Diarrhoea refers to the frequent passage of loose or watery unformed stools. As a rough guide it
can be said that three or four loose or watery stools a day can be considered as
diarrhoea. The
disease may be acute or chronic. Commonly known as "loose motion", it is perhaps the most
common disease in India.
The intestine normally gets more than 10 litres of liquid per day which comes from the diet and
from secretion of the stomach, liver,
pancreas and intestines. In the case of
diarrhoea, water is
either not absorbed or is secreted in excess by the organs of the body. It is then sent to the
colon where water- holding capacity is limited. Thus the urge to defecate comes quite often.
Causes
There are many and varied causes of
diarrhoea. The chief causes are overeating or eating of
wrong foods, putrefaction in intestinal tract, fermentation caused by incomplete carbohydrate
digestion, nervous irritability, use of
antibiotic drugs and excessive intake of laxatives. Other
causes include parasites , germs,
virus, bacteria or a poison which has entered into the body
through food, water or air ;
allergies to certain substances or even common foods such as milk,
wheat, eggs and sea foods and emotional strain or
stress in adults and fright in children.
Diarrhoea may be a prominent feature of organic disease affecting the small or large intestine
such as the sprue
syndrome, malignant disease and ulcerative
colitis. It may also result from
operations on the gastro-intestinal tract.
Diarrhoea may alternate with
constipation. This may
result from the irritation of the
mucous membrane by impacted hard faeces.
Diarrhoea for prolonged periods can lead to certain complications. These may include
weakening, due to loss of vitamins like A, D, E and K and other nutrients as food is
i. rushed through the body without giving the nutrients a chance of being absorbed.
dehydration, due to loss of
body fluids and washing out of minerals from the body and
ii. nervous conditions.
Treatment
In severe cases of
diarrhoea, it is advisable to observe a complete fast for two days to provide
rest for the gastro-intestinal tract. Hot water only may be taken during the period to compensate
for the loss of fluids. Juices of fruits may be taken after the acute
symptoms are over. After the
condition improves, meals can be enlarged gradually to include cooked vegetables, whole rice,
spoured milks. Raw foods should be taken only after the patient completely recovers.
An effective remedy for
diarrhoea is the use of buttermilk. It is the residual milk left after the fat
has been removed from yogurt by churning. It helps overcome harmful intestinal flora and
re-establish the benign or friendly flora. The acid in the buttermilk also fights germs and bacteria.
It may be taken and mixed with a pinch of salt three or four times a day controlling
diarrhoea.
Carrot soup is another effective home remedy for
diarrhoea. It supplies water to combat
dehydration, replenishes sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur and magnesium,
supplies pectin and coats the intestine to allay inflammation. It checks the growth of harmful
intestinal bacteria and prevents vomiting. One pound of carrot may be cooked in five ounces of
water until it is soft. The pulp should be strained and boiled water added to make a quart.
Three-quarter tablespoon of salt may be mixed. This soup should be given in small amounts to
the patient every half an hour.
The pomegranate has proved beneficial in the treatment of
diarrhoea on account of its astringent
properties. If the patient develops weakness due to profuse and continuous purging, he should
be given repeatedly about 50 ml. of pomegranate juice to drink. This will
control the
diarrhoea.
Mango seeds are also valuable in
diarrhoea. The seeds should be collected during the mango
season, dried in the shade and powdered and kept stored for use as medicine when required. It
should be given in doses of about one and a half gram to two grams with or without honey.
Turmeric has proved another effective home remedy for
diarrhoea. It is a very useful intestinal
antiseptic. It is also a gastric stimulant and a tonic. Turmeric rhizome, its juice or dry powder are
all very helpful in curing chronic
diarrhea. In the form of dry powder, it may be taken in buttermilk
or plain water.
In case of
diarrhoea caused by
indigestion, dry or fresh ginger is very useful. A piece of dry
ginger is powdered along with a crystal or rock salt. A quarter teaspoonful of this powder should
be taken with a small piece of jugglery. It will bring quick relief as ginger, being carminative,
aids
digestion by stimulating the
gastrointestinal tract.
Starchy liquids such as arrowroot water , barley water, rice gruel and coconut water are highly
beneficial in the treatment of
diarrhoea. They not only replace the fluid lost but also bind the
stools. Other home remedies include bananas and garlic. Bananas contain pectin and
encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria. Garlic is a powerful, effective and harmless
antibiotic. It
aids digestion and routs parasites.
The best water treatment for
diarrhoea are the abdominal compress ( at 60 o F) renewed every15 to 20 minutes and cold hip bath ( 40 o - 50 o F). If the patient is in pain, abdominal
fomentations for 15 minutes should be administered every two hours.