Avoiding fungal infections and parasites in Bali

Living in a tropical climate, exposes you to new medical challenges. Bacteria grow fast and there are a range of diseases and afflications westerners are not familiar with. Recently I met 2 older westerners who have fungal / parasitical problems (and we’re not talking about their girlfriends!).

One guy has lost a large percentage of the melanin on his forearms (vitiligo) which he told me was a fungal infection. He got this since moving to Bali and has taken steps to prevent it from spreading. He told me it was only a matter of weeks, since the thing started, and left him with large pink patches. I guess that’s one disease I don’t have to worry about, not having much melanin to start with.

Another older fellow (61) told me he was suffering from some kind of intestinal parasite (probably picked up in India). He’s getting colonics on a regular basis, and is taking a couple of table spoons of apple cider vineger a day. He reckons for a healthy person, that is a good way to prevent intestinal parasites while travelling, as the parasites don’t like the ph level. Anyway, he’s probably going to have to get properly diagnosed sooner or later. Yet another long term expat, who also had been living in India, told me months ago, that he has suffered from gas, stomach pains etc. for 12 years, thinking it was ‘just part of living in the tropics’, before getting it taken care of at a hospital in Thailand. This guy had been taking medication from Bali doctors, with no success.

In tropical places you gets fungal infections easily, on parts of the body that do no get sufficient ventilation. Wearing socks and athletic shoes, tight thick underwear, sitting / driving for long periods etc, can create conditions for fungal infections. My guidebook’s advice, echo’s what most people do in Bali, which is to wear loose fitting clothing, change towels and underwear often and dryy them in sunlight. If you do get a fungal infection, expose it to sunlight, keep it dry and ventilated, clean with disinfectant and dry well.

Intestinal worms can enter your body, through under cooked meat, or through your skin. They are not generally life-threatening, but should be dealt with if detected. You’ll know there’s something going on if your anus is itchy. Visit a doctor and he should fix you up with medication. (Some of the expats I know drink so much, I would be amazed if anything could survive inside them).

I guess the writing is on the wall. If you live in Bali and get some kind of strange symptom, get it checked out in Singapore / Thailand / Australia, otherwise they’ll keep giving you a ‘bandaid’.