Diarrhoea is a medical condition related to bowel movement. It is characterized by loose, thin, watery stool and a frequent need to pass bowels. It is also commonly called as ‘loose motion’. Diarrhoea can occur due to reasons such as bacterial infection, viral infection, food poisoning, parasites etc.

If you are looking for dysentery and diarrhoea treatment clinic or dysentery and diarrhoea Ayurvedic doctor, look no further than Naturoveda Health World. We provide the best Ayurvedic treatment for dysentery and diarrhoea.

Acute and Chronic Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea can be acute or chronic. When the condition lasts for a couple of days or a little more it is considered as acute diarrhoea. The condition may also not require professional medical attention and resolve on its own. Chronic diarrhoea, on the other hand, might last for several weeks. It usually is indicative of any internal issue with the intestines like Celiac disease, Crohn’s disease or any other Gastrointestinal complications.

Many people suffer from acute diarrhoea a few times every year. This is nothing serious. People who get it often usually suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or an inflammatory bowel disease. In developing countries like India, infant diarrhoea, that is, diarrhoea in children below the age of 5 years is quite common. In fact, it accounts as one of the top causes of deaths among infants in that age group in developing countries.  

It should be noted here that frequent passing of stool among adults or infants can’t be considered as diarrhoea if the stool consistency is normal.

What is Traveller’s Diarrhoea?

Traveller’s diarrhoea often affects a person who is on a vacation and happens to consume contaminated food or water. Usually, the risk of developing an infection varies depending on whether the person is consuming cooked or uncooked food, tap water or packaged water etc. It is commonly observed that people suffering from traveller’s diarrhoea are affected by the bacteria E-Coli. The condition lasts from a couple of days to a week. It can be treated with simple over-the-counter medication and is rarely fatal.

Symptoms of traveller’s diarrhoea include –

• Sudden onset of diarrhoea
• Frequent urge for bowel movement
• Weakness or Malaise
• Nausea or Vomiting
• Bloating
• Fever
• Cramps
• Gas
• Lack of appetite

Symptoms of Diarrhoea

Several urgent trips to the bathroom to pass bowel which is watery, thin and loose is the first indication of diarrhoea. A person suffering from this condition usually frequents the toilet two or more times in a day. Other common symptoms that accompany this are –

• Pain in the stomach area
• Bloating
• Nausea or Vomiting
• Fever
• Body aches
• Chills
• Excreting in large volumes

If your condition is not chronic, these symptoms usually last for about a couple of days. If it does not resolve on its own and you witness more symptoms, like the following, you need to seek immediate medical attention.

More serious symptoms of diarrhoea are –

• Blood in the stool
• Pus or mucus in the stool
• High fever
• Persistent vomiting
• Dehydration
• Loss of weight

Such symptoms are indicative of chronic diarrhoea and more serious underlying disorders and diseases.

Complications with Diarrhoea

In most cases, diarrhoea causes a few days of inconvenience and then resolves on its own with dietary measures, home remedies or over-the-counter medication. But if the condition persists for more than three days and is accompanied by other symptoms like bloody stool, black or tarry stool, fever etc, it might be serious. Complications may indicate dehydration or other underlying medical conditions like following!

Dehydration and Diarrhoea

The first complication that sets in with diarrhoea is dehydration. This is because watery stool, more than three times a day, drains out a lot of fluid from the body. Thus it is imperative for patients of diarrhoea to consume enough fluids.

Dehydration can be potentially dangerous both in case of infants and adults – especially those with weak immune systems – and elderly individuals. Dehydration needs to be treated with immediate effect. Symptoms of dehydration from diarrhoea include –

• Severe thirst
• Dry mouth and skin
• Infrequent or no urination
• Weakness
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Dark coloured urine
• Headache
• Rapid heart rate
• Irritation and confusion

Complications of Diarrhoea in Infants

Diarrhoea in infants is particularly serious because it can lead to severe dehydration in just a single day. Moreover babies are not able to point out symptoms on their own. Therefore, parents need to seek immediate medical attention if they see the following symptoms in their children –

• Not wetting diapers every three hours
• Dry mouth
• Fatigue and sleepiness
• Sunken eyes
• No tears while crying
• Sunken tummy and cheeks
• Irritability
• Unresponsiveness

In severe cases children may also –

• Have headache
• Suffer from fever above 102°F
• Pass stool containing blood and pus
• Pass black or tarry stool

To avoid getting dehydrated, make sure you drink enough fluids in the form of water, broths, soups and ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) whenever you have diarrhoea. We have elaborately talked about the dietary precautions and measures to be taken when suffering from diarrhoea, in a section later.

Other Serious Complications

Severe diarrhoea with symptoms mentioned in the earlier section usually indicates another underlying disease, such as –

• Infections
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Colon cancer
• Pancreatitis

Malabsorption

This is a condition which prevents the proper absorption of nutrients from foods through the small intestine. Sometimes malabsorption can be the cause behind diarrhoea. This may be related to infections or inflammation in the abdomen.

Some patients, who have undergone surgery or have stayed in the hospital for other medical conditions or have been on antibiotics for a long time, may experience diarrhoea.

Also, for some patients, especially those who are suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhoea may be followed by constipation.

Diarrhoea, in most cases, does not require serious medical attention. But if you are suffering from chronic diarrhoea and need a permanent source of treatment, going the herbal way will be the safest option. Ayurvedic treatment for dysentery and diarrhoea do not aim at the symptoms and instead addresses the root cause of the issue. For loose motion Ayurvedic treatment, trust only Naturoveda Health World.

Causes of Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea is often referred to as the “intestinal flu” or the “stomach flu” because most often it is caused by a virus. But that is not the only reasons behind the condition. The commonest causes behind acute diarrhoea are –

• An intolerance towards a type of food, for example, lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance may appear or increase with age as the enzymes that help in the digestion of lactose reduce considerably after childhood.
• Infection from a virus –Norwalk virus, cytomegalovirus and viral hepatitis etc. The rotavirus is the commonest cause of diarrhoea in infants.
• Infection from bacteria such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella, Clostridium difficile and Escherichia coli etc. This often is the case with traveller’s diarrhoea.
• Food allergy.
• Parasitic infection.
• Sometimes a patient may suffer from diarrhoea after taking a particular kind of medication like antibiotics, laxative drugs, antacids with magnesium, cancer drugs etc. This happens commonly with taking antibiotics as these drugs destroy both good and bad bacteria in the guts and create an imbalance in your intestines.

Less common causes of acute diarrhoea are –

• Alcohol abuse
• Overuse of laxatives
• Patients who have undergone stomach or gall bladder surgery may also suffer from diarrhoea right after the surgery.
• Running – some people suffer from ‘runner’s diarrhoea’
• Some people find it difficult to digest fructose which is a type of sugar found in fruits and honey
• In some people, artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol or mannitol – that are often found in beverages marked as “sugar free”, candies, chewing gums, sugar replacement products etc may cause diarrhoea

Sometimes, underlying medical conditions surface as frequent and severe diarrhoea. Conditions that may cause chronic diarrhoea are –

• Irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease –these are very common causes of chronic diarrhoea and can be termed as “functional” causes. This is because in case of these conditions, the internal organs may appear normal but they do not function properly. Inflammatory bowel disease includes medical conditions like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
• Diabetes
• Microscopic Colitis – this is a condition that often affects elderly individuals.
• Hyperthyroidism
• Some types of cancers, especially gut cancers, causes neoplastic diarrhoea
• Malabsorption
• Maldigestive diarrhoea is caused by impaired digestion.
• Endocrine diseases like hormonal malfunctions, carcinoid tumours, Addison’s disease etc

If you are constantly suffering from diarrhoea or lose motion, you should reach out for medical help. You might require the constant attention of a medical practitioner for your condition to get better. It is always a good to go the natural way about these things. Dysentery and diarrhoea natural treatment is close at hand with Naturoveda Health World. We provide the best Ayurvedic treatment for dysentery and diarrhoea.

When to Seek Medical Help?

Most cases of diarrhoea resolve over a couple of days, at most, with the help of over-the-counter medication, some dietary restrictions or home remedies. But if the symptoms persist or the patient starts showing signs of dehydration, immediate medical attention is required. When the following things are seen in the patient, the doctor should be contacted immediately –

• If the patient is suffering from diarrhoea for more than 3 days
• If the patient shows no signs of improvement within 24 hours of experiencing the first symptoms
• Severe pain in abdomen
• Severe rectal pain
• Fever of 102°F or more
• Blood, pus or mucus in stool
• Black tarry stool
• Persistent nausea or vomiting that even restricts the consumption of liquids
• Signs and symptoms of dehydration
• If you are suffering from diarrhoea right after returning from a trip or vacation
• If you are not getting proper sleep due to diarrhoea
• Patients who have cancer or recently undergone treatment for the same should immediately contact their doctor if they show signs and symptoms of diarrhoea

In Case of Infants –

Parents should get in touch with their paediatricians as soon as they see symptoms of diarrhoea in their children, because the onset of dehydration following diarrhoea takes place in merely 24 hours in case of infants. The doctor should be contacted immediately if –

• There has been more than 5 bouts of diarrhoea in 24 hours
• If the child has vomited more than twice in 24 hours
• If symptoms persist beyond a day
• If the child shows signs of dehydration

Diagnosis

The doctor will usually first ask the patient a number of questions about–

• When the diarrhoea had started or for how long it has persisted
• How frequently the patient is having to pass bowels
• If the person has nausea or vomiting
• If there is pus, mucus or blood in the stool
• Consistency of  the stool – if it is watery, oily or tarry
• The amount of stool the person is passing
• What current medication the patient is taking
• Medical history of patient
• If the patient has travelled recently
• Medical history of patient’s family
• If the patient has dehydration
• If the patient has fever
• If the patient has pain in the stomach area
• If the patient is allergic to some types of food
• If the patient had eaten anything unusual recently
• If the patient has undergone any surgery or medical procedure at a hospital in the recent past
• If the patient is having other complicated symptoms
• If the patients thinks that there has been weight loss

The doctor might check the blood pressure of the patient to see if it is low. He might also take a reading of the patient’s body temperature. Depending on all this and the answers provided by the patient, the doctor might suggest a few tests. These tests aim at determining the main cause behind diarrhoea, in case of that particular patient.

Tests may include –

• Fasting tests to see if the patient is intolerant or allergic to any type of food
• Imaging tests to check if there is any structural deformity with the intestines
• Stool culture to determine bacterial or parasitic infections or any other type of disease
• Complete blood count test to determine causes like inflammatory bowel disease, malnutrition or bleeding ulcerations
• Tests to check absorption of nutrients like calcium, vitamin B-12, folate. These tests can point at the cause of malabsorption. Plus, they will also determine iron status and thyroid function.
• Liver function test to check level of albumins
• Tests for erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein, the results of which may indicate irritable bowel disease.
• Antibody tests to detect celiac disease
• Colonoscopy
• Sigmoidoscopy

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How to Prevent Diarrhoea?

It is not really possible to prevent diarrhoea. However, infectious diarrhoea can be avoided in certain ways. To limit infections from bacteria or viruses through food and food-related activities, you can take the following precautions –

• Always wash your hand with soap and water, rubbing and lathering at least for 20 seconds, before eating and cooking food
• Always keep your kitchen and cooking utensils clean. Make sure they have been washed and rinsed of all kinds of food remains or soap residue. Make sure there are no insects like cockroaches or lizards in your kitchen which can contaminate food.
• Try to eat freshly prepared food only.
• Make sure that the food you eat is not undercooked or raw.
• While refrigerating left overs, make sure the food is kept in an air-tight and clean container.
• Re-heat the food properly before eating it.
• Keep your refrigerator, oven etc clean at all times.
• Avoid eating food from vendors who cook and sell it in the open.
• Water is majorly responsible. Often contaminated water leads to diarrhoea that can even be fatal. Make sure you drink clean water. Make sure the sewerage and waste-water lines of your locality are not contaminating your drinking water supply line in any way.
• Always avoid foods that have previously given you an upset stomach.

How to ensure that you are drinking safe water?

• The best way to make water safe for drinking is by boiling it vigorously for a few minutes and then allowing it to cool naturally.
• Good water purifiers and filters are available that effectively make it safe for consumption.
• You can also chemically disinfect water using iodine or chlorine. Consult a medical practitioner to know the best way to disinfect your drinking water safely.

How to Prevent Traveller’s Diarrhoea?

• If you are unsure of the hygiene standards of the place you are travelling to, you can ask your doctor for a course of antibiotics before the trip. This will give you better protection against infectious diarrhoea while travelling.
• To ensure you are consuming safe and clean water, always opt for packaged drinking water while travelling. Avoid tap water or ice cubes. Use packaged water even for brushing your teeth.
• Drink only packaged beverages.
• Always eat thoroughly and freshly cooked hot food while travelling.
• You can consume fresh fruits right after they have been washed with clean water and peeled.
• Never eat raw, uncooked meat, seafood, vegetables etc or unpasteurized dairy products.
• Packaged food is usually a safe option.
• Make sure you wash or sanitize your hands from time to time while travelling.

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Management and Diet

Once you have diarrhoea you have to be very careful about what you put inside your mouth. The food that you take is critical to a quick recovery and management of symptoms. Take the following measures to make sure nothing you use worsens your condition.

Drinking Enough Liquids

Constantly visiting the toilet leads to a lot of fluid loss from your body eventually causing dehydration. To avoid that drink plenty of water, take clear liquids in the form of electrolyte drinks, coconut water, soups, broths, decaffeinated weak tea and other beverages. Just ensure that these beverages don’t have added sugars, are non-alcoholic and do not contain caffeine. Every time you pass loose stool, make sure you drink a cup of liquid. This should be done in between meals and not with meals.

Take Semi-solid, Low-fibre or Soluble Fibre Foods

When your symptoms are at its worst, it is best to take only liquid food. As the conditions get better start eating semi-solid and low-fibre foods like lentil soups, khichdi, rice, chicken soups or vegetable soups etc. Foods those are rich in soluble fibre such as raw banana, oatmeal, and rice etc help in solidifying or thickening the stool.  Apples and toast are also believed to help thicken stool.

Foods that You Should Avoid

While you are suffering from diarrhoea there are certain foods that you should totally avoid, such as –

• Sugary foods, foods with artificial sweeteners etc. Also avoid consuming fructose, or sugars found in fruits and honey, in high amounts.
• Fried food
• Spicy food
• Creamy food
• Milk and dairy products
• Alcohol
• Caffeinated drinks
• Oily food or food with a lot of fat content
• High-fibre food
• Certain kinds of medication aggravate diarrhoea. Talk to a medical practitioner to know more.
• Citrus fruits
• Corn
• Raw vegetables
• Onions
• Other fruits that should be avoided are pineapple, cherries, figs, prunes, currants and grapes
• Soda and carbonated drinks

As diarrhoea leads to frequent visits to the toilet in order to pass bowels, it can lead to discomforts like a sore rectal area accompanied by itching, burning and even pain when you pass stool. For relief, give the area a warm bath and then gently pat dry with a soft towel. Ask your doctor if you can use herbal gels, creams or even petroleum jelly to soothe the area.

Go for herbal diarrhoea home remedies while treating acute diarrhoea. On the other hand, if your diarrhoea is chronic, you would require a more professional approach. It is best to go for natural and Ayurvedic options for this! At Naturoveda Health World, we target the root cause of the issue and provide the best Ayurvedic medicine for loose motion.