Diarrhea is a condition with very frequent defecation of weak density, almost entirely liquid or even watery. We can divide diarrhea into acute and chronic.
Most often it comes to acute diarrhea that occurs in previously completely healthy people, usually during the summer. Acute diarrhea generally occurs due to infection of the digestive organs, which occurs under the influence of a different bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. This type of diarrhea can often last from a few hours to several days.
When it comes to chronic diarrhea, this condition is more serious because it almost always indicates some other problem in the organism and appears as one of the symptoms. This may be a sign of some disorder of digestive organs, vascular bowel disease, malignant diseases of the digestive tract, metabolic disorder in the case of diabetes, hyperthyroidism, uremia and the like. In addition, chronic diarrhea can occur after various surgical procedures, or as a result of misuse laxative agents and antibiotics.
Causes of diarrhea
The causes of diarrhea may be different, including micro-organisms (viruses, bacteria and intestinal parasites) originating from contaminated food or from another person (directly or indirectly); excessive amount of “laxative” foods (such as fresh fruit, prunes and other dried fruit, or fruit juices, especially of pears, apples and grapes); food containing sorbitol or mannitol; intolerance or food allergies (usually milk) or a drug; an infection in the body (the common cold and so on); taking antibiotics; and it is possible outbreak of new teeth. Persistent diarrhea can be associated with excessive activity of the thyroid, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, deficiency of the enzyme (in particular of enzymes that digest sugars, such as lactose and sucrose), and other disorders. Sometimes diarrhea in children can be associated with constipation.
Treatment
In case of diarrhea caused by bacteria and viruses, you should pay certain attention to your nutrition, which should contain foods with less fiber. In addition to that, make sure to drink plenty of fluids. In particular, you should avoid dairy products, fat and sugar. While treating diarrhea, make sure to increase the intake of toast, crackers, boiled chicken, eggs, and clear soup, to avoid dehydration of the body.
Dark chocolate has long been known as a natural remedy against diarrhea. However, there is no need to exaggerate with this sweet cure, it is often enough to eat 2-3 small cubes of chocolate.
Grated apple is also helpful in these situations because it is rich in pectin. Pectin is a kind of vegetable gelatin, and the best source of pectin is sour apple. Before consumption, grated apples should stand for about 2 hours. Allowing them to sit, the apples might gain somewhat darker color and will not look pretty, but it does make a good cure.
As for herbal medicine to treat diarrhea, the most popular are blackberry leaf tea, tea leaf quince and rose hip tea.
If the diarrhea is caused by bacteria, which is a common occurrence during the summer months, a good solution is a ginger tea as it has antibacterial properties.
Finally to say that oil of wild oregano is one of the strongest natural resources with antiseptic, and can certainly be of great benefit for the treatment of diarrhea which is causing so-called “food poisoning”.
If none of the tips above work and diarrhea persists beyond 5-6 days, we advise you to seek a medical help.