Each of us at least once in a lifetime has encountered such a rather unpleasant phenomenon as loose stools or, as it is also called, diarrhea. Therefore, it is not surprising that most people are interested in how adult diarrhea is treated. What will be discussed in detail in this article.
What is diarrhea?
By diarrhea or diarrhea is meant the symptomatology that characterizes one of the varieties of indigestion. The very designation of diarrhea in scientific terminology denotes the state of the human body, in which the process of intestinal devastation is accompanied by loose stools, manifested several times a day (3 or more). In addition, in their clinic, they distinguish between manifestations of acute (less than 14 days) and chronic forms (over 15 days).
Causes
As practice shows, treatment of diarrhea in adults should begin with the establishment of the cause, which helps to eliminate its manifestations in the shortest possible time.
Various viruses and bacteria are among the most common causes of diarrhea. In addition, the occurrence of such a phenomenon can be triggered by: nonspecific colitis, chronic pancreatitis, the frequent use of a variety of laxatives, Crohn's disease, a consequence of previous surgical treatment of the intestine. Also, various allergic reactions, zinc deficiency, uremia, and a disorder of the autonomic nervous system should not be ruled out.
Important! Severe diarrhea can not always occur as a result of a malfunction of the digestive system, but may be a symptom of another disease that in no way relates to it.
How does the digestive process normally go?
Normally, food that enters the digestive system is digested by special enzymes, which break it down into useful components: amino acids, fats ... In addition, it is no secret to anyone that various processes of food assimilation in the body take place in various intestines, followed by their breakdown and absorption. That is why any violation of the usual pattern and leads to an upset digestive system, which most often manifests itself in the form of diarrhea. An example is osmotic diarrhea, which develops after a certain amount of substances that do not enter the bloodstream accumulate in the colon, thereby causing a large amount of moisture to accumulate in the feces. Accordingly, this leads to the onset of diarrhea.
Diagnostics
As a rule, treatment of diarrhea in adults begins with diagnostic measures, which begin with a medical history, with which the doctor must find out when and after which the disorder appeared, whether other symptoms are present (high fever, pain, rash). After an approximate picture of the disease is established, laboratory tests are prescribed, during which it may be necessary to donate blood, feces for bacteriological analysis and culture on culture media. In addition, to clarify certain nuances, it may be necessary to conduct a sigmoidoscopy - an examination of the sigmoid colon using a special fiber-optic medical instrument. The goal of these tests is to determine the source of the disease and, if possible, prescribe treatment for diarrhea in adults at home.
Symptomatology
The main manifestations of diarrhea include:
- Pain and bloating.
- Liquid feces, having a light color.
- Darkening of urine.
- Poor appetite.
- Great thirst.
- Vomiting.
- Fatigue and dry skin.
This condition, as a rule, lasts about 7-14 days. But special alertness should be caused by: a sharp increase in temperature, severe pain in the abdomen and the presence of blood and mucus in the feces, since such symptoms indicate the possibility of a serious illness.
But, as practice shows, the onset of diarrhea is always characterized by an instant breakdown and very frequent stools in the early days.
Infectious Diarrhea
As a rule, various microorganisms serve as the cause of its occurrence, which disrupt the digestive tract through their activities. These microorganisms can be harmful, both by creating dangerous environments that paralyze the entire intestinal working process, and by penetrating its mucosa.
It should be borne in mind that diarrhea caused by such microorganisms can last a fairly long period of time and, in the absence of adequate treatment, can even become a serious threat to human health.
To date, there are several types of diarrhea of infectious origin:
- Watery diarrhea. This type is characteristic mainly of microorganisms that secrete a toxin.
- With bloody secretions. Most often, this type is manifested in dysentery, salmonellosis. The cause of its occurrence is bacteria that penetrate the mucous membrane and subsequently cause serious harm to it.
One of the main symptoms of the infectious nature of diarrhea is its acute course.
Viral
Viral diarrhea is characterized by concomitant fever and dyspeptic disorders. Its diagnosis consists of electron microscopy or the use of special immunological tests. The course of the active phase of the disease on average does not exceed 3-6 days. As a rule, the prognosis of treatment is rather favorable.
Treatment
As a rule, when this disease occurs, you need to take medications for diarrhea, but it is worthwhile to understand that, like with any other diseases, self-medication is fraught with aggravation of the problem. That is why it is necessary to take only what the doctor prescribed. In addition, medications containing vegetable oil and having an astringent effect are often used as supplements. An example is herbal remedies.
Also, in this condition, preparations for diarrhea containing the active ingredient - loperamide are most often prescribed. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that this substance has an inhibitory effect on intestinal motility, which subsequently leads to a delay in the movement of feces. But here it should be borne in mind that diarrhea is also in itself a natural protective reaction of the body, in which there is a disposal of a huge amount of dangerous substances accumulated in the intestines. Therefore, with a strong slowdown of this process, there is a high probability of harming oneself.
Important! With the infectious nature of the disease, a doctor may prescribe an antibiotic. For diarrhea, specific drugs are recommended, which showed the greatest sensitivity to bacteria identified after bacterial inoculation on culture media.
Folk remedies
In addition to the traditional treatment of diarrhea, its treatment is also effective with the help of folk remedies. Therefore, we further consider the most popular of them.
We get oak bark. Pour into a glass 1 tbsp. spoon and pour boiling water over it. After that, we insist it for one hour and take 1-2 teaspoons in one day. Remember that the time should be distributed so that the interval between receptions does not exceed several hours (3-4). As practice shows, the effect of it is almost instantaneous. But if the symptoms of diarrhea do not stop within the next 2 days, then it is advisable to think about other methods of treatment.
Important! Treatment of diarrhea in adults at home must be accompanied by the intake of activated charcoal, which is taken as a whole plate and washed down with boiled water.
In addition, when choosing an effective folk remedy for diarrhea, special attention should be paid to dry pomegranate peels. Make them easy enough at home. To do this, rinse the pomegranate, peel it and remove the white flesh, since it does not contain useful substances. After that, all that remains is to dry the crusts and take decoctions of them throughout the day until all symptoms disappear completely.
Prevention
In order to never think about what is the most effective treatment for diarrhea in adults, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:
- Limit or eliminate the use of laxatives.
- Organize your diet.
- Do not overeat.
- Drink only boiled or filtered water.
- Eliminate stressful situations.
- Do not abuse antibiotics.
- Include as many fruits and vegetables as possible in your diet.
- If there is the slightest doubt about the quality of the product, get rid of it immediately.
- Store your products properly.
Remember that treatment should be effective and short-term, you should immediately consult a doctor with the first symptoms of diarrhea.