DIARRHOEA – CAUSES, PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND CARE – A TO Z TIPS!
Actual Question:
“…….i hv a great material problem.When i was at 7th class from that time i had a stomach problem.I suffered with diarrhoea. From that time upto now i am suffering with diarrhoea. It had crossed 7 years. Now i am doing my graduation. I hv checked up several times under various doctors who r expert in m.d. The stool check ups always delineate that there is no problem in my stomack. But their diagnosis r not helpful for me. Whatever medicines they pescribe to me, only for temporary solution. Another thing is: i never eat oily foods and has never taken meat etc. i m born in a bramana family. Hope u may help me.Pls hide my name and make it anonymous.”
REPLY:
Diarrhoea may be classified in to two types:
(1) Acute Diarrhoea and (2) Chronic Diarrhoea.
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(1) ACUTE DIARRHOEA (SHORT TERM DIARRHOEA)
Usually normal diarrhoea lasts for 2-3 days only. This is called acute diarrhoea.
Short period acute diarrhoea can be caused by food and hygiene also. Some tips are given below:
Usually, vegetarians or brahmins do not take non veg. Even in vegetarian foods, most of the brahmins are fond of dhaals and grains only. They cook rice, prepare dhaal + tamarind based juicy preparations.
(In South India, this preparation is called as Sambar, Rasam, etc. They are prepared by boiling tamarind juice with tamatoes or vegetables and adding boiled dhaals, asafoetida, salt, turmeric powder, chilly powder, etc. If you add tamato, it is Rasam. If you add vegetables, it is Sambar. Sambar will have more density. These preparations are available in all south Indian/ Tamil nadu hotels all over North India also).
Such food items that are rich in dhaal may cause diarrhea if the climate is cold or if the bowel had been in a disturbed or inflammated condition.. The dhaal has plenty of protein. This protein, if taken more, will not be suitable for stomach for those who have crossed 30-35. Usually, every person should reduce dhaal, ie, proteins after they attain 40. Because, they produce gas when the digestive system becomes weak after 40.
The tamarind is used more by South Indians. This tamarind has just citric acid more. So, more usage of tamarind will cause ulcer also.
Vegetarians take more milk also that is not suitable for human intestine. Cow’s milk must be taken in limited quantities. Actually, cow’s milk is for its calf. Mother’s milk is made for humans. However, we can take a portion of it after the calf takes sufficiently, because, we will not get our mother’s milk all through our life.
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To compensate non veg foods, vegetarians use more milk. Milk can be taken just 2 cups a day. If it is taken more than that, it may cause diarrhoea in some people whose intestine is weak. Because it has more calcium that causes diarrhoea in some people.
Acute diarrhoea (Gastroenteritis) is usually caused by a bacterial or viral or parasite infection of the bowel.
(2) CHRONIC DIARRHOEA (LONG TERM DIARRHOEA)
If the diarrhoea continues for many days, or, months, or, years as in your case, it must be either chronic diarrhoea or continuous wrong usage of food or because of weak intestine or weak digestive systems or ulcer or cancer in bowel, etc. In case there is any worms in intestines/ bowel, that also causes diarrhoea.
The common causes of chronic diarrhoea are:
Gluten intolerance of Gluten or Lactose, Bowel Syndrome, bowel infection or some diseases in bowel including bowel ulcer or cancer.
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GENERAL SYMPTOMS OF DIARRHOEA
(1) Pain in abdomen.
(2) Diluted or watery stool (some times with mucous or rarely with blood)
(3) Frequent urge to pass stool and loss of our ability to control.
(4) Dehydration and hence tiredness because of frequent loss of water and minerals.
TESTS FOR DIARRHOEA
If diarrhoea continues beyond two days, it should not be taken casually. It needs some tests to confirm the cause for the diarrhoea.
(1) Testing the stool and blood in the laboratory.
(2) COLONOSCOPY or SIGMOIDOSCOPY TESTS by sending a camera inside the bowel to test for any diseases in the bowel.
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PREVENTION OF DIARRHOEA
(1) Use limited milk every day, just 2 cups a day.
(2) Use buttermilk more. Because it is easy for the stomach to digest buttermilk than milk, since buttermilk has some enzymes in it.
(3) Use less or no coffee/ tea or stop them altogether.
(4) Take the South Indian dish called IDLY more. They are easily digestable because they have been fermented by some enzymes. If you are North Indian and are unable to prepare IDLY, you can take any food stuff that is BOILED, not fried.
(5) Do not use leafy vegetables more, because they are hard to digest due to the presence of more iron in it. Some soft vegetables, carrots, ladies finger, tomato, etc, can be taken without fear sufficiently.
(6) Do not use iron or calcium containing drugs/ tonics. Iron and calcium may cause either constipation or diarrhoea. Avoid using more calcium supplements also, without the advice of a doctor.
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(7) Use soft variety of rice/ wheat. Do not use hard varieties.
(8) Do not use chilly more that causes diarrhoea. Do not overuse gas producing vegetables such as tomato, beans, tubers, etc
(9) Take B-Complex tablets of minimum dosage to improve the digestive system. ALMOST ALL BRAHMINS, Vegetarians and serious devotees who follow restricted food pattern lack in B-COMPLEX. So, vegetarians may take B-Complex syrups or tablets of minimum dosage regularly because they have no side effects.
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If you are vegetarian, do not use the B-Complex in GELATINE capsules because gelatine is non vegetarian. Some B-Complex syrups or tablets available in the Indian market that are safe without gelatin are: Polybion syrup & Becosules syrup (Daily 5-10 ml), Beplex Forte tablets, Beetrion Forte tablets, etc.
Though syrups are meant for children, elders can take in double the quantity recommended for children. In addition to these syrups, you can use B-12 in the form of Methyl Cobalamine tablets also, (eg: ELMECOB, ELMECOB OD, etc in Indian market) for better absorbtion into the blood.
All the above recommendations have no side effects. So, use them just once a day as a small maintenance doses every day.
Using the above nutritional supplements as small maintenance dose just once a day will strengthen your digestive system and thus keep diarrhoea away.
(10) Use water & buttermilk more. Reduce Oil. Limit the flour based foods. Take fermented boiled foods like IDLY, Pulav, more.
(11) Some times, diarrhoea can occur even because of excessive temperature of your body. So, take Oil bath weekly once or twice using gingely oil. Take FULL bath daily. Use coconut water or buttermilk to reduce temperature. Eating more spicy foods with more chilly will increase body temperature. So, avoid them.
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(12) Unhygenic water can also cause diarrhoea because of some microorganisms in it. So, always use the water that was boiled atleast for 5 minutes and cooled.
CARE TO BE TAKEN WHILE SUFFERING FROM DIARRHOEA
(1) If you are suffering from diarrhoea and are taking some tablets for any other diseases regularly, it is better to contact your doctor whether you can continue that tablet when you are suffering from diarrhoea.
(2) Coffee, tea, milk, oil, nuts, pulses, leafy vegetables, tubers, mustard, heavy foods, etc, must be avoided since the bowel has been disturbed and hence the diarrhoea may aggravate.
(3) To get rid of the inconveniences of diarrhoea, some tablets are available in the market. Those tablets may stop the loose motion immediately, but the cause will continue. That means, those tablets will not kill the microorganisms that caused diarrhoea. Therefore, better to consult the doctor if the diarrhoea continues beyond two days and take a test of blood / stool / bowel.
(4) Take buttermilk and coconut water more. To compensate the loss of minerals, use mineral drinks such as electrol, fruitrol, etc.
(5) Take water with some edible salt dissolved in it.
(6) Take more water.
(7) Avoid above mentioned foods.
(8) Be at rest.
(9) Thus, keep your body cool and also your digestive system normal by following the above tips.
(10) If there is a good Ayurveda or siddha doctor in your area, they usually have good natural products for this. So, contact them if the above tips does not work. The intestine/ bowel strengthening solutions are available in Ayurveda. Take them.
All the best.
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