Diarrhoea: A Common Problem with Simple Solution

It might be uncomfortable and disruptive to deal with Diarrhoea in your everyday routine. Al Hilal Healthcare offers efficient methods to help you find relief if you’re looking for all-natural ways to treat Diarrhoea. This article will discuss a variety of at-home treatments for Diarrhoea, and tips to prevent getting diarrhoeal disease, arming you with the knowledge to encourage a healthy digestive system and enhance general wellbeing.

Diarrhoea is commonly defined as three or more loose or watery stools per day. Nearly everyone will have an episode of diarrhoea at some point during their life, with the average adult experiencing it four times per year. Although most cases of diarrhoea resolve within a few days without treatment, it’s important to know when to seek help.

Diarrhoea can be caused by infections or a variety of other factors. The cause of diarrhoea is not identified in most people, especially those who improve without treatment.

Diarrhoea caused by infections usually results from eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Signs and symptoms of infection usually begin 12 hours to four days after exposure and resolve within three to seven days.

Diarrhoea not related to an infection can occur as a side effect of antibiotics or other drugs, food allergies, gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, and other diseases.

Diarrhea Symptoms

A person with diarrhoea may be mildly to severely ill. A person who has mild illness may have a few loose bowel movements but otherwise feels well. By contrast, a person with severe diarrhoea may have 20 or more bowel movements per day, happening up to every 20 or 30 minutes. In this situation, a significant amount of water and salts can be lost, seriously increasing the risk of dehydration. Diarrhoea may be accompanied by fever (temperature greater than 100.4°F or 38°C), abdominal pain, or cramping.

Diarrhea HomeCare

1. Maintain Hydration — If you have mild to moderate diarrhoea, you can usually be treated at home by drinking extra fluids. The fluids should contain water, salt, and sugar. Oral rehydration solution (ORS), a specific mixture of glucose and sodium, is the best first-line treatment and is available in over-the-counter commercial preparations. Sports drinks (eg. Gatorade) are not optimal for fluid replacement, although they may be sufficient for a person with diarrhoea who is not dehydrated and is otherwise healthy. Diluted fruit juices and flavoured soft drinks along with salted crackers and broths or soups may also be acceptable.

One way to judge hydration is by looking at the colour of your urine and monitoring how frequently you urinate. If you urinate infrequently or have urine that is dark yellow, you should drink more fluids. Normally, urine should be light yellow to nearly colourless. If you are well hydrated, you normally pass urine every three to five hours.

2. BRAT Diet: The BRAT diet consists of meals that are simple to digest and can help to firm up stools when people have Diarrhoea. BRAT stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast. These foods offer crucial nutrients while being easy on the stomach. As your symptoms become better, gradually reintroduce more bland, low-fibre foods.
3. Probiotics: Probiotics are good bacteria that support a balanced gut flora and can help restore the intestinal bacterial equilibrium that has been upset by Diarrhoea. To speed up recuperation, eat foods high in probiotics like yoghurt, kefir, and sauerkraut or take probiotic pills.
4. Ginger: Ginger naturally reduces inflammation and can help with Diarrhoea-related intestinal discomfort. To calm the stomach and lower inflammation, sip ginger tea or nibble on a tiny piece of fresh ginger.
5. Peppermint: Peppermint has antispasmodic qualities that might ease bowel cramping brought on by diarrhoea. Under the direction of a medical professional, sip peppermint tea or take peppermint oil capsules to relieve diarrhoea symptoms.
6. 6. Chamomile Tea: Chamomile tea has anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic characteristics that can ease the symptoms of diarrhoea. Drink some chamomile tea to ease intestinal tension and lessen cramping.
7. 7. Black Tea: Black tea contains tannins that can ease Diarrhoea and thicken up stools. Make a cup of black tea and drink it without any milk or sugar to help lessen the frequency of loose stools.
8. 8. Avoid meals and Drinks that Can Aggravate Diarrhoea: Avoid meals and drinks that can aggravate Diarrhoea and further aggravate your digestive system. Caffeine, alcohol, and dairy products, as well as oily or fatty foods, may fall under this category. Till your symptoms subside, eat only light, easily absorbed meals.
9. Rest and Relaxation: During periods of Diarrhoea, give yourself plenty of time to rest and unwind. Exhaustion and stress can exacerbate symptoms and slow the healing process. Spend some time relaxing, put self-care first, and pay attention to your body’s requirements.

Diarrhea Prevention of Spread

Adults with diarrhoea should be cautious to avoid spreading infection to family, friends, and co-workers. You are considered infectious for as long as diarrhoea continues. Microorganisms causing diarrhoea are spread from hand to mouth; hand washing, care with diapering, and staying out of work or school are a few ways to prevent infecting family and other contacts.

Handwashing — Hand washing is an effective way to prevent the spread of infection. Hands should ideally be wet with water and plain or antibacterial soap and rubbed together for 15 to 30 seconds. Pay special attention to the fingernails, between the fingers, and the wrists. Rinse your hands thoroughly and dry with a single use towel.

If a sink is not available, alcohol-based hand rubs are a good alternative for disinfecting hands. Spread the hand rub over the entire surface of your hands, fingers, and wrists until dry. Hand rubs may be used several times. Hand rubs are available as a liquid or wipe in small, portable sizes that are easy to carry in a pocket or handbag. When a sink is available and your hands are visibly dirty, it is best to wash them with soap and water.

Clean your hands after changing a diaper, before and after preparing food and eating, after going to the bathroom, after handling garbage or dirty laundry, after touching animals or pets, and after blowing your nose or sneezing.

Food Safety for Diarrhea Prevention

• Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or foods that contain unpasteurized milk.
• Wash raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating.
• Keep the refrigerator temperature at 40°F (4.4°C) or lower; the freezer at 0°F (-17.8°C) or lower.
• Eat precooked, perishable, or ready-to-eat food as soon as possible.
• Keep raw meat, fish, and poultry separate from other food.
• Wash hands, knives, and cutting boards after handling uncooked food, including produce and raw meat, fish, or poultry.
• Thoroughly cook raw food from animal sources to a safe internal temperature: ground beef 160°F (71°C); chicken 170°F (77°C); turkey 180°F (82°C); pork 145°F (63°C) with a three-minute rest time.
• Seafood should be cooked thoroughly to minimize the risk of food poisoning. Eating raw fish (eg, sushi) poses a risk for a variety of parasitic worms (in addition to the risks associated with organisms carried by food handlers). Freezing kills some, although not all, harmful microorganisms. Raw fish that is labelled “sushi-grade” or “sashimi-grade” has been frozen.
• Cook chicken eggs thoroughly, until the yolk is firm.
• Refrigerate foods promptly. Never leave cooked foods at room temperature for more than two hours (one hour if the room temperature is above 90°F/32°C).

Tips For Preventing Traveler’s Diarrhea.

You can reduce your chances of getting travelers’ diarrhea by being careful about what and how you eat and drink. While you are traveling:

• Drink bottled water instead of tap water. Drink bottled carbonated drinks, beer, wine, or hot tea or coffee. Avoid fresh fruit or vegetable juice, or drinks made with fresh juice.
• Ask for drinks in the bottle. If you drink from a glass, use a straw.
• Do not use ice in drinks. Ice is usually made from tap water.
• Do not eat food from carts or stands in the street.
• Do not eat sauces set out on restaurant tables. These include salsa and ketchup.
• Choose foods that are freshly cooked and served very hot. Avoid buffet food on a steam table.
• Do not eat foods that might not have been washed properly or could be sitting for some time without proper refrigeration. These include guacamole, fruit salads, raw vegetables, lettuce, or chicken salads.
• Do not eat foods or drinks made with unpasteurized milk.
• Do not eat raw fruits or vegetables unless they have a peel and you have peeled them yourself. Avoid fruits that cannot be peeled like grapes or berries.

Food Safety for Pregnant Women or Those with a Weakened Immune System

• Do not eat hot dogs, pâtés, luncheon meats, bologna, or other delicatessen meats unless they are reheated until steaming hot; avoid the use of microwave ovens since uneven cooking may occur.
• Avoid spilling fluids from raw meat and hot dog packages on other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces. In addition, wash your hands after handling hot dogs, luncheon meats, delicatessen meats, and raw meat, chicken, turkey, or seafood or their juices.
• Do not eat pre-prepared salads, such as ham salad, chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad, or seafood salad.
• Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, and Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, or Mexican-style cheeses such as queso Blanco, queso fresco, or Panela, unless they have a label that clearly states that the cheese is made from pasteurized milk.
• Do not eat refrigerated pates or meat spreads. Canned or shelf-stable products may be eaten.
• Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood unless it has been cooked. Refrigerated smoked seafood, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, or mackerel, is most often labelled as “nova-style,” “lox,” “kippered,” “smoked,” or “jerky.” The fish is found in the refrigerator section or sold at deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens. Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood may be eaten.

WhenToSeek Medical HelpforDiarrhea

If your diarrhoea is not severe, you do not always need to be seen by a doctor, especially if the diarrhoea begins to improve within 48 hours. However, if you have one or more of the following signs or symptoms, you should be evaluated by a health care provider:

• Profuse watery diarrhoea with signs of dehydration. Early features of dehydration include sluggishness, becoming tired easily, dry mouth and tongue, thirst, muscle cramps, dark-coloured urine, urinating infrequently, and dizziness or light-headedness after standing or sitting up. More severe features include abdominal pain, chest pain, confusion, or difficulty remaining alert.
• Many small stools containing blood and mucu
• Bloody or black diarrhoea
• Temperature ≥38.5°C (101.3°F)
• Passage of ≥6 unformed stools per 24 hours or illness that lasts more than 48 hour
• Severe abdominal pain/painful passage of stool
• In addition, if you have persistent diarrhoea following antibiotics, are older than 65 years, have other medical illness or a weakened immune system, you should also consult your health care provider.

Alhilal healthcare offers both outpatient and inpatient treatment by our Internal medicine experts for the needy patients. Feel free to visit us.