Diarrhea
Table of Contents
What is Diarrhea ?
Diarrhea is a medical term used when you have loose motion. loose motion means when the stools are loose and contain more water. It is a widespread problem lasting more than 2 – 3 days and can cause a serious problem if not treated. Sometimes it comes for 1 – 4 days and goes away on its own.
Diarrhea can be acute or chronic.
Acute Diarrhea
Diarrhea occurs for a short period ( 1-2 days ) and sometimes it goes away on its own. Infective diarrhea is usually short-lived and the patients who present with a history of diarrhea lasting more than 10 days rarely have an infective cause. A variety of drugs, including antibiotics, cytotoxic drugs, PPIs, and NSAIDs, may be responsible.
Chronic or relapsing Diarrhea
Diarrhea occurs for a long period ( several weeks ) and needs medical treatment. The most common cause is irritable bowel syndrome. A patient suffering from increased frequency of defecation and loose, watery, or pellety stools occurs at night and is most severe before and after breakfast. Stool often contains mucus but never blood, and 24-hour stool volume is less than 200 g. Chronic diarrhea can be categorized as being caused by a disease of the colon or small bowel, or by malabsorption. This type of situation is called severe chronic diarrhea immediately medical care is needed.
How to Find Out the Cause of Diarrhea ?
The cause of diarrhea can be found by examination of the stool, routine blood tests, and imaging revealing a diagnosis in many cases.
- Fecal calprotectin test
In stool (poop) samples containing protein (calprotectin), this protein in small amounts is normal but when the amount increases in stool indicate swelling and irritation in the intestine. This test is also called a fecal calprotectin test.
- Fecal elastase
Fecal elastase 1 (FE-1) is a human pancreas-specific enzyme. FE-1 is enriched 5-6 fold in the feces compared with pancreatic juices.
- Stool volume
Normal stool volume for adults and children is less than 200g but if the volume increases by 200g, it indicates diarrhea.
- Ileocolonoscopic with biopsies
Ileocolonoscopic is a diagnostic procedure of endoscopic tests performed for Inflammatory bowel disease. The health professional can see directly into intestinal mucosa and can see both the colon (colonoscopy) and the end of the small intestine or terminal ileum (ileoscopy).
- MRCP
Full form of MRCP is Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. A diagnostic procedure is used to look into the pancreas, liver, the pancreatic duct, the bile ducts, and the gallbladder.
- Other
Small-bowel MRI, Ultrasound, Small-bowel biopsy, CT computed tomography, Gut hormone profile, and Barium follow-through.
What are the symptoms of diarrhea?
Sometimes diarrhea goes away on its own, without any treatment . The common symptom which indicates that you have diarrhea is as follows:
- Fever
- Blood and mucus in stool ( In chronic diarrhea )
- Cramping lower abdominal pain
- Undigested food in the stool
- Cramping mid-abdominal pain
- Abdominal bloating
- Large-volume, watery stool
- Weight loss of more than 3 kg
- Weakness
- Loss of appetite
- Cannot stand for long periods due to loss of strength.
- Lethargy
- Sleep for a long period.
- dizziness (sudden standing attack ).
- Stomach Growling ( Abnormal stomach sound ) .
- Feeling of vomiting during eating .
What can you do at home in diarrhea?
People who suffer from watery stool on his/her first day wonder what to eat so it can recover without being a major problem. So here are some home remedies for you to recover in his /her 1 – 2 days. If this does not work for you in acute diarrhea then consult the doctor.
- Bananas and ghee
During Acute diarrhea, peel and mash make a paste of bananas, and one tablespoon of ghee. We can also use green banana peelings, soak in water for a night, and drink the water, removing the green peelings.
- Rice with lemon
Rice mash with some salt and lemon with some water can help to drink if the person cannot eat.
- Drink Black Tea with Lemon Juice
Make a black tea and add some lemon juice to it. It works best in diarrhea.
- Apple
Apple helps you in many ways. Cook it with some ghee or eat as raw both are best in diarrhea.
- Kimchi (A Korean dish)
Kimchi is the most famous Korean dish used in every household in Korea. It is a fermented nappe cabbage or Korean reddish.
- Watermelon
Watermelon helps you stay hydrated in loose motion as our body releases a large amount of water through stools making the body dehydrated.
- Follow BRAT diet
The BART diet is used for diarrhea. This diet contains Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast to treat diarrhea. But doctors do not recommend this diet because it has a limited nutritional profile which cannot give full recovery
- others
Sweet potatoes, steamed, baked, or grilled skinless chicken without fat, oatmeal and coconut water are useful in diet during diarrhea .
The food to avoid during diarrhea are Milk and milk product , alcohol , spicy food , heavy protein food like meat , pork , salmon etc. .
What medical treatment is used for diarrhea?
Acute diarrhea treatment
If the diarrhea is in the acute stage medicines such as loperamide and bismuth subsalicylate. If diarrhea lasts for more than 2- 3 days then see the doctor immediately. There is a loss of appetite after some time the appetite comes back automatically.
The things to do during the acute phase are to Drink more fluids and not eat foods that can aggravate diarrhea.
Chronic diarrhea treatment
How doctors treat chronic diarrhea depends on what is the cause of diarrhea Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or ulcerative colitis.
- Probiotics
Probiotics a microorganisms already present in the gut and when recommended for diarrhea help in the gut health of a person. It helps in digestion, kills disease-causing microorganisms, and works as a vitamin. Probiotics are taken in the form of capsules and liquid form.
- Antibiotics and anti-parasitic
Diarrhea caused by bacteria and parasites is treated by antibiotics and anti-parasitic medications.
- Fluid Replace
IV fluids are given for the fulfillment of electrolytes and minerals such as sodium and potassium.
- Anti-diarrheal medicines
Anti-diarrheal medicines such as loperamide and bismuth subsalicylate, help to control the symptoms of diarrhea.
Before taking any medication consult with a doctor and also understand the adverse effect of drugs.
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