic and different foods in Egypt because of something you may never experience. With Antinal and hand-sanitizer in your bag, you can relax and sample all the delights of Egypt, knowing you have the cure at hand should you need it.
