Gastrointestinal complaints on Mallorca

Symptoms

• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal cramps and stomach pain
• Diarrhoea (watery or bloody)
• Fever and chills
• Headache
• Weakness and dehydration

First aid

1. 1 Drink plenty of fluids (water, tea, oral rehydration solution)
2. 2 Eat easily digestible food (rusks, banana, rice)
3. 3 Rest and stay in bed
4. 4 Avoid fatty or heavily spiced foods
5. 5 If needed: activated charcoal tablets
6. 6 Check temperature regularly

Diarrhoea in the heat: why summer hits the stomach

In summer the stomach gives way faster, because heat weakens several protective mechanisms at once.That is why I see diarrhoea in Mallorca far more often in the hot months than in winter.

The mechanism in short: in heat, and with a lot of drinking, stomach acid can become diluted and loses some of its protective effect against germs. At the same time bacteria multiply on food at 30 °C in minutes rather than hours — at the buffet, in sauces, in ice cream and in pre-cut fruit. Add ice cubes and tap water from an unknown source, plus ice-cold drinks hitting an overheated stomach.

And you lose fluid twice over: through the diarrhoea and through sweating. It is exactly this combination that leads to dehydration faster on holiday than the same infection would at home.

• Electrolytes, not just water: an electrolyte solution from the pharmacy, sipped in small amounts through the day — plain water alone does not replace the salt you lose.
• Get out of the heat: one or two days in the shade and air conditioning. Sun and beach make the fluid loss worse.
• Avoid the buffet, ice cream and pre-cut fruit until your stool is firm again — even if you feel better in between.
• No alcohol, no caffeine: both dehydrate you and irritate an already irritated gut.

Prevention

Gastrointestinal illness in children & babies

Stomach and gut infections in children and babies can become dangerous within hours, because small bodies dehydrate faster than adults. The key is to recognise the warning signs of early dehydration — they decide whether you can wait, call a doctor, or dial 112 at once. I am a German- and English-speaking physician for acute holiday complaints, including in children, but I am not a paediatrician and does not replace a paediatrician, emergency department or 112.

• Refusal to drink — the child rejects fluids for several hours
• Sunken eyes or a sunken fontanelle (in babies)
• Markedly less urine / a dry nappy for more than 6–8 hours
• Apathy, listlessness, unusual drowsiness
• Persistent vomiting (over 24 hours, keeping nothing down)
• Blood in the stool or vomit
• High fever

Norovirus & stomach-bug waves on Mallorca

Norovirus is a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus that triggers sudden, projectile vomiting and watery diarrhoea — and is one of the most common causes of stomach-bug waves on holiday. It circulates year-round and clusters wherever many people gather closely. A reliable statement about a currently active wave is not possible from here; what counts is your own course of illness and consistent hygiene.

Transmission & course: spread is faecal-oral, via contaminated hands, surfaces, water or food — even tiny amounts of virus are enough. Symptoms usually begin 10–50 hours after infection and, in otherwise healthy people, typically settle within 1–3 days. You remain contagious for several days after symptoms ease.

Self-help: the priority is replacing lost fluids and electrolytes — water, tea and oral rehydration solution from the pharmacy in small sips. Isolate yourself from fellow travellers, keep strict hand hygiene with soap (hand sanitiser alone works less reliably against norovirus) and do not share towels or crockery. The heavy fluid loss can quickly tip into dehydration in the Mallorca summer.

When to see a doctor: signs of severe dehydration (little urine, dizziness, dry mouth), vomiting lasting more than 24 hours, blood in the stool, high fever — and generally for babies, toddlers and older or pre-existing-condition patients. If the vomiting and diarrhoea persist, I come to you on a house call: I come directly to you at your hotel or finca — IV infusion and medication on the spot, no surgery visit, no waiting room.

Frequently asked questions