Diarrhea
Diarrhea means that you have a change in your bowel movements
and pass unusually loose stools. Stool is what is left after your digestive
system (stomach, small intestine, and colon) absorbs nutrients and fluids from
what you eat and drink. Stool passes out of the body through the rectum. If
fluids are not absorbed, or if your digestive system produces extra fluids,
stools will be loose and watery. Loose stools are larger than usual. People
with diarrhoea often have frequent bowel movements and may pass more than a
quart of watery stool a day.
Other symptoms accompany Diarrhoea
- Crampy pain in the
abdomen, the area between the chest and the hips
People who have diarrhoea may also have
- Swelling in the
abdomen
- An uncomfortable
feeling around the anus
- An urgent need to
have a bowel movement
- An inability to
control their bowels (fecal incontinence)
- Chills
- Fever
Also, people with diarrhoea may feel sick to their stomach or be
dehydrated.
Dehydration
Dehydration means that your body does not have enough fluid to
work properly. Every time you breathe out, sweat, urinate, or have a bowel
movement, you lose fluid. Diarrhea increases the amount of fluid lost in bowel
movements. Along with the fluid, you lose salts—chemicals that your body needs
to work properly. The loss of fluids and salts can be serious, especially for
babies and young children and for older people.
The signs of dehydration in adults are
- Being thirsty
- Urinating less often
than usual
- Having dark-colored
urine
- Having dry skin
- Feeling tired or
dizzy
- Fainting
In addition, the kidneys could stop working.
The signs of dehydration in babies and young
Children are
- Having a dry mouth
and tongue
- Crying without tears
- Having no wet diapers
for 3 hours or more
- Having a high fever
- Being unusually
sleepy or drowsy
Also, when children have diarrhoea, their skin seems to lose its
elasticity. It does not flatten back to normal when pinched and released.
Who gets diarrhoea?
Anyone can get diarrhoea. This common problem can last a day or
two or for months or years, depending on the cause. Most people get better on
their own, but diarrhoea can be serious for babies and older people if lost
fluids are not replaced. Many people throughout the world die from diarrhoea
because of the large volume of water lost and the accompanying loss of salts.
Causes for diarrhoea
- Diarrhea can be
caused by
- Bacteria, viruses, or
parasites (tiny organisms that live inside a larger organism)
- Medicines such as
antibiotics
- Foods such as milk
- Diseases that affect
the stomach, small intestine, or colon, such as Crohn’s disease and
irritable bowel syndrome
- Sometimes no cause
for diarrhoea can be found.
What tests might be done?
Your doctor may want to perform tests to find the cause of the diarrhoea:
- A physical exam
- Stool or blood tests
to look for bacteria, parasites, or other signs of disease or infection
- Fasting tests to see
whether diarrhoea goes away when you stop eating a particular food
- A sigmoidoscopy, an
examination of the inside of the rectum and part of the colon
- A colonoscopy, an
examination of the inside of the whole colon for a sigmoidoscopy or
colonoscopy, the doctor uses a thin, flexible, lighted tube with a lens on
the end.
- Children should drink
a special liquid that has all the nutrients they need. These solutions are
sold without a prescription in grocery stores or drugstores. Pedialyte,
Ceralyte, or Infalyte are some examples.
Treatment
In many cases of diarrhoea, replacing lost fluid and salts is
the only treatment needed.
Soft fruits or vegetables. Adults should consume broth, soup,
fruit juices; Taking medicine to stop diarrhoea can be helpful in some cases.
Medicines that are available without a doctor’s prescription include loperamide
(Imodium).Stop taking these medicines if symptoms get worse or if diarrhoea
lasts more than 2 days.
If a particular food or medicine is the cause, you should avoid
it.
Also, while you are waiting for the diarrhoea to end, you should
avoid foods that can make it worse:
- Milk and milk products,
such as ice cream or cheese
- High-fat or greasy
foods, such as fried foods
- Foods that have a lot
of fiber, such as citrus fruits
- Very sweet foods,
such as cakes and cookies
Traveller’s Diarrhea
People
who are visiting other countries and eat food or drink water contaminated by
bacteria, viruses, or parasites can develop traveller’s diarrhoea.
You can prevent it by being careful:
- Avoid drinking tap water
or using ice cubes made from
- Avoid drinking unpasteurized
milk Or eating dairy products made from it.
- Avoid eating raw
fruits and vegetables unless they can be peeled and you peel them
- Yourself.
- Do not eat raw or
rare meat or fish.
- Do not eat meat or
shellfish that is not hot when served to you.
- Do not eat food sold
by street vendors. You can safely drink bottled water, carbonated soft
drinks, and hot drinks like coffee or tea.
Points to Remember
- Diarrhea is a common
problem.
- Diarrhea is caused by
bacteria, viruses, parasites, some foods or medicines, or diseases that
affect the digestive system.
- Diarrhea is dangerous
if you become dehydrated.
- Replacing lost fluids
is the main treatment for diarrhoea.
Talk to a doctor if you have strong pain in the abdomen or
rectum, a fever, blood in your stool, signs of dehydration, or severe diarrhoea
for more than 3 days (1 day in the case of children).
For more details & Consultation Feel
free to contact us.
Vivekanantha
Clinic Consultation Champers at
Chennai:- 9786901830
Panruti:- 9443054168
Pondicherry:- 9865212055 (Camp)
For appointment please Call
us or Mail Us.
For
appointment: SMS your Name -Age – Mobile Number - Problem in Single word -
date and day - Place of appointment (Eg: Rajini - 99xxxxxxx0 – Recurrent
Diarrhoea – 21st Oct, Sunday - Chennai
). You will receive Appointment details through SMS
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