5 Ways To Avoid Getting Sick In South America

1.     Swallowing Shower Water

When I shower back home in the US, I subconsciously let shower water into my mouth and sometimes I even probably swallow it.

This is a major thing to be conscious of when showering in most places in South America. A good tip is to take one deep breath and get under the water. Then step out of the water, lather with soap, hold your breath again and rinse off.

Do all you can to avoid getting any of the water into your mouth. You should be taking pretty quick showers in South America anyways, due to the lack of warm water as well as water in general to go around.

 2.     Using Tap Water To Brush Your Teeth

A lot of people I have meet don’t follow this rule of thumb, but I still think it’s an important one. I don’t use the sink water to clean my toothbrush or rinse out my mouth after brushing.

I use a bottle of filtered water to clean my brush before and after use. Brushing your teeth is another daily task that can sort of automatic, and it can be an easy way to catch a stomach bug from the water

3.     Aviod Free Beverages at Restaurants

 My most severe stomach problem came from an ice tea I had at a restaurant in Colombia. The place was more like someone’s home, we literally eat at her dining table while her family watched tv. In Colombia its customary for you to get a free juice or tea with your lunch, and most of the time I refuse just to be safe. I went against my own rule and had the ice tea, which I can now assume had tap water or ice made from tap water in it.

 So, when ordering any type of drink on ice or blended drink, I try to do my best to find out if they use tap water to mix or make the ice. Some restaurants have it written on the menu that they use filtered water for the drinks. I eat at a restaurant that was in a bus station in the middle of nowhere Ecuador. The man running the restaurant brought us tea before the meal, and as he put it down told us in Spanish he used only clean water. Sometimes that is enough for me to trust them, but most of the time I lean towards being safe and order a can of soda or a water bottle, but to each there own.

 4.     Choosing The Right Juice Stands

Everyone that travels to South America knows that in every country you will find a fresh juice stand. Most of the time the stomach problems you get from the juice stands it due your body not being use to so much fruit, but of course there is other risks involved as well.

One tip I got from a local in Ecuador, was to try and only get juice in the markets. Most markets in South America have multiple juice stands, ran by very friendly people who have been operating the stands for many years.

His other tip was to ask the nice people working the stand to make you a fresh blend. At the stands you will see containers filled with juice. Now most of the time this is totally fine, but in the chance the juice has been sitting a long time, you are in line for a pretty good stomach problem.

With any blended juice drinks with water, I try to see behind the counter and try to spot the filtered water container. That helps put my mind at ease to order something that has water in it as well.

5.     Look For Clean Kitchens

Yelp and other reviews are great for finding places to eat. If people are taking the time to review it, you can feel pretty safe about eating there. The same goes for places that seem busy at meal times with locals.

In Mexico I kept going back to this little breakfast spot, because in each day they would be the busiest place in the neighborhood. I was always the only gringo, which made we feel a little un easy but also, I knew I may have just found a sure thing instead.

When just walking about town looking for places to eat, in addition to looking for locals eating there, I try to find places where you can see into the kitchen. You can see that the kitchen looks clean, and that the chef is cooking in clean conditions.

 This one is not a deal breaker by any means, but just another tip to find food that will hopefully keep you from catching a stomach bug.

My Meal At A Bus Station In Ecuador

Looks pretty good right?!

 Additional Tips:

When I went to South America for my first time I was always told that no matter how hard you try, you will get sick at least once. This is very true, you probably will. So, I got one more tip on how to prepare your stomach for it.

Pepto-Bismol: On your flight you can start taking Pepto-Bismol. I usually only take a few pills for one or two whole days into the start of my trip.  This can help prepare your stomach for foods that your body is not used to, and ease into the digestion process

Also, before your trip try to ramp up pro biotic intake. Get your gut ready for potential stomach problems.