For all the talk of preventing Montezuma's Revenge -- the temporary bout of diarrhea that commonly affects travelers on vacations -- you can avoid such gastrointestinal problems, very literally, by not burying your head and body in the sand.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the EPA based their findings on interviews with more than 27,000 patients who visited seven freshwater or marine beaches located within 7 miles of sewage treatment plant discharges (water quality on beaches was judged within acceptable limits). First, folks were questioned about their contact with sand, then contacted 10-12 days later about any health problems they had experienced since their visit.

Although some 13 percent of patients who reported digging in sand and 23 percent of those being buried in it experienced gastrointestinal issues, walking on the beach or swimming weren't associated with any health problems.

The best solutions for avoiding any sandy health problems, according to the EPA, are always the simplest ones: Take a hand sanitizer on your trips to the beach and don't hesitate to wash your hands after playing in the sand.

American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 170. No. 2, p. 164-172, July 15, 2009

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill July 9, 2009

healthfinder.gov July 14, 2009