DIARRHOEA

Diarrhoea is not a disease in itself. It is a disorder that may arise from many different causes. The most important cause of diarrhea is the contaminated food. One or two loose watery stools may not be significant. Large, loose stools may drain much of the essential water from the body. Such fluids must be replaced as soon as possible. Diarrhea in babies and small children can be dangerous. Infants are easily dehydrated, and they are not able to tell how they feel

Diarrhea is often seen in people who take excessive amounts of laxatives. Some people are allergic to certain substances or common foods. Some people have frequent loose stools for years without any other evidence of disease. Some people develop diarrhea when under severe emotional strain. Excess alcohol consumption; laxatives; caffeine are also known to cause diarrhea. Some medicines can cause diarrhea, such as antibiotics (tetracycline, clyndamycin, penicillin). Blood or mucus in the stool is a sign of infection or parasites.

Diarrhea is a means to excrete bacteria or viruses that might have ingested by eating bad food. Therefore, it is not good idea to stop diarrhea too quickly. However, diarrhea does not work sometimes and if goes on for several days, dehydration and loss of important nutrients may occur which can be dangerous especially in children.
Diarrhea is characterized by frequent, watery stools, often accompanied by stomach cramps, abdominal pain and gas. Diarrhea may be of various colors and contain mucous, blood or pus.

Symptoms of Diarrhoea

Cramps Dehydration Wind and distention in the abdomen Weakness Mild fever

Water is either not absorbed or is excreted in excess
Diarrhoea may be acute or chronic. Commonly known as 'loose motions', it is one of the commonest diseases, particularly in India, in children. The small intestine normally gets more than ten litres of liquid per day which comes from the diet and from secretions of the stomach, liver, pancreas, and intestines. In the case of diarrhoea, water is either not absorbed or is excreted in excess. It is then sent to the colon whose water-holding capacity is limited. Thus the urge to defecate comes quite often.

Causes of Diarrhoea
Overeating or eating of wrong foods
The main causes of diarrhoea are overeating or eating of wrong foods, putrefaction of food in the intestinal tract, fermentation caused by incomplete carbohydrate digestion, nervous irritability, use of antibiotic drugs, and excessive intake of laxatives.

Parasites, germs, virus, bacteria, emotional stress
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; emotional strain or stress in adults and fright in children.

Organic diseases affecting the intestines
Certain organic diseases affecting the intestines may also lead to diarrhoea.

HOME REMEDIES FOR DIARRHEA

Increasing fluid intake is the first thing to be done to fight against the diarrhea. Fluids that contain salt and small amounts of sugar are particularly beneficial, as they help the body replace glucose and minerals lost during diarrhea. A good "rehydration fluid" can be easily made by adding 1 teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt to 1 quart of water.

Foods containing large amounts of poorly absorbed carbohydrates can aggravate diarrhea. Therefore foods such as bread, pasta, and other wheat products; apples, pears, peaches, and prunes; corn, oats, potatoes, and processed bran should be avoided. Dairy products should also be avoided during a bout of diarrhea

Black berry tea is good for mild diarrhea.

Ginger tea can give relief to cramps and pain. This is very effective home remedy for diarrhea.

Do not drink apple juice this will make diarrhea worse.

Boil brown rice and water for 45 minutes eat the rice (it contains Vitamin B) and drink the water.

Cook ½ cup of rice with 4 cups of water with ½ teaspoon of ginger paste and salt. Add ½ cup of pomegranate juice when the gruel is warm. This gruel rehydrates body and supply energy. This soothes inflamed walls of intestine and controls bowel movements. This is also very effective home remedy for diarrhea.

Drink 3-4 times half a cup of water with a few drops of Pudin Hara

Drink a mixture of 1 tsp mint juice, 1/2 tsp ginger juice, and 1 tsp honey.

Make a paste of a lemon along with seeds. Add some salt. Take 1 tsp of this paste 2-3 times.
Add 1/2 tsp of dry ginger (saunth powder in 1 cup buttermilk ( chhachh). Drink it 3 - 4 times a day.

For diarrhea treatment chew a few pieces of the inner lining of pomegranate with salt, and/or drink pomegranate juice.

Prepare a mixture by adding 1 Tbsp poppy seeds, 1 tsp edible gum, 1 tsp cardamom powder, 1/2 tsp nutmeg ( jaiphal) powder, and2 tbs sugar, and grind to a powder. Take this powder every 2 hours.

Prepare a solution by adding 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp ginger juice, and 1/4 tsp pepper powder and drink it.

Prepare a mixture of 5-6 chopped basil (tulsi) leaves, 1/4 tsp sea salt, some black pepper in 3 Tbsp of curd, and eat it. Repeat this 4 times a day for one week for complete reconditioning of stomach.

Roast 1/2 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds and 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (dana methi). Mix and powder it, add to 4 tsp of yogurt (curd). Take thrice a day.

Grate one raw papaya. Add 3 cups water, boil for 10 mins, strain and finish the water in one day.

Stew 1 apple with 2 pinches of nutmeg powder and 1 tsp sugar. Give your child to eat it.

Grapefruit seed extract is an excellent remedy for traveler's diarrhea.

Ripe bananas are recommended. Bananas are especially good as they are easily digested and have pectin and important nutrients such as potassium and magnesium.

For diarrhea treatment add fiber to diet to absorb excess fluid in the intestines and help make firmer bowels.

Try to manage the stress and anxiety that is causing your diarrhea. Yoga, meditation, hypnotism, biofeedback and other tension releasing techniques may be useful.

Take 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water with each meal and at mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and at bedtime.

Take bee pollen several times a day. It contains nearly all the minerals and trace elements needed in the diet.

Boil water and cool. Add 3 teaspoons of black pepper and 11/2 teaspoon of kelp to 2 cups of water. Repeat as often as necessary.

Boil carrots, and make a puree. Take 1 teaspoon every 15 minutes.

Prepare a mixture by adding 4 tablespoons of honey with 8 ounces of water. This is a good remedy for bacteria-caused diarrhea.

For diarrhea treatment make a solution by adding 1/2 cup of orange juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/6 teaspoon salt, 11/3 cups of water. Give a child 1/2 oz. of this mixture every 2 hours.

Potato soup is also very good remedy for diarrhea; eat several bowls during the day.

Make a tea from the leaves of a pumpkin, squash or gourd. Boil two quarts of water; snip several double-handfuls of leaves into the water; cover and remove from heat; steep for 35 minutes; drink a cup every couple of hours.

In a food blender mix a handful of chopped red radishes, 1 cup of cold milk, and 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch. Drink slowly. This remedy should stop the diarrhea within an hour. Repeat again in 4 hours, if needed.

Amaranth seeds and leaves are useful in stopping diarrhea. Make a tea by bringing three cups of water to a boil, adding two teaspoons of seeds, cover and simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon of leaves (if available) or just let it steep for 30 minutes. Drink two cups daily.

Make a paste of sesame seeds (1 teaspoon) and add a few tablespoons of goat's milk. It is also beneficial.

The leaves and fruit of blueberries and bilberries will help to naturally stop diarrhea.

During the course of diarrhea, babies should eat carrots, rice cereal, bananas, potatoes, and applesauce to help firm the stools. Fruit juices, peas, pears, peaches, plums, prunes and apricots should be avoided until the stools are back to normal.

Adults and older children can also eat cheese, crackers, bread, rice and potatoes. During diarrhea outbreaks, it's best to avoid most dairy products, which tend to make diarrhea worse. This includes milk, butter, creams, and eggs.

Yogurt is the exception; it will help to stop diarrhea.

Dietary Remedies

Milk It
A West Indian remedy for diarrhea is a pinch of allspice in a cup of warm water or milk. A pennsylvania Dutch remedy is 2 pinches of cinnamon in a cup of warm milk. A Brazilian remedy calls for 2 pinches of cinnamon and 1 pinch of powdered cloves in a cup of warm milk.
We may as well "milk" this for all it's worth with a Welsh remedy that requires a cup of boiled milk and a red hot fireplace poker.

Carefully place the red-hot poker into the cup of milk. Keep it there for 30 seconds.The poker supposedly charges the milk with iron , which is a homeopathic treatment of diarrhea. Drink the iron-charged milk slowly-it may be hot!

The combination of cinnamon and cayenne pepper is known to be very effective in tightening the bowels quickly. In fact, it probably takes longer to prepare the tea than for it to work.

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, then add ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. As soon as it's cool enough to drink, have ¼ cup every half hour.

Add 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger to 1 cup of just-boiled water. To control diarrhea, drink 3 cups of the mixture throughout the day.
Grate an onion and squeeze it through cheesecloth so you get 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) of onion juice. Take the onion juice every hour, along with 1 cup of peppermint tea.

Suited to a Tea
Raspberry-leaf tea is a popular folk remedy for children and adults. Combine 1 ounce of dried raspberry leaves with 2 cups of water (a piece of cinnamon stick is optional), and simmer in an enamel or glass saucepan for 25 minutes. Strain, cool and drink throughout the day.

Hippocratic Oats
According to Hippocrates, the Greek physician and father of medicine, everyone should drink barley water daily to maintain good health. One of the benefits is its effectiveness in treating diarrhea.

Boil 2 ounces of pearled barley in 6 cups of water until there's about half the water-3 cups-left in the pot. Strain. If necessary, add honey and lemon to taste. Not only should you drink the barley water throughout the day, you should also eat the barley.

Berry Good Berries
Since biblical times, the common blackberry plant has been used to cure diarrhea and dysentery. And so the berry remedy, in one form or another, has been passed down through the generations. Don't be surprised if your neighborhood bartender recommends some blackberry brandy.

Dose: Drink 1 shot glass (2 tablespoons) every four hours.
Blackberry juice or wine will also do fine.

Dose: Take 6 ounces blackberry juice every four hours-or 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) blackberry wine every four hours.

The Big Apple
Scrape a peeled apple with a (preferably nonmetal) spoon and eat the scrapings. In fact, eat no other food but grated apple until the condition greatly subsides.
Boil ½ cup of white rice in 6 cups of water for a half hour. Strain and save the water, then sweeten with honey to taste.

Dose: Drink 1 cup of the rice water every other hour. Do not drink other liquids until the condition disappears.
Eating cooked rice with a dash of cinnamon is also helpful in controlling the problem.

An A-peeling Remedy
Bananas may help promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine and replace some of the lost potassium.

Dose: Three times a day, eat one ripe banana that has been soaked in milk.

Add 1 teaspoon of garlic (finely chopped) to 1 teaspoon of honey and swallow it down three times a day-two hours after each meal.
Certain drinks are effective in treating diarrhea and help replenish the systems supply of friendly intestinal bacteria. Have 1 to 2 glasses of buttermilk or sauerkraut juice or kefir (found in health food stores).

Or eat a portion or two of yogurt with active cultures, along with pickled beets, pickled cucumbers or raw sauerkraut.

Press for Success
The navel is an acupressure point for treating diarrhea. Using your thumb or the heel of your hand, press in and massage the area in a circular motion for about two minutes.

Chronic Diarrhea
This remedy goes to prove that you can't argue with success. A woman wrote to tell us that eating Archway coconut macaroons-two a day-put an end to her 12-year bout with diarrhea. She suffers from Crohn's disease, which is a chronic inflammation of the intestinal wall. Chronic diarrhea is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of this condition. The woman asked that we include her remedy, hoping it will help others with this problem.

Upon further investigation, we found that joe Graedon, MS, pharmacologist, adjunct assistant professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, also reported on these cookies and the success many people had with them. One woman couldn't find the Archway cookies, so she made her own coconut macaroons and they; too, worked like magic. While they don't work for everyone, they may be worth a try.

NOTE: Take into consideration your dietary needs before trying the coconut macaroon remedy. The cookies are high in fat and contain sweeteners.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.