Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea is not as dramatic an illness as AIDS It also acted as a forum for readers to exchange ideas and share experiences.  Regular features included guidelines on diagnosis and treatment, training tips, information on rational drug use, research updates and feedback from the field Diarrhoea is a very common symptom with many possible causes. In some cases bleeding occurs, and this also should prompt a consultation with your doctor, but as long as the blood loss is not heavy, this can await a daytime consultation. The taxonomy of these viruses is still somewhat confused and they have previously been grouped on the basis of their appearance in the EM (unreliable). This happens most often where there is unsafe disposal of faeces, poor hygiene practices or a lack of clean drinking water, or when infants are not breastfed. Infants who are fed only breastmilk seldom get diarrhoea Dialogue on Diarrhoea was meant for everyone who cares about unnecessary suffering and deaths from diarrhoeal diseases.

Diarrhoea involves frequent and loose motions. Diarrhoea continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide resulting in an estimated 1000 deaths among children each day, the highest incidence being in developing countries of the world. Diarrhoea is caused by germs that are swallowed, especially germs from faeces. The most common cause of diarrhoea is an infection of the intestines, such as gastroenteritis or food poisoning. Also it may be that you think it is due to a treatment you are taking from your doctor or dentist, and it is wise to consult your doctor immediately if this is the case. In addition to information on clinical management, the newsletter addressed issues which affected health workers' and families' abilities for care for children, such as communication skills, organisation of health centres and hospitals, health education and training. More importantly, these viruses contribute to the massive mortality caused by infantile diarrhoea in developing countries and are responsible for uncounted millions of deaths each year. In severe cases, the intestinal lining may even leak water In some cases a fever (high temperature) occurs with the diarrhoea. Initial first aid approaches to this involve fluid replacement, with electrolyte solution or "pop" (eg lemonade or cola) and sponging down with tepid water. A textbook definition of diarrhoea is: "the passage of greater than 300 ml of liquid faeces in 24 hours". However, this is not a very useful definition, as stool quantity is hardly ever measured.

Causes of Diarrhoea

Due to continuous use of heavy, oily and spicy food for a long duration and use of stale, polluted and adulterated substances, the digestion does not take place properly and it putrefies after reaching the intestines. Intestine fills up with stool due to non-cleansing of bowels and contaminates the Dhatus also. Sometimes, subdual of the urge of evacuation or consumption of alcohol or change of atmosphere also produces Diarrhoea. Common Causes of Diarrhoea :

• Diarrhoea is mainly caused by bacterial and viral infections and food poisoning .
• You cannot assess the quality of food or detect contamination by its smell or the way it looks.
• Side effects of herbal supplements
• Cancer treatments  (e.g. chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, bone marrow transplant)   
• Irritable bowel syndrome is relatively common and associated with alternating periods of diarrhoea, constipation and bloating.
• Menstruation (many women suffer from diarrhoea just before or after their periods)
• Eating too much spicy or oily food
• Taking laxatives can also cause diarrhoea, as can drinking too much alcohol and eating spicy foods or large amounts of fruit.

Eating of cold food substances just after walking in sunshine and too much consumption of oily foods also causes Diarrhoea

Symptoms of Diarrhoea

Some common Symptoms of Diarrhoea :

• Frequent loose motions without any trouble
• Weakness and dryness in body
• Increase in the amount/volume of your stools
• Abdominal cramps
• Irritable bowel syndrome .
• In addition inflammatory bowel disease, polyps and colorectal cancer cause blood and mucus in the stools.
• Nausea and vomiting may also be present in the case of infection.
• there are signs of dehydration such as lethargy, loss of skin elasticity, dry mucous membranes, sunken eyes, decreased urine output, rapid heart rate or confusion;

Treatment of Diarrhoea

Treatment of Diarrhoea :

• If the symptoms are severe consider taking an anti-diarrhoeal drug such as loperamide (the main ingredient in Imodium and Diocalm Ultra), which can be obtained for adults without a prescription and may be useful for short term relief of diarrhoea, particularly where travel is essential.
• Avoid eating food until the diarrhoea has settled and then eat bland foods such as, dry toast or bread, boiled potatoes, rice and soup.
• Anti-diarrhoea medication is available from the pharmacist.
• It is claimed that some fruit, such as bananas , mangoes , papaya and pineapple may have positive effects on this condition. Bananas have the merits of being easily obtainable, and they are unlikely to have any other significant unwanted side effects.
• Intravenous fluids or a "drip": Sometimes, especially in children, dehydration can be life threatening and intravenous fluid may be required.

Home Remedies for Diarrhoea

In cases of Diarrhoea Co-operation and support must be given to Nature's effort for eliminating the faecal matter and toxic substances accumulated in the intestines rather than trying to stop the process.

The accumulated faecel matter in intestine is cleansed by taking enema of fresh water mixed with lemon juice for two to three days. After this, Hip bath of cold water alongwith Wet abdomen pack should be taken. Mud pack over abodomenshould be used several times in Diarrhoea. This treatment gives quick relief.

When Diarrhoea starts if only butter-milk is taken after two to three days of fast, it gives quick relief. After this, use of Dalia, Khichadi, Orange and Mousami etc. shoulct be! continued. It believes that continuous Indigestion is the cause of Diarrhoea and fasting is the best remedy for Indigestion. Very frequent loose motions are likely to develop dehydration in' the body. In such a condition, a solution of Honey and lemon juice or table saIt and sugar should be taken after short intervals. The continuous application of Cold pack over abdomen or Cold Hip bath or Cold abdominal pack of prolonged duration controls the situation effectively. The patients of Diarrhoea should avoid hard physical and mental work and tense situations.

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