Diarrhea

Diarrhea refers to the frequent passage of loose or watery unformed stools. As a rough guide it can be said that three or four loose or watery stools a day can be considered as diarrhea. The disease may be acute or chronic. Commonly known as "loose motion", it is perhaps the most common disease in India.

The intestine normally gets more than 10 litres of liquid per day which comes from the diet and from secretion of the stomach, liver, pancreas and intestines. In the case of diarrhea, water is either not absorbed or is secreted in excess by the organs of the body. It is then sent to the colon where water- holding capacity is limited. Thus the urge to defecate comes quite often.

Causes

There are many and varied causes of diarrhea. The chief causes are overeating or eating of wrong foods, putrefaction in intestinal tract, fermentation caused by incomplete carbohydrate digestion, nervous irritability, use of antibiotic drugs and excessive intake of laxatives. Other causes include parasites , germs, virus, bacteria or a poison which has entered into the body through food, water or air ; allergies to certain substances or even common foods such as milk, wheat, eggs and sea foods and emotional strain or stress in adults and fright in children.

Diarrhea may be a prominent feature of organic disease affecting the small or large intestine such as the sprue syndrome, malignant disease and ulcerative colitis. It may also result from operations on the gastrointestinal tract. Diarrhea may alternate with constipation. This may result from the irritation of the mucous membrane by impacted hard faces.
Diarrhea for prolonged periods can lead to certain complications. These may include

i. weakening, due to loss of vitamins like A, D, E and K and other nutrients as food is rushed through the body without giving the nutrients a chance of being absorbed.

 

ii. dehydration, due to loss of body fluids and washing out of minerals from the body and nervous conditions.

Treatment

In severe cases of diarrhea, it is advisable to observe a complete fast for two days to provide rest for the gastrointestinal tract. Hot water only may be taken during the period to compensate for the loss of fluids. Juices of fruits may be taken after the acute symptoms are over. After the condition improves, meals can be enlarged gradually to include cooked vegetables, whole rice, spoured milks. Raw foods should be taken only after the patient completely recovers.

An effective remedy for diarrhea is the use of buttermilk. It is the residual milk left after the fat has been removed from yogurt by churning. It helps overcome harmful intestinal flora and re-establish the benign or friendly flora. The acid in the buttermilk also fights germs and bacteria. It may be taken and mixed with a pinch of salt three or four times a day controlling diarrhea. Carrot soup is another effective home remedy for diarrhea. It supplies water to combat dehydration, replenishes sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur and magnesium, supplies pectin and coats the intestine to allay inflammation. It checks the growth of harmful intestinal bacteria and prevents vomiting. One pound of carrot may be cooked in five ounces of water until it is soft. The pulp should be strained and boiled water added to make a quart.