Diarrhea: home treatment quickly and effectively

Despite the extraordinary resilience, our body is susceptible to various diseases, serious and not so. Even those that usually do not pose any danger can seriously complicate our lives. This category includes diarrhea - in a simple way, diarrhea, caused by many factors that we sometimes do not even suspect. In this material, we will tell you why diarrhea occurs, and what treatment at home will quickly help to cope with the disease.

Causes of diarrhea

Before listing the list of drugs used to return the stool to a normal consistency, it is necessary to understand the reasons. The fact is that the same phenomenon in our body can manifest itself as a reaction to completely different stimuli. Each diarrhea has its own reason, therefore, taking medicine or using homemade decoctions thoughtlessly is not only useless, but also dangerous.

Let's turn to our list.

Improper diet and negative eating habits

Opened diarrhea can be a signal of the body not only to a momentary stimulus. Quite often, our intestines include this backup method of emergency cleansing in the event that we tortured it for a long time:

• improper diet;
• bad eating habits.

Aren't they the same thing, you ask? The answer is: no, these two factors, although they go on the same line, imply completely different aspects of food consumption. Each of the categories has a profound effect on the functioning of the digestive system within our body.

Bad eating habits

Let's start by looking directly at bad eating habits. Speaking of them, we do not mean a list of foods that negatively affect digestion, but rather we are talking about the technical side of the issue. Consider the following list.

Item number 1.One of the most bad habits is eating cooked foods quickly. The faster you absorb food, the slower you feel full. The fact is that our brain receives a signal from the stomach to receive food only 20 minutes after ingestion of food. Up to this point, you will constantly feel that you are not full. By loading even more food into yourself, you run the risk of getting a number of negative consequences:

• unpleasant heaviness in the abdomen;
• stretching the stomach, that is, an increase in space in it, as a result, extra centimeters at the waist;
• overload of the stomach.

It will be good if your digestive system can cope with such an overload, however, with a record a large number of various products, in some cases, she cannot cope with it, so it may open diarrhea.

Item number 2. The second bad habit is associated with fast swallowing. As you know, the ingress of gases into the digestive system leads to unpleasant consequences:

• bloating;
• flatulence.

The fact is that during rapid swallowing, air, also a gaseous substance, enters the digestive system along with food. Harmless and necessary for our lungs, it is able to create a real commotion inside the intestines, forming the so-called foam.

Of course, antifoam drugs that stop the formation of intestinal gases can provide instant help, however, if you do not give up this unhealthy eating habit, you will make pills a permanent part of your own diet.

Item number 3. Eating large quantities of food that is hard to digest is the third bad habit. Heavy meals tend to be the tastiest for many people. Given the emotional attachment to food that we all have, we can say that such food is often present in the diet. I just want to give myself positive emotions during or after a hard day at work, or have a good rest on the weekend. However, hopes of relaxation and joy usually do not last long, because heavy food eaten in large quantities, instantly organizes a commotion inside the digestive system, leading to severity, diarrhea and other consequences.

Item No. 4. Late dinners are another cause of digestive upset. The fact is that in the evening, the body's system responsible for assimilating food does not work at full strength, as it prepares for sleep. The body has depleted its resources and sent a signal to the organs to calm down. It is logical that if you eat food at this time, you can get a negative reaction of the body.

Improper nutrition

Now let's move on to considering the wrong diet, made up of foods that are harmful to the body. It should be noted that each organism has individual tolerance, the strongest irritating products for some can be absolutely calmly perceived by others. However, even in the second case, they cause harm, and maybe not from the first, but from the second, third or fourth time, they organize digestive problems, even "tough nuts".

Item number 1. First of all, we are talking about alcohol, this implies absolutely any in terms of strength, composition and "nobility" drinks:

• wine;
• beer;
• liqueurs;
• vermouth;
• vodka and the like.

Among the list presented, you should identify a specific drink, after which there is a negative reaction of the digestive system in the form of loose stools, and exclude it from diet. Ideally, of course, it is better to abstain from everyone, or to allow consumption "for the sake of taste" - in minimal quantities.

Item number 2. Spicy food Is the cornerstone of digestive problems. On the one hand, spices can have a positive effect on human digestion, as well as on blood and nutritional processes of cells, however, only on condition that they enter in a moderate quantity. Too spicy food can not only provoke diarrhea, but also cause serious pain. Especially you need to be wary of chili pepper, because the complex substances included in its composition can bring considerable suffering to the owners of delicate intestines.

Item number 3. Fried foods high in fat - literally a killer of the digestive system. The intestine has to devote all its strength to processing this weight, as a result, intestinal peristalsis increases, and diarrhea opens.

We want to warn you that the constant abuse of such food can quickly lead to the occurrence of various diseases, for example, acute pancreatitis, cholecystitis and other, no less serious ailments that are literally very painful.

Item No. 4. Another reason for persistent intestinal disorders is the excessive consumption of vegetables, fruits, herbs. and other plant foods containing fiber. In fact, all these names are incredibly useful, both for health and for maintaining peristalsis, however, for full functioning the body also needs carbohydrate and protein foods. Add them to your diet and be sure your digestive problems will go away soon.

Item number 5. Dairy products. Some people cannot tolerate lactose, which is an integral part of all dairy products. Therefore, any consumption of this food, even in small quantities, leads to diarrhea. To avoid the repetition of this trouble later, replace animal milk with vegetable milk, namely:

• soy;
• almond;
• coconut;
• oatmeal and other varieties.

Item number 6. Drinking caffeinated beverages also leads to thinning of the stool in people with special sensitivity to this component. If this is your case, skip in favor of herbal tea for:

• black tea;
• coffee.

Item No. 7. Sugar substitutes, used by many modern people are also capable of causing diarrhea. They are found not only in the dishes where we added them ourselves, but also in purchased dietary sweets, drinks, and chewing gum. The substances that make up the sweetener are poorly absorbed by the intestines. It is best to give up sugar altogether, or use the most natural sweeteners.

We would like to remind you that the food consumed not only today, but also yesterday, has an impact on the consistency of the stool, therefore, in order to to determine any specific irritant, you will have to recall the list of meals you have absorbed in at least a day.

Allergies to certain foods and individual intolerances

Another common cause of diarrhea is the body's individual response to specific foods. We hasten to replace that the concepts of allergy and intolerance are different from each other, since they reflect completely different reaction processes inside the human body.

Allergy to a specific food

An allergen is a substance that gets inside the body, which is determined by all its systems as a threat to human life. As soon as it is detected, immunity is included in the fight. The consumption of such food is accompanied not only by diarrhea, but also by an additional number of possible symptoms:

• sneezing;
• rash;
• diarrhea;
• vomiting and nausea;
• redness of the eyes and their itching;
• lacrimation;
• runny nose;
• edema of the skin, mouth and throat;
• severe itching and redness of the skin;
• shortness of breath, wheezing or accompanied by shortness of breath and the like.

Symptoms begin to develop a few minutes after the allergen is consumed.

Individual intolerance to products

The principle of food tolerance is different. It is in no way interconnected with immunity, the consequences of using the "wrong" product are reflected solely on the work of the stomach. At the same time, the consequences can manifest themselves only a few hours or days after eating inappropriate food.

Symptoms of individual intolerance include:

• nausea and vomiting;
• diarrhea;
• bloating and flatulence;
• pain in the abdomen.

We have already mentioned one of the intolerances in the section on unhealthy diet. It was about lactose, a milk sugar that is not assimilated by many modern people. It is contraindicated for them to drink milk and it is better to abstain from dairy products altogether, replacing them with herbal counterparts.

To cope with intolerances or food allergies, it is advisable to keep a food diary. It will help you recognize foods that are not suitable for you, allowing you to track their use and subsequent reactions.

In addition, a competent decision would be to undergo a consultation with specialists - doctors who will help you understand and determine the product that is not suitable for you.

Food poisoning

The next common cause of intestinal upset is food poisoning. It must be said that in this case, adjusting the diet is no longer enough, since diarrhea has become a reaction to serious damage to the digestive system.

A similar reaction occurs among the majority of tourists traveling to warm, southern countries, in which there are unsatisfactory sanitary conditions for cooking and living in general.

However, you can get a similar unpleasant effect at home, in your own kitchen, cleaned to a shine. All you need to do is:

• drink contaminated water;
• eat contaminated, poorly washed, or undercooked food.

It doesn't matter whether at home or in a foreign country, you should follow the preventive rules to avoid poisoning. These include:

• careful study of food before use for proper preparation (meat should not be raw in places, vegetables should be clean, cereals boiled, etc.);
• observance of hygiene rules (washing hands before eating, after using the toilet, upon arrival from the street);
• refusal to purchase street food in countries whose sanitary conditions are not satisfactory;
• availability of necessary medicines in the home first-aid kit and the first-aid kit for travel.

Stress

We would like to draw your attention to a factor unexpected for many, which is a common cause of diarrhea. We are talking about mental stress - stress. This condition is destructive for a person, it can provoke many negative processes in the body, including irritation of the intestinal walls. As we know, the desired processes in this element of the digestive system always lead to a change in the consistency of the stool.

Perhaps it is necessary to clarify what kind of stress we are talking about in this section of the article. We clarify: about any nervous tension. It can be one-time and very strong, or moderate, but constant. The reasons for the appearance of stress also vary:

• overstrain at work is the cause of stress for most citizens from 25 to 50 years or more;
• intensive study, especially session loads - stress for students;
• lack of free time spent on mental or physical rest is a problem common to many segments of the population, regardless of the status and age of their representatives.

On a nervous basis, a person can get not only a headache, dry mouth, but also diarrhea. Again, in this case, age does not matter.

Many people continue to wonder how nervous tension is connected with the physical manifestation of malfunctions in our body. We hasten to remind you that the nervous system of the body is connected with every systemic element of the human body, because it carries out some part of the regulatory processes associated with them. Constant stress leads to the production of special hormones that change the state of the whole body and intestines, provoking increased peristalsis. These include:

• motilin;
• gastrin;
• cholecystokinin.

An increase in the frequency and intensity of bowel contractions, as we remember, leads to the formation of diarrhea. The fact is that the intestine in this state does not have time to absorb liquid, and it remains in it, thinning the feces. This consistency of stool is ensured to you even if the ability to absorb slightly decreases.

The occurrence of loose stools during stress is especially likely in those citizens who have irritable bowel syndrome. And if we add to this the special hormonal sensitivity of the organ, then the probability of stool changes during stress will occur with the greatest probability.

Diagnosing the cause of stress-related diarrhea is usually very difficult, even when consulting a doctor, as, the patient can name absolutely any reason, in his opinion, provoked an intestinal disorder, however, he does not mention the mental voltage. Perhaps this is due to shyness, since in our society it is not customary to complain to strangers about fatigue, perhaps people simply do not understand the relationship between the mental and physical aspects of the interaction of the body, which we explained to you above.

If you notice that you frequent the toilet and do not know the reason, when contacting a doctor, try to describe the complete picture, including whether the level of nervousness you experience daily is high voltage.

Let's pay attention to the manifestations of symptoms from diarrhea under stress:

• discomfort inside the abdomen;
• bloating and flatulence;
• false urge to visit the toilet;
• pain in the navel area, or slightly away from it;
• headache;
• weakness and numbness of the arms and legs;
• a lump in the throat.

Even if diarrhea from nervous strain in your case does not manifest itself often, it is nevertheless capable of bring even more stress into your life, thereby launching a certain physiological-mental circulation. As a result of prolonged diarrhea, dehydration manifests itself, which can really threaten the patient's life.

Treating stress-induced diarrhea will involve more than taking specific medications or folk remedies, but also in consultation with a psychologist, aimed at calming and relaxing the nervous system the patient.

Until you turn to a specialist, we recommend that you follow some of the rules presented in the list below:

• drink more water to prevent dehydration;
• the water used must be clean and free of impurities in the form of coffee, tea leaves or herbs;
• it is necessary to eat diarrhea fortifying food, for example, boiled rice and crackers;
• in no case do not allow the use of heavy, fatty foods flavored with spices at the time of diarrhea;
• refrain from plant products that provoke gas formation;
• make sure to set aside time for yourself to rest, both mental and physical, ideally, it is better to normalize the wakefulness regime and give more time to sleep;
• take a break from school or work, take a day off or sick leave;
• do not neglect physical activity, sports load helps to produce endorphin - a hormone that fights stress and other negative conditions of the body.

Norovirus and Rotavirus

Sometimes diarrhea can be caused by reasons much more serious than stress or poisoning. Among such reasons is an infectious noroviral disease - a very contagious ailment, with detection of which the patient needs to quarantine and try not to interact with others.

Most often, norovirus infects our intestinal system in winter, it is in the cold that its prevalence increases significantly. The colonization of the infection in the body can lead to serious consequences, for example, to gastroenteritis - the disease, which we will discuss in the next section of the article.

Adults are susceptible to norovirus, however, children also have their "own infectious disease" - rotavirus. The symptoms of the searched names are the same. It includes the following dyspeptic disorders:

• diarrhea;
• nausea;
• vomit.

The disease is characterized by a high degree of infectiousness, therefore, when it is detected, it is advisable to close at home and, if possible, limit communication not only with friends, but also with household members.

Let's add another list of precautions for getting sick with norovirus:

• it is necessary to wash your hands after using the toilet with antibacterial soap;
• disinfect the toilet seat and flush handle;
• do not cook food for family members and try to visit the kitchen less often.

If a norovirus is detected, diarrhea must be stopped as soon as possible, since in this case the liquefaction feces does not act as a defense mechanism that removes toxic toxins, but simply as a symptom that brings harm:

• actively removing liquid and interfering with its assimilation;
• taking away vitamins and important microelements.

Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is a disease that can be caused by norovirus or become a consequence of some other pathological processes already present in the human body.

In no case can you treat gastroenteritis on your own, since incorrectly selected medications can seriously aggravate the situation.

With gastroenteritis, the intestines, as well as the stomach, become inflamed and irritated, as a result, diarrhea appears as a symptom - an acute digestive upset. The causes of this disease can have the following etiology:

• it is easily caused by viruses (norovirus, rotavirus);
• occurs after the use of contaminated water;
• manifests itself in case of food poisoning.

In addition to diarrhea, the accompanying symptoms of the disease will be as follows:

• vomiting and eventually the release of vomit;
• temperature;
• headache.

These manifestations usually last no more than 2-3 days, then they disappear.

Remember, depending on what caused the development of gastroenteritis, the disease can be either contagious or non-contagious. It is important to find out the reason and take appropriate safety measures as soon as possible so as not to endanger family and friends.

Menstruation

Every woman knows that once a month she will have to experience some discomfort associated with menstruation for several days. Firstly, because the renewal of the inner layers of the uterus is a painful process, and secondly, the instability of the emotional state really manifests itself during this period in most of the fair sex, thirdly, because the irritated uterus is closely adjacent to the intestines and is capable of transmitting this condition to it, causing:

• diarrhea;
• bloating;
• flatulence.

It is believed that almost a third of women who do not have any intestinal problems in normal life suffer from intestinal problems associated with menstruation.

In our special article we discuss in detail why diarrhea occurs during menstruation.

If irritable bowel syndrome is added to your period, the problem may become more serious. form, the usual pace of life will be disrupted, at this time the woman will simply fall out of the normal functioning.

Intestinal peristalsis stimulated by hormones produced during menstruation, however, as soon as the critical days stop, the gastrointestinal tract also calms down. Stock up on medications and just get through these days. If the problem for you is an edge, we advise you to visit a doctor.

Taking antibiotics

We all know from a young age that long-term use of drugs of a wide spectrum of action, whose work is aimed at destroying bacteria, affects the intestinal function most negatively. It doesn't matter what kind of antibiotics you use, all of them, to one degree or another, lead to negative consequences for the intestines.

Usually, these antibacterial drugs are prescribed to patients with various kinds of infections. After taking it for 4-5 days, people begin to notice more frequent intestinal disorders. This is one of the side effects of the medication you need. Antibiotics work on the principle of destroying bacteria, while they cannot determine their effect on the body and kill indiscriminately:

• harmful microorganisms;
• beneficial bacteria.

This leads to the occurrence of disorders in the intestinal microflora.

In especially severe cases, in addition to watery diarrhea, the following symptoms appear:

• pain caused by pressing on the abdomen;
• periodic spasms;
• increased body temperature.

Treatment is usually carried out in this case with:

• probiotics;
• toxin-absorbing drugs.

Additionally, it is also recommended:

• consume a large amount of pure water without impurities to maintain water balance in the body;
• do not eat dairy products, flour, coarse fiber;
• see a doctor.

Remember, you can only get rid of health problems on your own if they are not significant. All other situations require an immediate visit to the hospital.

It is especially important to turn to professionals if:

• diarrhea occurs more than five times a day;
• antibiotics provoke watery diarrhea;
• body temperature is elevated;
• pain in the abdomen is felt on palpation;
• in the feces, impurities of pus and / or bloody blotches are found.

How to quickly treat diarrhea at home

Now that you know that a wide variety of causes can cause diarrhea, let's move on to consider the most effective medicines for its urgent elimination, and also consider interesting recipes from folk medicine.

Medical treatment

Antibiotics If the diarrhea that has opened is the result of an infectious disease inside the gastrointestinal tract, it is necessary to start taking antibiotic drugs. The list of the most effective and gentle on the intestines includes:

1. "Levomycitin" is prescribed by a doctor in the form of tablets.
2. "Amoxicillin" is also the most effective against intestinal infections; it is taken in the form of tablets, capsules, injections, or suspensions.
3. "Metronidazole" is a high-quality antimicrobial, usually used in a course for intestinal infections, lasting about 4 days.

Yes, diarrhea caused by an infectious disease will be very, very difficult to stop urgently, however, by destroying microorganisms, antibiotics will help you achieve your goal. Remember, the disease can be contagious, so it is better to forget about the urgency and calmly lie down at home near the bathroom.

Enterosorbents. If diarrhea is caused by poisoning, that is, any toxins or pollution have got into the intestines, it is necessary to choose enterosorbents as a medicine. These drugs are in the kits of every family, and we know their names from childhood:

1. "Activated carbon" - this drug is taken in a dosage of one tablet per 10 kilograms body weight, however, just in case, you can eat a little more, overdose is guaranteed not will.
2. "Polysorb" - suspensions are prepared from this powder, then taken orally, doses for adults and children differ, with timely admission, it is possible to avoid a large number of negative consequences.
3. "Smecta" - another absorbent, which we know from the cradle, is also used in the form of a suspension and quite quickly has a pronounced effect.

Probiotics. Stop diarrhea, and at the same time restore the intestinal microflora, "beaten" by prolonged use of antibiotics, will help probiotics - medicines saturated with microorganisms, natural and beneficial for the human digestive systems.

These include:

• the famous "Hilak Forte" with a pleasant sour taste, a popular antidiarrheal agent with a high level of effectiveness;
• "Bifidumabacterin" - a powder that not only populates the intestines with beneficial bacteria, but also helps to suppress harmful microorganisms;
• "Linex" is a medicine aimed at normalizing the state of the intestinal microflora.

To eliminate diarrhea, which was the result of a number of reasons that had an impact on excessive activation peristalsis, it is necessary to take medications that normalize and calm the bowel contractions irritation:

• "Imodium" - a drug that blocks the body's receptors responsible for the contraction of the intestine, its appointment is made exclusively by a doctor;
• "Loperamide" - sold in the form of capsules, tablets, powder, soothes intestinal contractions, normalizing them, and also restores the tone of the sphincter muscle;
• Enterobene also fights against the unpleasant symptom in the form of loose stools, showing a fairly quick result.

Of course, the list of drugs presented in this section is not complete, there are still many tablets, suspensions, capsules and powders of similar action. It is best to consult your doctor before taking each medication.

Folk remedies

Now let's turn to the list of effective folk recipes. We would like to warn our readers right away: the composition of some medicines prepared at home may also contain allergenic substances that are individually unsuitable for some of you. That is why, you need to turn to prescriptions only if you are completely sure that there are no negative side effects.

1. The first and most simple folk remedy for diarrhea is boiled rice. It is believed that "empty" boiled rice is able to help even with severe poisoning, removing toxins and toxins, and also have a strengthening effect on diarrhea. Whatever the cause of the diarrhea in your case, rice can be eaten without fear of aggravating the situation.
   

   Eating rice is good for diarrhea.

2. The same applies to ordinary crackers, also having a firming effect.
   

   Rusks

3. Strong black tea with sugar - Another excellent, among other things, delicious remedy for diarrhea. However, it is necessary to keep in mind the following: tea bags are not suitable, as a rule, all of them are of poor quality. It is best to brew a leaf.
   

   Sahor tea

4. Great for diarrhea cherry fruits, famous for their astringent action. They can be bought at the pharmacy, where they are sold in dry form, and then consumed by prescription, and the diarrhea will go away very quickly.
   

   Bird cherry is another folk remedy for diarrhea.

5. Another berry with antidiarrheal as well as antiseptic effect is blueberry. The difficulty lies only in the fact that it cannot be bought at a pharmacy, you will have to go to specialized stores and spend decent money on it. However, the fruit tastes pleasant, you can eat them dry or make a decoction (and even jelly). So why not compensate, if possible, in this way for the stress caused by loose stools.
   

   Folk remedy for diarrhea - blueberry jelly

6. Another herb to help get rid of pesky loose stools is burnet. It is necessary to purchase its roots at the pharmacy and brew according to the instructions, then take it orally. Believe me, the effect will not be long in coming.
   

   Burnet broth

7. Pomegranate peel - another effective folk remedy, one might even say that the most effective of the presented. To use it, you need to remove the peel from a fresh pomegranate bought in a store and dry it. It is best to do this in advance, in a natural way, but if there is not enough time, dry the future medicine in an oven. Then grind the resulting skin into powder or cut into small pieces, pour about a tablespoon with boiling water and wait until it is infused. Drink after cooling down!
   

   Pomegranate peel decoction

Let us summarize the information received about the remedies for diarrhea in the following table.

Table 1. Diarrhea remedies

Official medicines	Traditional medicine recipes
antibiotics for infections; probiotics for dysbiosis; enterosorbents from poisoning; drugs that normalize intestinal motility for other reasons.	boiled rice; sweet, strong tea; decoctions, jelly from bird cherry and blueberry berries; decoction of burnet root and other useful herbs with a similar effect; decoction of pomegranate skin.

Video - Diarrhea treatment. How to treat diarrhea in a child and an adult

Let's summarize

Diarrhea is an unpleasant event that greatly interferes with a modern person to continue a full life. Judge for yourself: it is simply impossible to go to work, school, kindergarten, university with such a disorder. In addition, prolonged diarrhea can lead to the development of many really unpleasant and dangerous processes in the body.

To get rid of diarrhea as soon as possible, read our article carefully. It is best to immediately consult a doctor, however, if this is not possible, purchase the drugs indicated by us for temporary relief, or use one of the popular recipes.

As soon as the diarrhea subsides a little, still get ready to go to the hospital. It is necessary to find out the cause of loose stools and get rid of it once and for all.