What to do with diarrhea

Many people wonder what to do with diarrhea, how to reduce the symptoms of the disease. Therapy for diarrhea, after the detection of the disease, should be very delicate.

The restoration of the proper functioning of the intestines and stomach, but also the state of health of the patient, directly depends on the speed of the solution.

Severe diarrhea can provoke extremely negative consequences, the most dangerous of which will be dehydration, often leading to death.

When, due to various circumstances, it is not possible to consult a doctor, but the general the patient's well-being is satisfactory, then you can try to get rid of diarrhea in household conditions.

Severe diarrhea: causes and treatment

Diarrhea is not a disease, but only a symptom that speaks of disorders of the intestines or stomach, or inside the body as a whole. Therefore, diarrhea cannot be eliminated without establishing the factors that provoked it.

Diarrhea is the discharge of loose stools once or with an increased frequency of emptying.

When such a violation occurs in 21 days, then in this situation we can talk about acute diarrhea, more than 3 weeks - chronic.

If this symptom manifests itself, you should immediately consult a specialist. He will tell you what to do with diarrhea, what remedies can eliminate this phenomenon.

Causes

The main causes of diarrhea in adults are:

• indigestion after a heavy meal with "heavy" meals;
• food intoxication;
• susceptibility to certain products (allergy, hypolactasia);
• the use of certain medications (laxatives, antacids, anti-arrhythmia drugs, anticoagulants, sugar substitutes);
• psycho-emotional shocks (anxiety, fear, during which diarrhea is a consequence of a hormonal surge);
• diarrhea while traveling (associated with climate and dietary changes). Such diarrhea usually goes away after 3-4 days, and the sick person associates the appearance of diarrhea with these events.

But the provoking factors of diarrhea in adults are much more serious:

• infection with pathogenic microorganisms;
• inflammation of the digestive organs (gastritis, hepatitis, colitis), ulcers;
• functional organ failure (lack of enzymes);
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract of unknown origin (Crohn's disease);
• intoxication (lead poisoning, mercury).

In such situations, it will not be enough to simply stop diarrhea: you need to carry out diagnostics and then select the appropriate therapy, often in a hospital.

Relative to laboratory signs of diarrhea, they are mild.

This applies to simple indigestion, when, in addition to loose stools, there are spastic pain sensations inside the abdomen and dyspepsia (gurgling, bloating, accumulation of gases inside the gastrointestinal tract).

Treatment

Self-treatment of diarrhea in a domestic environment is possible only in the situation when the patient no additional symptoms were found indicating the presence of complex pathological processes.

Treatment for diarrhea at home, after establishing the causes of the pathology, involves the following directions:

• following a sparing daily regimen;
• diet food;
• fluid replacement;
• therapy with folk remedies or medicines.

To know what to do with diarrhea, you need to consult your doctor.

Diet for diarrhea in an adult

Food directly affects bowel movements. Many foods have an irritating effect on motor skills, and should be forgotten about in case of severe diarrhea until the final recovery. These are spices, raw vegetables, some fruits.

Certain products are characterized by a fixing effect, therefore, after the establishment of the pathology, in the first 3-6 days of dietary nutrition, the following dishes should be used for food:

• wheat bread crackers;
• vegetable puree;
• slimy porridge;
• lean meats and fish (steamed, boiled);
• tea, blueberry jelly, bird cherry broth, rice.

It is optimal to start diet food from a "hungry" day: you need to drink only strong tea (8-10 cups throughout the day).

When diarrhea is provoked by lactose, gluten sensitivity, dietary nutrition is the main factor in therapy.

After the detection of this pathology, medical nutrition is prescribed, which fully excludes products that contain milk sugar and gluten.

An important role is played by the diet: meals should be frequent (after 3 hours) and small portions.

Diet food must be observed throughout therapy and beyond, but after the first strict days, it is permissible to remove restrictions and saturate the menu, observing the following principles:

• Remove products that are mechanically and chemically irritating to the intestines (spicy, salty, acidic, which contains coarse fiber).
• It is forbidden to eat foods that stimulate the release of bile (tomatoes and carrots, grape juice).
• Exclude from the menu foods that cause fermentation and increased gas formation (apples, cabbage, black bread).

Prohibited products:

• fried meat;
• offal;
• saturated broths;
• fatty types of fish, which are cooked in any way, and low-fat ones in fried, canned form;
• whole milk, heavy cream;
• hard boiled and fried eggs;
• cabbage, beets, radishes, cucumbers;
• canned vegetables;
• sour berries and fruits;
• flour;
• highly carbonated water, cold drinks.

With diarrhea in an adult, it is recommended to saturate the diet with the following dishes:

• steamed cutlets from meat puree, soufflé;
• boiled fish, steam cutlets;
• porridge on the water;
• pasta;
• fermented milk products;
• cottage cheese;
• scrambled eggs;
• boiled vegetables;
• baked fruits;
• berry mousses;
• white bread crackers;
• tea, compote.

Drug therapy

Medicines for the treatment of diarrhea in adults, after the discovery of an ailment:

• Sorbents. They are an important component of pathology therapy. Promote the elimination of toxic substances and infectious agents from the gastrointestinal tract, help absorb gases, and reduce bloating. Recommend the use of these drugs during intestinal infection, intoxication, but they need to be taken on separate from any other medications (it is optimal to make an interval of 2 hours, otherwise the drugs will not assimilated). With a strong disorder of absorption within the intestine, medications are not prescribed, so as not to aggravate the lack of nutrients. The list of these agents is long, from standard activated carbon to the latest drugs based on calcium and bismuth salts.
• Medicines that reduce the production of mucus in the intestines. They are used 1 day after the onset of pathology. These are anti-inflammatory drugs like Diclofenac, Indomethacin. When Crohn's disease is detected, hormonal agents (Metipred, Prednisolone) are used for this purpose, with the appropriate appointment of a specialist.
• Phytopreparations. Plants with astringent characteristics help to reduce intestinal secretion and motility. These include oak bark, bird cherry, alder cones, medicinal chamomile, cinquefoil. Decoctions and tinctures for internal use are made from this raw material throughout the day. In order to eliminate diarrhea, various traditional medicines with a fixing effect are suitable.
• Enzymes. When diarrhea is associated with diseases of the digestive tract, enzymes make it possible to make up for the lack of digestive juices. Disruptions in absorption within the intestine also require auxiliary stimulation. For these purposes, drugs based on pancreatin (Creon, Festal, Mezim) will be effective.
• Medicines that eliminate diarrhea and lower intestinal motility. The selection of the remedy varies from the factors that provoked the disease. Loperamide is a well-known component, drugs based on it eliminate diarrhea as a phenomenon (Imodium, Lopedium). It is forbidden to use during an intestinal infection, since some pathogens remain inside the body and will not be excreted.
• During the period of enteropathy, hormonal drugs are prescribed, which simultaneously paralyze the motor activity of the gastrointestinal tract and enhance its absorption (Somatostatin, Octreotide).
• Antispasmodic medicines eliminate excessive motor skills (Papaverine, No-shpa).
• Antibacterial agents are prescribed by a specialist after receiving information from the tests performed and establishing the factors that provoked diarrhea. Generally, broad-spectrum antimicrobials are recommended for intestinal infections. In a situation with a viral origin of the disease, antiviral or immunoglobulins are used. However, such diarrhea can disappear on its own without medical intervention. Antibacterial agents that act directly in the gastrointestinal tract and do not enter the bloodstream. They have a detrimental effect on staphylococcus, streptococcus, salmonella and other pathogenic microorganisms, but retain beneficial bacteria.
• Probiotics. These medicines are indispensable during the treatment of diarrhea of ​​various origins, since diarrhea, no matter what factor it is provoked, contributes to the imbalance of microflora in intestines. For example, Acipol, Normobact, Linex, Florok. The drugs reduce the activity of pathogenic microorganisms, help to remove toxic substances, promote restoration of the intestinal mucosa and strengthening of local immunity, and also stimulates the restoration of positive bacteria.
• Intestinal immunomodulators. Experts can include in the therapeutic regimen of diarrhea such a remedy as Galavit, recommended during any viral diarrhea. The drug eliminates the symptoms of poisoning and quickly improves well-being in adult patients (contraindicated in childhood).

ethnoscience

The following traditional medicines have proven themselves well:

• Walnuts. A proven remedy that eliminates diarrhea. Usually, they help to improve the functioning of the stomach and the proper formation of feces. It is permissible to make an infusion with vodka or water.
• Black bread. It is an extremely common folk remedy for diarrhea. It is soaked in water, and then taken orally. It is recommended to use more rusks - they help to make feces more stable in composition.
• Sagebrush. A popular remedy that removes diarrhea. It is recommended to make an infusion of wormwood at a dosage of 1 tsp. l. three times a day.
• Every hour, until the diarrhea stops, you need to drink 1 tsp. l. potato starch, which is dissolved in warm water.
• Oak bark. An effective remedy for diarrhea. A decoction from it is a strong antibacterial drug. In addition, it is characterized by excellent astringent properties. 1 tsp crushed raw materials, which must be insisted on 2 glasses of cold water (at least 6 hours), greatly facilitates, and often eliminates pathology. This product should be used three times a day for 100 g. The only condition is a contraindication for children with diarrhea.
• Cranberries during pathology will suit everyone, regardless of age. It must be done as follows: berries with leaves are brewed - for 2 tablespoons. 2 cups boiling water, simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Consume chilled 4 times a day for diarrhea. The dosage is 100 g at a time.
• St. John's wort. 1 tbsp. l. chopped herbs are steamed with 1 glass of boiling water and infused. A single diarrhea goes away quickly. However, the remedy will cope with prolonged, 2-week diarrhea. You only need to drink with diarrhea three times a day, 150 g of broth. It will also be effective to make enemas out of it.

Prophylaxis

Preventing diarrhea is much easier than treating it. Preventive measures to eliminate pathology are as follows:

• compliance with hygiene rules;
• washing fruits and vegetables before eating;
• heat treatment of animal products;
• the use of medications directly on the prescription of doctors;
• eating fresh and quality products;
• drinking boiled water.

When the measures taken to improve well-being have not been crowned with a positive result or the patient's condition has significantly deteriorated, you should immediately seek help from doctors.

Diarrhea is an unpleasant symptom of many pathologies, indicating bowel or stomach malfunction. Diarrhea is characterized by frequent emptying with changes in stool consistency.

A condition in adults that has not passed in 3 days is a reason for going to a specialist.

Chronic diarrhea indicates the presence of dangerous diseases, and regular pain in the abdomen is not the norm.

Black or green diarrhea, gag reflex with blood impurities, severe dehydration can indicate the severity of the condition: you should immediately call doctors.

Useful video