Managing Diarrhea: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Diarrhea also known as diarrhea is a disease that makes you looser or pass more stools than normal. This could be a result of gastroenteritis, also known as the stomach flu. It is nothing but inflammation of the stomach or intestine due to microbial infection.

Under normal circumstances, diarrhea lasts only 2-4 days without the need for special medical treatment. However, severe diarrhea is life-threatening. The major reason behind this can be dehydration by your body, as the body constantly loses fluids due to going through this motion. Malnourished people, infants, young children, malnourished and those with weakened immunity are at higher risk of contracting this dangerous infection. Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death in children under the age of 5. To illustrate this in numbers, data from a research shows that more than 700,000 children in this particular age group die from diarrhea, which is the second leading cause of death in this age group.

Diarrhea symptoms

The persons suffering from Diarrhea may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• Watery fecal discharges
• abdominal cramps or spasms
• nausea and vomiting
• feve,
• dehydration
• reduce hunger

People become dull after suffering from Diarrhea for a couple of days but the affected person has to stay hydrated at all times during this time. There is no other option but to drink plenty of fluids. Oral rehydration solution or ORS mixed with water works wonders to bring back lost minerals and salts. Keep a normal diet devoid of spices, salt and sugar. For babies with diarrhea, you should continue to feed/breast feed them as normal. For adults, a case of diarrhea that lasts for more than a week is a serious cause for concern and medical attention should be sought immediately .

What is the cause of diarrhea? 

Diarrhea infection is caused by ingestion of contaminated water and food, contamination with dirty hands or contact with faecal matter. Some common germs that cause gastro-enteritis and subsequently diarrhea are:

• Bacteria (Salmonella or Escherichia)
• Virus (Norovirus or Rotovirus)
• Parasite (Giardia intestinalis)

Diarrhea is a disease that can be cured by taking some simple measures!

The risk of sudden outbreaks of diarrhea can be reduced to a great extent by maintaining provision for safe drinking water, safe and hygienic disposal of human waste.

A major measure that can go a long way in preventing diarrhea is the maintenance of proper personal hygiene. Diarrhea can be easily controlled by washing our hands with Dettol Liquid Handwash after going to the toilet and before preparing/eating food with.