How to stop diarrhea in an adult

Diarrhea is a rather unpleasant condition, and it can happen to absolutely any person and sometimes just when there is an important meeting or an urgent need to run to work. There are many reasons for it. And, of course, if loose stools are taken by surprise, everyone begins frantically looking for solutions to this delicate problem. How to stop diarrhea in an adult? Do I need to do this? What drugs will help to cope with unexpected loose stools?

Symptoms and causes of diarrhea

Diarrhea is a pathological condition, the main symptom of which is frequent bowel movements, during which a formless liquid, almost watery feces are released. It also bears another, more delicate and correct name - diarrhea. Diarrhea can be both single and torment a person several times in a row during the day or longer.

Attention! Diarrhea that lasts longer than 2 weeks is considered an acute form of diarrhea. And if it continues further, then, most likely, the condition has become chronic.

The main signs of diarrhea are:

• strong urge to defecate;
• feces are liquid, almost watery;
• the presence of symptoms such as vomiting and nausea is possible;
• abdominal pain;
• flatulence, rumbling;
• under a certain condition - elevated temperature;
• general weakness and lethargy.

Loose stools are a natural way of protecting the body from the effects of toxic or toxic substances that enter the digestive tract. Diarrhea can be caused by a variety of reasons:

• eating poor-quality or expired products;
• the use of junk food with a high concentration of preservatives and dyes;
• ingestion of pathogens of infectious diseases;
• dysbiosis;
• stress;

• improper diet;
• taking a number of medications;
• the use of food unusual for the body, new dishes;
• the presence of various pathologies.

Important! When buying food, you should always take as fresh and natural as possible. It is better to refuse to buy products that will soon reach their expiration date, even if they are offered at a very attractive price.

Table. Types of diarrhea.

The form	Cause
Infectious	In this case, diarrhea is caused by representatives of the pathogenic microflora that have entered the intestinal tract and are actively multiplying. They can get there with food or as a result of lack of personal hygiene.
Dyspeptic	The form develops due to disturbances in the processes of digestion of food, due to problems with the functioning of the liver, secretion of the stomach, etc.
Alimentary	Such diarrhea can be triggered by allergic reactions in the body. May be caused by the use of unusual dishes, products, spices.
Toxic	It develops against the background of poisonous substances (for example, mercury and arsenic) entering the body.
Medication	It occurs as a result of taking a number of drugs that have diarrhea in the list of side effects. It also develops against the background of taking a large number of medications.
Neurogenic	It is connected with the fact that a person experiences strong negative or positive experiences, fears. Often occurs in children.

On a note! Experts identify another form of diarrhea - traveler's diarrhea. It occurs in people who make long trips or hikes, and is associated with a violation of sanitary and hygienic standards. Bacteria that live in a certain area and are characteristic of it can provoke diarrhea - the traveler's body may not have the required degree of immunity to them.

General principles of treatment

As a rule, diarrhea, if it is not caused by an infection or pathological condition of the body, in adults goes away rather quickly on its own. The main thing is that it does not drag on for a long time. However, you should not leave it without attention - it can cause dehydration. The general principles of treating the condition are as follows.

1. Determining the cause that provoked diarrhea and eliminating it. For example, you need to give up unusual dishes.
2. Temporary refusal to eat. You can use some croutons or blueberry jelly. Fruits and vegetables, sweets, any foods that are difficult for the stomach to digest should be completely excluded.
3. Prevention of dehydration - It is required to replenish fluid losses by drinking as much clean water as possible.
   

   You need to drink as much water as possible

4. Taking adsorbent drugs that cleanse the body of toxic substances.
5. Elimination of diarrhea itself with special drugs. Since diarrhea is a natural protective process in the body, it is not necessary to stop it if possible. Together with the liquid stool, all the substances that provoked it will come out. It is necessary to stop diarrhea only if it lasts for several days, seriously worsens the person's condition, or if the patient urgently needs to go somewhere.
6. Restoration of the normal balance of intestinal microflora by taking probiotics and prebiotics.
   

   Probiotics and prebiotics

7. Restoring the water-salt balance by taking a number of drugs or glucose-saline solution (1 tsp. l. salt, 0.5 tsp l. soda, 0.25 tbsp. l. potassium chloride and 4 tbsp. l. sugar / 1 liter of water).

Video: Diarrhea (diarrhea). Causes, signs and symptoms.

Medicines

To eliminate toxic substances from the body and remove part of the pathogenic intestinal bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract, doctors recommend using sorbents. It can be Enterosgel, activated carbon, Smecta, Biligin, Kaolin and other drugs. Activated carbon should be in every first-aid kit, and it is also recommended to take it with you on the road.

Important! Sorbent drugs are able to remove not only harmful, but also useful substances from the body, as well as smooth the effect of other medicines. Therefore, they should be taken along with other drugs with an interval of at least 2 hours. But modern remedies usually act selectively - they cleanse the body only of toxins.

If the diarrhea was caused by long-term use of any drugs, then it is important to consult the doctor who prescribed them in order to cancel them. The specialist will be able to recommend another remedy. If the cause of diarrhea is problems with the absorption of nutrients in the intestines, the doctor will recommend taking enzyme preparations. It can be Creon, Pancreatin, Mezim, etc.

If diarrhea is accompanied by abdominal pain, then it is necessary to take antispasmodic drugs such as Drotaverin or No-Shpy. And to restore the intestinal microflora at the end of treatment, use Lactobacterin, Linex, Hilak-Forte, Enterol, etc.

If you need to stop the diarrhea itself as soon as possible, then doctors recommend using a drug such as Loperamide. He does an excellent job with his task, but you cannot take it if diarrhea is caused by an intestinal infection. They retain the feces in the body, and in such a situation it is contraindicated to do so.

If you want not just to stop the symptoms of diarrhea, but to get rid of the cause of its occurrence - an intestinal infection, then you need to take antimicrobial drugs, for example, Ekofuril. Its active ingredient, nifuroxazide, eliminates pathogens - the cause of intestinal infection, and the auxiliary substance lactulose (prebiotic) creates a nutrient medium in the intestines for the reproduction of its own beneficial microflora. Doctors recommend taking Ekofuril for 5-7 days. After the end of the drug intake, no additional course of pro- or prebiotics is required for recovery. The medicine for adults and children from 3 years old is available in capsules.

Folk methods

There are many traditional medicine methods that relieve the course of diarrhea or eliminate it altogether. Most of them can be used without consulting a doctor. As a rule, the effect of their use is achieved within a couple of hours.

Rice broth

Perhaps this is the most popular and affordable way to deal with diarrhea. In addition, he is one of those remedies that belong to the category of absolutely safe for the body. Rice broth envelops the intestines and does not allow gastric juice to negatively affect it, improves peristalsis, and helps the formation of feces. Due to the starch, which is part of the rice cereal, the product has the ability to absorb excess liquid and thicken liquid feces. In addition, rice water perfectly eliminates flatulence and inhibits fermentation processes.

On a note! Rice broth can even be given to children.

Cooking is simple: just boil a couple of teaspoons of rice soaked in cold water in a liter of boiling water. You need to cook for about 50 minutes. Then the broth is cooled, filtered through a fine sieve and taken in 150 ml every 3 hours.

Bird cherry broth

Bird cherry is great for treating diarrhea if it is not due to infections. But you should not abuse the broth - bird cherry contains amygdalin, which, splitting in the body, gives hydrocyanic acid, which is a poison. You need to prepare the broth according to a prescription and you should not drink it without consulting your doctor. Nursing mothers and pregnant women should not use it.

To prepare the broth, bird cherry berries washed with clean water (0.5 cups) are used. They are poured with boiling water and placed in a water bath for 30 minutes. After that, the broth is infused for half an hour, covered with a lid. Next, you need to strain it and dilute it with blueberry juice in the same amount. You need to drink 1 tbsp every hour. l.

Pomegranate peels

Dense, red dry pomegranate crusts, peeled from the white layer - an excellent remedy. They contain about 30% tannins and are effective against diarrhea and almost any intestinal disorder. They are also capable of suppressing the causative agents of dysentery. However, the tool has contraindications and a doctor's consultation is required before using it.

Dried pomegranate peels are crushed to a powder state, after which 1 hour. l. This powder is poured with boiling water (1 tbsp.) and boiled in a water bath for 60 minutes, after which it is infused for 40 minutes. You need to take 1 tsp. l. about 4 times during the day until the diarrhea is eliminated.

Blueberry

It turns out that this plant benefits not only the eyes, but also the gastrointestinal tract. Dried berries are used to eliminate diarrhea - fresh ones have the opposite effect and are used for constipation. Blueberries are rich in pectin and tannins, effective and safe. You can prepare decoctions, jelly, compotes from dried blueberry berries.

Oak bark

Oak bark is an excellent remedy against inflammation, it fights against pathogenic microorganisms, has an astringent effect, and is capable of combining with proteins to form a protective layer on the intestinal walls. It is also effective for diarrhea. You can prepare tinctures, decoctions, enemas from oak bark.

Pepper "black peas"

The simplicity and affordability of this diarrhea remedy made it possible to make black peas, along with rice water, the most used folk treatment for loose stools. Black pepper normalizes digestion processes by activating the production of enzymes and gastric juice. Using it is simple: you need to take 10 pcs. peas and just swallow them with water. But the remedy, unfortunately, has contraindications - pepper cannot be used for ulcers, anemia, inflammatory processes in the kidneys or urinary.

When to see a doctor

Usually adults cope with diarrhea on their own and rather quickly. But in some cases, a visit to the doctor is still necessary. You need to visit a specialist's office if:

• symptoms persist for a long time;
• the intensity of the diarrhea does not decrease;
• severe pains are felt in the abdomen;
• the patient has a fever;
• severe dehydration occurs;
• pallor of the skin is noted;
• feces are very dark in color.

The doctor will definitely take a history to determine the duration of the period of diarrhea and try to find out its cause. Further, he will direct him to a series of tests to establish an accurate diagnosis. In some cases, the patient can be hospitalized according to indications.

Video: Deadly diarrhea

How to get rid of diarrhea quickly?

Step 1. The very first action for diarrhea should be to try to replenish fluid levels in the body. Diarrhea can seriously undermine its reserves in the body. It is required to drink as much water and broths as possible. On this day, if possible, it is better to cancel all cases and lie down at home, not far from the toilet.

Step 2. You can try over-the-counter anti-diarrhea medications.

Step 3. Analgesics should not be taken, even if there is pain, without first consulting a doctor.

Step 4. It is required to rest as much as possible, and it is better to sleep.

Step 5. If diarrhea persists throughout the day, then the next day you should see a doctor.

Step 6. If diarrhea is accompanied by severe pain, high fever, then you should immediately call an ambulance.

Step 7. It is important to give up the use of sweets, soda, coffee. It is best to drink natural jelly.

Step 8. To avoid aggravating diarrhea, you should eat foods low in dietary fiber. And the first few hours it is better to starve altogether.

Step 9. It is strictly forbidden to eat fatty foods and unhealthy foods.

Step 10. At the end of the treatment, it is required to eat foods rich in probiotics in order to restore the intestinal microflora.

Step 11. If the cause of the diarrhea is an intestinal infection, then it is important to take all measures to cope with it.

Step 12. No need to be nervous and worried - stress should be minimized.

Video - How to get rid of diarrhea? Folk methods

Diarrhea can dramatically change a person's plans for the day and unsettle him. However, you can deal with it quickly if you know how. As a rule, all of the above remedies have a fairly quick effect, and as soon as the diarrhea subsides, you can return to the usual rhythm of life.