Frequent passing of stools, generally with loose or watery discharge, is known as diarrhea. Let's discuss the various symptoms and causes, and how to stop diarrhea using OTC medications and home remedies.
Diarrhea is something that happens to everyone at some point or the other. It is characterized by inconsistent stools, rectal urgency, and bowel movements immediately after eating a meal. People who are suffering from this condition might pass stools more than three times a day.
Stools that are liquid or watery are considered to be a sign of diarrhea. This ailment can be of two types - acute and chronic. Acute diarrhea is usually cured by normal medication while it is a bit harder to recover from chronic diarrhea. Let's take a look at the symptoms and causes before getting to know how to stop diarrhea.
Symptoms
The symptoms of diarrhea are:
Abdominal cramps
Bloating in stomach
Abdominal pain
Blood in urine
Sharp pain while passing stools
Nausea
Fever
Causes
There are many causes of diarrhea and some of them are as follows.
Irritable bowel syndrome
Food poisoning
Anxiety and stress
Side effects of some medications like antibiotics
Gastroenteritis
Excessive consumption of fatty foods
Some other underlying causes are gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance, some form of food allergy, and deficiencies of minerals, enzymes, and vitamins.
Diarrhea Remedies
Treatment for diarrhea includes increasing the intake of fluids, particularly electrolytes to avoid dehydration. Patients can try over the counter medications like pepto-bismol, imodium, and kaopectate. Following a BRAT diet might help in reducing the symptoms. A BRAT diet consists of bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.
Bananas and applesauce contains a substance called pectin which helps to stop diarrhea. The best way is to consult your doctor, who might prescribe antibiotics. Antibiotics are only effective when diarrhea is caused by bacteria like E coli. Avoid eating food that causes bloating and are hard to digest like cabbage, broccoli, beans, and cauliflower.
Home Remedies
You can also try some home remedies for stopping diarrhea.
Drinking chamomile tea can soothe mild diarrhea as it has antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Make a mixture of 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of cold water. Have this drink three times a day. The vinegar helps in cleansing the digestive tract.
Add 2 tablespoons of black pepper and 1 tablespoon of kelp to a cup of lukewarm water. Drink this mixture three times a day to reduce the symptoms.
Mix 5 tablespoons of honey in a glass of water and sip this water throughout the day.
Add a pinch of nutmeg powder to a glass of lime juice. This is a very good remedy to stop diarrhea.
Drinking carrot juice in another great option.
Ginger tea is also known to cure diarrhea.
Another home remedy is eating brown rice. The high dietary fiber content of rice helps in reducing the frequency of bowel movement.
In addition to brown rice, consuming whole wheat toast also provides relief from the symptoms like vomiting and nausea.
Diet
You need to make some dietary changes when you are suffering from diarrhea. Avoid eating refined food and food that contains too many spices. Have only clear soups seasoned with only salt and pepper. Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated and to avoid losing important nutrients.
Avoid consuming alcohol, carbonated and caffeinated drinks, as they aggravate the condition. Certain foods like milk and dairy products, spicy food, processed food, sweets, fatty fried foods, pear juice, and cherry juice should be strictly avoided.
If you experience severe abdominal pain and blood in your stools for more than three consecutive days then you should consult a doctor immediately.
Disclaimer: This is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.