It is characterised by loose or semi solid stools, with or without abdominal pain. Real danger surfaces when too much of water and salts are lost to our body, resulting in general malaise, extreme thirst, unrest, griping pains, tenesmus, rectal pain and urgent urge to rush to the closet to. In some cases, watery stools escape in the clothes. Dehydration may cause, nausea and vomiting which are serious symptoms and might push a patient into comatose.
Infantile diarrhea is a serious manifestation which is a known killer of infants and children.
Types :
1. Diarrhea of infants and children
2. Diarrhea of young persons
3. Diarrhea of Travellers
4. Diarrhea of pregnant, post-natal ladies
5. Senile diarrhea (of old and aged people)
6. Diarrhea of drunkards, indolent, sedentary, gluttons
7. Diarrhea due to dietary indiscretions
8. Diarrhea caused by anxiety, fear, apprehension, tension
9. Summer Diarrhea
10. Diarrhea of rainy/wet seasons
11. Diarrhea due to feasts, marriage dinners, club parties.social gatherings
12. Beer Diarrhea, etc.
If you look at the types of this malady, you will, at once, be able to discern and locate the cause that has triggered the malady. Once the underlying and precipitatory cause has been discerned, treatment is quite possible but the proviso remains that the patient must avoid and scrupulously stay away from the causative factors.
It is no using taking medicines every now and then, and thereafter indulge in forbidden/harmful situations/foods. Prevention and corrective approach are the watchwords.
There is a causative and underlying factor that causes loose motions. Some preemptive and corrective steps must be taken before starting on a journey, before onset of seasons, when ailment returns or is anticipated to stage a comeback. Once you have corrected and modified your dietary menus, most of diarrhea related problems shall get relegated to the back seat. Chronic diarrhea is a serious disease which requires thorough clinical investigations.
Do’s
– Take rice, rice water, coconut water, lime water in plenty.
– Take ‘Electral Powder’ to ward off danger of dehydration, water-sodium imbalance, thirst.
– Moong, rice and curd should be taken at meals.
– Drink boiled water only.
– Take light tea in moderate quantity.
Don’ts
– Eliminate fats, oil, dry fruits, milk and milk products, sauces, jams, chutnies, pickles etc.
– Refrain from spices and condiments.
– Do not consume junk/fast foods, so-called ‘Office lunch’, chats, juices sold in the bazars, cane sugar or any other cold drinks etc.
– Avoid strong tea, coflea. cocoa, wine, whisky, beer, tobacco, meats, fish etc.
– Don’t be painky and hasty and wait for the medicine to act. Don’t jump from medicine or system to another in a hush, and do not use medicines of divergent therapies concurrently, due to drug interaction and drug reaction.
– Do not return to your normal dietary pattern immediately after you recover-allow some cushion time between recovery period and normalcy.
Treatment (Trade names are mentioned for convenience of the readers)
Lomotil: One tablet thrice daily. It may colour the urine Yellow. Do not use for children below 10 years, pregnant ladies and elderly. Causes dryness of mouth, blurred vision, bitter taste, yellow colour of urine. If taken for a longer period, it may cause addiction, respiratory depression, coma, and even death may ensue.
Furoxone : Its advantage being that it effectively controls diarrhoea and micro-organisms do not become resistent to it. It is also of value in infections and gastro-enteritis. It is more effective than Tetracyclin, Chloramphenicol, Sulphadiazine or Sulphathiazole. Its usual dose is 100 mg 4 times a day. Nausea, vomiting, headache, yellow urine, skin rashes or other allergic reactions may surface but, all the same, it has minimal side-effects. If nausea, vomiting or allergic reactions supervene, either taper/reduce the dose or else withdraw it.
Wotinex : Take one tablet twice daily. Do not give to children below 12, pregnant ladies and persons with liver problems. It may give bitter or coppery taste in the mouth.
Ampicillin : 250 mg 4 times daily or 500 mg twice daily. In certain patients it causes diarrhea, hence persons with sensitive digestive system should not use it.
Neomycin : This is an antibiotic drug of choice and is specifically used for infants due to its local action. Consult some doctor for suitable and requisite dose and frequency.