Diarrhea and Everything you should know about it.

Many times we eat some food outside or anywhere and we caught the infection. Then our body reacts in different ways.  Every person must have been once or more times suffer from diarrhea in their life. 

What is Diarrhea?

Diarrhea is the passage of stools with increased frequency, loose stools, fluidity, or volume as compared with normal individuals. The number of stools varies from several per day to one every few minutes. 

Causes of Diarrhea

Overeating or eating foods difficult to digest, fermentation caused by incomplete carbohydrate digestion, nervous irritability, excess intake of laxatives (medication). The other causes can be a food allergy or food positioning. These can occur when we eat outside the hygiene is not maintained by the food service then people caught diarrhea. 

Or eating some allergy having food can also cause diarrhea. Or eating expired foods. Many times we don't check the label, when it was made how long it is okay to eat. As the packaged food is expired it is equal to poison and that is why it can also cause your infection like diarrhea.

Conditions like ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, or infection of the bowel. Any reason can cause diarrhea. These are chronic/long term disease which also can cause diarrhea. 

Who gets affected

There is no age limit or criteria for this disease, any person can get affected easily. 

In India, the majority of gastrointestinal diseases are waterborne and diarrhea is one of them. The children do get affected easily. 

Types of diarrhea

There are two types of diarrhea.

1. Acute diarrhea- As the name indicates for the small time frame and sudden onset of frequent stools of watery consistency accompanied by cramps, abdominal pain, weakness and vomiting, and fever can also occur. The causes of acute diarrhea can be ulcerative colitis or due to infection.

2. Chronic diarrhea- Usually chronic/long-term diarrhea lasts for 2 weeks and sometimes it may longer. There is very little time for food to absorb because after consuming the food it immediately passed through the small intestine and there is very little time for nutrients to absorb. Condition like weakness, weight loss, and dehydration can occur. 

Dehydration

Whether it's acute or chronic people do suffer from dehydration. It is one of the dangerous conditions people suffer from. The symptoms of dehydration are severe thirst, very little output or urine, drying up of the mouth, and loss of skin elasticity. 

Diet

Food Allowed: Cereals- Rice, puffed rice, refined cereals, double sieved flour. 

Pulses- Cooked and mashed form should be given. And without the outer skin.

Milk and meat products- Lean, boiled, tender, stewed, and baked form should be given. 

Egg- All forms are tolerated except fried ones. 

Fruits- Soluble fiber is helpful. The cooked form is better. Apple should be given in the form of cooked form. Banana can be peeled and consumed.

Vegetables- Easy to digest food and soluble fiber should be given. Gourds, brinjals lady's finger, french beans like food should be given.

Fat- Moderate is accepted. Butter is preferred as emulsified fat. 

Beverages- All milk beverages and weak tea.

Food Avoided: Whole cereals- Chapatis and grain bread.

Legumes- Legumes with skin on like chana dal, mung dal.

Nuts- All nuts should be avoided. 

Egg- All fried eggs, spiced, and preparations containing chilies should be avoided.

Fruits- All raw fruits should be avoided. 

Vegetables- Strongly flavored vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli should be avoided.

All sweets are having a high amount of chocolate, nuts and sugar should b avoided.

Alcohol, strong tea, coffee, and carbonated drinks should be avoided. 

For curing Dehydration

An effective and to improve the condition the best way is to start ORS. Oral Rehydration Therapy is the best way for dehydration. In which the administration of the oral fluid along with the food. The main goal is to maintain fluid and electrolytes in the body. 

The ORS can be prescribed by the doctor and it is not limited to the hospital you can also give it at home. 

The WHO/UNICEF have given standard for oral rehydration powder is sodium chloride- 3.5 g, sodium bicarbonate- 2.5 g, potassium chloride- 1.5 g, glucose- 20 g, and water- 1 liter. 

You can also make the ORS at home- Boiled 1-liter water and add 40 sugar. 

Boiled 1 liter of water and add 1/2 tbsp common salt, 1/2 tbsp soda bicarbonate, and a little lemon juice. 

The other option can be when the patient is a little stabilized then buttermilk, rice water, and coconut water are also helpful. 

The food recipes for diarrhea you can give khichadi, boiled egg, plain milk, bottle gourd curry, chapati, banana, dal, bread with butter, curd, mashed potato, stewed apple, arrowroot biscuits. 

The juices for adults and also for infants for supplying electrolytes and fluids through fruit juices. Juices of pomegranate, orange, buttermilk, coconut water, barley water with milk and sugar. 

You can also apply some home natural remedies. Carrot soup is very good for diarrhea. Carrot is the source of sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulfur, and magnesium. It also provides pectin and when we give it with lots of water the dehydration is also cured. 

The other factor you can include is Probiotics foods. Probiotic foods are known to strengthening epithelial tight junctions to protect against intercellular invasion by pathogens. Proper balance in colonizing bacteria with an abundance of probiotics can modify such conditions as diarrhea.

Probiotics use can enhance the immunoglobulin response against diverse pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. The probiotic foods are yogurt, green olives, kimchi, miso, natto, aged soft cheese and cottage cheese, sauerkraut, kefir, and tempeh. They are the best probiotics. 

The other diet which is used in diarrhea is the BRAT diet. In which the use of Banan, Rice, Apple, and Toast. This all food are simple, bland in taste and they don't have any harder-to-digest things. They help to make firm stools. The other foods you can use in the BRAT diet are apple juice, cooked cereals, and soda. Look what is possible for you and follow them. 

This all information is based on research and easy to follow. 

Stay healthy and stay safe.