Diarrhea - A Pocket Guide That Will Save Your Life

Everyone had Diarrhea (Diarrhoea) once in their life. Do you want to know what causes it?

By the way, it's fact that Diarrhea can kill you due to dehydration....!

What to do if you cannot get any medical help in Chronic Diarrhea ?

For all those Questions, you need to read this article.

The Content of this article is written by me , Dr. Rashesh Shah. So, It is Factual and Reliable.

The Article will give detailed explanation on the topic .

Let's Start from basics...

What is Diarrhea?

Loose, Watery bowel movements frequently - more than 3 times in 24 hours, with the sense of Urgency is called Diarrhea. 

Types of Diarrhea : -

1. Acute : Condition lasting for maximum 2 days. Underlying cause of it could be Bacterial, Viral infection or Food Poisoning. Most Common among all.                                                                                                                                                                                                   
2. Chronic : Condition lasting for at-least 4 week. Reasons for that could be Intestinal Diseases like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) , Celiac Disease or Inflammatory Bowel Disease.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
3. Traveller's Diarrhea : When someone travels to a Developing Country, his chances of getting this disease will increase.         

He might get exposed to Bacteria or parasite during his trip that will make him sick (Generally Acute in Nature.)                                       

                                 

    

Causes of Diarrhea: -

• Food Allergy

• Food Intolerance. Ex. Lactose Intolerance

• Side effect of Medication

• Bacterial Infection. Ex. Clostridium Difficile, Salmonella or E. Coli - Small Intestinal Diarrhea.

• Viral Infection. Ex. Rotavirus in case of Children

• Parasitic Infection

• Intestinal Disease

• Stomach Surgery

Gastroenteritis: - Medical name for Infection of The Digestive tract.

Symptoms of Diarrhea: -

                                                 

• Headache

• Nausea

• Abdominal Pain

• Bloating

• Cramps

• Fever

• Bloody Stool

                                                

Also Know: -

Loose but non - watery stool is normal in babies, who are exclusively breastfed.

Diarrhea and Dehydration: -

The Disease will cause frequent watery stool evacuation that will result in more water loss from the body , hence Dehydration.

Warning: - Diarrhea can get serious in young children in just 24 hours only. So , do not hesitate calling a Doctor if you observe...

• Decreased urination

• Dry Mouth

• Less Tears while Crying

• Dry Skin

• Sunken Eyes

• Sleepiness

Symptoms of Dehydration in Adults Include:

• Fatigue

• Increased heart rate

• Increased Thirst

• Lightheadedness

Additional Knowledge: -

Watery diarrhea for short duration could be the result of Cholera. When the blood is present in the stool of the diarrhea patient, it is called Dysentery.

Prevention Of Diarrhea: -

Two types of the Disease could be prevented : Traveller's Diarrhea and Diarrhea due to Rotavirus.

Disease due to Rotavirus is preventable by giving it's vaccine to Children. There are 2-3 doses of it.

Disease because of travelling to developing nations could be curbed by taking few precaution during the trip..

• Drinking Bottled water instead of Tap water.

• Washing hands with soap and tap water at-least for 20 seconds before eating anything.

                    

                                            

• Eating fresh food preferably cooked.

• Peeling Vegetables and Fruits before consumption.

Treatment: -

Common treatment for all diarrhea is replacing lost fluid by fruit juices, IV fluids, Soda or ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution).

Depending upon the specific cause of the disease, treatment might differ : Antibiotic for bacterial Infection, Antiviral for viral Infection etc..

ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution): -

It is a solution to replace fluid and ions in the body of diarrhea patient . 

Chances of death could be decreased 93% because of this solution. 

According to WHO (World Health Organization), it should contain...

Diet in Diarrhea: -

• Generally, high fiber food is advisable for people who have diarrhea. 

• Special Diabetic Diet - BRAT (Banana, Rice, Applesauce and Toast) is advised for relief in acute diarrhea within days. Pedialyte - electrolyte can also help.

• Fatty and oily food should be avoided for 2 days after relief from the disease. 

• Also, if the patient experience symptoms like nausea and vomiting, he could suck ice cubs until the symptoms subside.

• Generally, acute disease will get cured by home remedies only...

Serious: - Frequent episodes of diarrhea due to improper sanitation, can lead to stunted growth in babies due to malnutrition.

When to Contact Doctor?

As such this disease is not that serious ,but if one experiences these symptoms, he should immediately call Doctor.

• Fever more than 102 degree Fahrenheit

• Severe abdominal pain

• Stool containing blood or pus.

Doctor will further analyze your situation and will treat you accordingly.

He might give your stool sample for C & S report - to determine the infective organism in case of Gastroenteritis....!

----> This was the basics of Diarrhea.

I insist you that if you have to travel somewhere, go through this article once again or take photocopy of it along ; as knowledge of this kind could be handy in tough times.

Individual symptoms and cases might vary, but with this pocket guide; you will be able to help yourself and others till you get medical help.

If you need to know more or have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below....