Can Diarrhea Harm You Physically
Diarrhea is a common ailment that affects millions of people every year. It is caused by bacteria or viruses that enter the body through the digestive tract. Symptoms usually begin with stomach cramps and nausea followed by loose stools. Diarrhea can last from several hours to days. Most cases of diarrhea are self-limiting and resolve within 2 weeks. However, if symptoms persist longer than 3 days, consult a doctor.
Things You Should Avoid Eating Or Drinking
You should avoid certain kinds of foods when you have diarrhea, including fried foods and greasy foods.
Avoid fruits and vegetables that can cause gas, such as broccoli, peppers, beans, peas, berries, prunes, chickpeas, green leafy vegetables, and corn.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated drinks.
Limit or cut out milk and other dairy products if they are making your diarrhea worse or causing gas and bloating.
Are Bananas Good For Diarrhea
Bananas are a great source of potassium, fiber, and vitamin B6. Potassium helps maintain blood pressure and regulate muscle contractions. Fiber provides bulk to help move stool along. Vitamin B6 aids in digestion and metabolism. Bananas are also rich in manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, iron, selenium, and vitamins A, C, D, E, K, and folate.
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Is Yogurt Good For Diarrhea
Yogurt is a great source of probiotics. Probiotics are live microorganisms that help maintain healthy digestion and balance the immune system. Yogurt contains beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus, bifidus, and streptococcus thermophiles. These bacteria help promote digestive health and prevent diarrhea.
How Do You Settle Your Stomach After Diarrhea
Diarrhea is a common ailment among children and adults alike. It is caused by the loss of fluids from the body. This results in loose stools. In case you get diarrhea, drink plenty of liquids to replenish lost fluids. Drink lots of water, juice, milk, tea, coffee, soup, and other beverages. Avoid eating anything that could aggravate the condition. Stay away from spicy, greasy, fried, fatty, and salty foods. Eat fruits and vegetables instead. Try to eat smaller meals rather than three big meals. Also, try to avoid alcohol and caffeine. These substances dehydrate you and worsen diarrhea. Take medications only if prescribed by a doctor. Do not take any herbal remedies unless advised by a physician.
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What Diet Should Be Followed During And Some Days After Diarrhea
Diarrhea is a common problem among children. It is caused by different factors such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, and other infections. Diarrheal diseases usually occur when the body is not properly prepared to fight against infection. Most cases of diarrhea are mild and self-limiting. However, if left untreated, diarrhea can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. In severe cases, diarrhea can result in death. There are several ways to treat diarrhea. One way is to drink plenty of fluids. This helps to rehydrate the body and prevent dehydration. Other treatments include taking antidiarrheals and antibiotics. Antibiotics are used to kill the bacteria causing the diarrhea. Antidiarrheals help to reduce the symptoms of diarrhea. These medications include loperamide and diphenoxylate/atropine . Loperamide works by slowing down the movement of intestinal tract contents. Diphenoxylate/Atropine works by blocking the action of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger that stimulates muscle contractions in the intestine.
What To Eat After Diarrhea Has Stopped
Diarrhea is a condition where the body produces abnormally loose stools. It is usually caused by infection or inflammation of the intestines. Diarrhea is not dangerous but if left untreated it can lead to dehydration. This can result in severe complications such as kidney failure. To prevent dehydration, drink plenty of fluids. Avoid eating anything that could aggravate diarrhea. These include spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine, and dairy products. Take care of yourself during this period. Do not take any medications unless advised by a doctor. Drink plenty of liquids. Eat bland foods. Stay hydrated. Try to eat smaller meals throughout the day.
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Foods To Eat When You Have Diarrhea
When you have diarrhea, the foods that you eat and the foods that you avoid can be critical to helping you recover quicker. This is where BRAT foods come in.
BRAT stands for bananas, rice, apples, toast. These foods are bland, so they wont aggravate the digestive system. Theyre also binding, so they help firm up stool.
Other foods that are included in the BRAT diet include:
- cooked cereal, like Cream of Wheat or farina
- soda crackers
What Are The Symptoms Of Diarrhea
The symptoms you can experience when you have diarrhea can vary depending on if its mild or severe and what the cause of the diarrhea happens to be. Theres a link between severe cases of diarrhea and a medical condition that needs to be treated.
When you have diarrhea, you may experience all of these symptoms or only a few. The main symptom of diarrhea is loose or watery stool.
Other symptoms of mild diarrhea can include:
- Bloating or cramps in the abdomen.
- A strong and urgent need to have a bowel movement.
- Nausea .
If you have severe diarrhea, you may experience symptoms like:
- Fever.
- Vomiting.
- Blood.
Severe diarrhea can lead to significant complications. If you have these symptoms, call your healthcare provider and seek medical attention.
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Who Gets Diverticular Disease
Diverticular disease is associated with age. As we age our intestinal wall becomes weaker and so we are more prone to this problem. It has been found that about 5% of forty year olds have diverticula pouches and about 50%-70% of 80 year olds.
For reasons that are not clearly understood you are also more at risk if you:
- Smoke
- Have a family history of diverticular disease
- Take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Do not exercise
Men and women are just as likely to get it but men tend to show signs at an earlier age.
It is very common in industrialized western countries but much less common in Africa and Asia.
What Are The Complications Of Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea may cause dehydration. More fluids are lost from the body when you have diarrhoea than normally. Dehydration can lead to a loss of electrolytes minerals your body needs to function properly. This is why rehydration is so important.
Diarrhoea causes food to move quickly through your body. If this is ongoing it makes it difficult for you to absorb nutrients and can lead to malnutrition.
Some people may get temporary lactose intolerance after an episode of diarrhoea or gastroenteritis. See your doctor if the symptoms continue for more than a couple of weeks.
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What Is Autonomic Neuropathy
Autonomic neuropathy is damage to the nerves that control the involuntary functions in the body, including in the intestines.
When neuropathy occurs in the short intestine it can lead to diabetic diarrhea. If you have neuropathy in the sphincter muscles that control the bowel, you might experience incontinence in addition to diarrhea.
Neuropathy is closely linked with high blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, its critical to keep your blood sugar levels well-controlled to avoid developing or worsening neuropathy. Be sure to communicate with your healthcare provider about any new symptoms so that the practitioner can help you control your sugars more effectively.
Is It Possible To Have Diarrhea With No Fever
Some people may experience diarrhea without other flu-like symptoms, like a fever. Diarrhea can be the first symptom of COVID-19.
In some cases, flu symptoms may come on after diarrhea. Some people may only experience gastrointestinal symptoms without developing any of the more common symptoms.
Research suggests that the virus that causes COVID-19 can enter your digestive system through cell surface receptors for an enzyme called angiotensin converting enzyme 2 . Receptors for this enzyme are 100 times more common in the gastrointestinal tract than the respiratory tract.
increased risk of developing some types of viral infections.
However, research hasnât yet found that people with IBD are more likely to develop COVID-19 than people without IBD.
New information about COVID-19 is emerging rapidly. As researchers collect more data, itâs possible that research will find that having IBD does increase your risk for developing COVID-19.
According to at an IBD center in Milan, people with IBD should take extra precautions to avoid the virus. These include:
- frequent handwashing
- covering your face when coughing and sneezing
- avoiding people with flu-like symptoms
- staying at home when possible
If you have IBD and have tested positive for COVID-19, speak to your doctor about whether you should stop taking certain medications.
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Living With Vomiting And Diarrhea
Vomiting and diarrhea usually dont last long. If its caused by an infection, vomiting and diarrhea are a way for the body to get rid of the infection. Giving medicines that stop vomiting and diarrhea may actually interfere with the bodys efforts to heal. Antibiotics are usually not necessary either. Talk to your family doctor if you or a loved one is frequently vomiting or having diarrhea.
Seek Immediate Treatment For The Following
You should seek help without delay if:
- You have an inability to replace the fluids you are losing
- You feel dizzy, lightheaded or lose consciousness
- You do not improve on antibiotics
- You have symptoms for longer than two days
- You have a recurrence of symptoms without being exposed to the same initial cause
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Diarrhea Affects Close To One
For travellers to far-flung places, some things never change. Baggage gets lost, bugs bite, and poop happens! By the latter, I refer to the fact that around 30% of you off to warmer climes will experience travellers diarrhea, more affectionately known as Montezumas Revenge, Delhi Belly, Tourista and much more.
Why does this continue to be the case, you ask? Poverty. And where there is poverty, you will generally find problems with hygiene and sanitation, meaning the food and water. The 7-star hotel is certainly less of a risk than the Peruvian ceviche stand in the street, but as I often say, you are only as safe as the last person or fly, to handle your food.
The majority of cases of travellers diarrhea are due to bacterial infections, with E. coli accounting for the majority. This bug usually causes a mild case of the runs which gets better in a few days, with or without treatment. What I suffered through in the 70s in Ecuador was much worse, and was likely caused by a more virulent bacterium, such as Salmonella, Shigella or Campylobacter. While not the most enjoyable moment of my traveller career, it certainly remains one of the most memorable.
What Causes Diverticular Disease
The exact cause is not clearly understood and research is ongoing but it is known that a history of constipation will make it more likely that you will develop this problem.
When you have constipation your stools are very hard and moving slowly or may even be stationary for a while, in fact sometimes they may be like small rocks or pebbles.
If there is a weak spot in the intestinal wall as these hard ‘rocks’ and ‘pebbles’ push against it, maybe for quite some time, eventually the pressure will be too much and the lining will be pushed through the muscle to form a pouch or diverticulum.
As the incidence of diverticular disease is much lower in Africans than Europeans it has long been thought that their diet which is much higher in fiber protects the Africans, especially as African Americans have an incidence equal to white Americans.
A study in 2012 published in the journal Gastroenterology however contradicted this as it found that the tested subjects had more diverticula if they ate a high fiber diet.
This is only one study though and more research needs to be done.
Another theory is that Africans tend to squat to open their bowels which automatically lessens the pressure in the colon and makes it easier to go.
To mimic this squatting position when having a bowel movement it is a good idea to put your feet up on something like a small stool, step or even a pile of books so the knees are higher than the hips and lean forward slightly.
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A Trip To The Druggist
Aside from being picky, is there anything else you can do or take to prevent diarrhea? Yes, you could take Dukoral, an oral vaccine, prior to travel. This will reduce your overall risk of getting sick by about 30%. You could also take Pepto Bismol , which has been shown to reduce the risk by about 50%. Pepto Bismal will also turn your stools and tongue black. Dont panic. Its nothing to worry about. Probiotics, grapefruit seed extract, oregano, and a scotch a day are other less proven preventative measures.
Following the above guidelines increases your chance of a diarrhea free holiday, but does not guarantee it. Hence, go prepared, just in case. The treatment of diarrhea should be fairly straight forward. Firstly, stay hydrated. This can be accomplished with water, but better still, with solutions containing some salt, some bicarbonate, and some sugar. Soup with salt, tea with sugar, flat Coke, or oral rehydration salts should all suffice. Imodium, or loperamide, may tide you over if you want some symptomatic relief, but please use it in small quantities, or you may not defecate again for several months.
How Long After Diarrhea Can You Eat Normally
Diarrhea is a common condition among children, especially infants. It is caused by various factors such as viral infections, bacterial infections, parasites, allergies, and other conditions. Diarrhea is characterized by frequent loose stools. In mild cases, it is not accompanied by fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, or blood loss. However, if left untreated, diarrhea can lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, malnutrition, and even death. It is important to know how long you should wait before resuming normal activities after having diarrhea. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics , you should wait until you pass three consecutive bowel movements without any signs of infection. This period varies from person to person depending on the severity of the illness. For instance, if you experience severe diarrhea, you should wait longer than usual.
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When To Call The Doctor
Pro Tip
Important questions to ask your doctor: What caused this? Do I need any treatment for this? Dr. Kumar
Because bloody diarrhea is not normal, you should call your doctor if you see more than a few streaks of blood in your stool. Always seek medical care if you also feel lightheaded, cant eat or drink, or have severe abdominal pain.
As bloody diarrhea can be caused by parasites or bacteria, be sure to let your doctor know about any recent trips. They will want to rule out parasites or bacteria that may be common in the places where you traveled.
In addition, the more information you share about your diet, recent medications, and lifestyle, the better your doctor can assess your symptoms. In some cases, medications could be causing your stool to appear bloody.
You should also call the doctor if you have more than one episode of bloody diarrhea, or the diarrhea is accompanied by:
When Should I See My Doctor
Most times an isolated episode of diarrhoea will clear up without any treatment.
Seek medical advice if you have any of the following:
- ongoing or severe diarrhoea
- blood and/or mucus in your stool
- fever as well as diarrhoea
- unexplained weight loss
- diarrhoea at night
- signs of dehydration
Ongoing diarrhoea can lead to dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance, making it dangerous, especially to the very young or older people, who can be affected very quickly.
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Treating The Underlying Cause
If you’ve been diagnosed with a specific condition that’s causing your diarrhoea, treating this may help improve your symptoms.
For example:
- irritable bowel syndrome can be treated with changes to your diet and medications read more about treating IBS
- inflammatory bowel disease can be treated with medications that help reduce inflammation in the bowel
- coeliac disease can be treated by excluding foods containing gluten from your diet read more about treating coeliac disease
- bile acid malabsorption can be treated with medication that helps stop bile building up in the digestive system
Diarrhea And Other Gastrointestinal Symptoms Of Covid
Some people with COVID-19 develop gastrointestinal symptoms either alone or with respiratory symptoms.
Recently, researchers at Stanford University found that a third of patients they studied with a mild case of COVID-19 had symptoms affecting the digestive system.
Another published by researchers in Beijing found that anywhere from 3 to 79 percent of people with COVID-19 develop gastrointestinal symptoms.
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Why Does Diarrhea Develop
When diarrhea begins to be a problem, its natural to wonder something along the lines of: what did I eat? Do I have food poisoning? The truth is that there are a number of possible explanations for what can cause diarrhea. Some incidences of diarrhea can be environmentalin other words, external factors like diet or infectionand some can be related to genetics.
In practical terms, diarrhea happens when there is a larger-than-normal amount of water in the stool. When your digestive tract is operating under normal, healthy circumstances, food that has been processed by the stomach and small intestinewith assistance from the gallbladder, pancreas, and liverthen proceeds to the colon in the colon, water is absorbed from the remaining waste matter until a solid stool is formed. But if not enough water is absorbed, or if the processed food moves through the gastrointestinal tract too quickly, the stool wont be solid and it will be passed in a loose or watery form.
There are a variety of possible reasons why the colon might not be absorbing enough water or why the digested food is moving too quickly through the intestines, but here are some of the most common causes: