Despite your best efforts, it may find you. Delhi Belly is not a certainty, but it is a possibility that hovers in the background of every meal like a fire alarm you hope never goes off.
Prevention is straightforward: wash your hands frequently, carry hand sanitiser like a talisman, and stick to cooked food in the early days, if not most days. Especially during summers.
When it hits — and you’ll know when it hits, the way you know when an earthquake hits; there is no ambiguity — the first line of defence is rehydration.
ORS packets are available at any pharmacy for a few rupees. Stick to plain rice, bananas, and clear fluids. If things persist beyond 48 hours, or if you see blood, stop self-medicating and see a doctor immediately.
Delhi has excellent private hospitals — Apollo, Max Healthcare, Medanta, Fortis — and good government ones too (AIIMS, Safdarjung).
Pharmacies are everywhere, well-stocked, and refreshingly casual about prescriptions.
For improving gut health: probiotics like Vizylac, Econorm, or Enterogermina. Racecadotril (Redotil) reduces the waterworks without shutting things down entirely — think of it as turning down the volume rather than pulling the plug.
For symptom management: Meftal-Spas or Cyclopam for cramps, Domperidone (Domstal) or Ondansetron (Ondem) for nausea, and standard Paracetamol — sold here as Crocin or Dolo 650 — if a fever joins the party.