Usually diarrhea goes away on its own. But if you regularly or often have diarrhea, it can cause tension and insecurity in yourself, especially in company. Or you just start having trouble on the day of that fun party you’ve been looking forward to for ages… In addition to the inconveniences, the energy is also hard to find. But what is diarrhea or what could be a possible cause?
Diarrhea is a watery stool where you lose a lot of fluid. For example, you also lose a lot of fluid when you vomit, have a fever and when the weather is hot. If you lose a lot of fluids and drink too little, you can become dehydrated. This in turn can lead to problems such as: not or little urination (dark urine), thirst, a dry mouth, lack of energy, fainting, becoming confused, faster breathing or a faster heartbeat and cold arms and legs. The biggest problem, of course, is that your body barely absorbs nutrients when you have diarrhea, which quickly weakens you, which can explain many of these complaints.
If you often have diarrhea or chronic diarrhea, there are more serious problems and there is often another cause. Such as taking medications (for example, antibiotics or antidepressants), overuse of artificially sweetened drinks, irritable bowel, or much worse, an inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. The diarrhea is not contagious in these autoimmune diseases.
Food poisoning, irritable bowel syndrome and food intolerances are all three possible causes. But the most common diarrhea is usually due to an intestinal infection with a virus . An intestinal infection can be caused by a shortage of good bacteria in your intestinal floraor by invaders like parasites. You can come into contact with this when you are traveling, for example, and something creeps into your body via, for example, a scrape. Usually it is a virus that is transmitted through poor hygiene. If you don’t wash your hands well enough after going to the bathroom or before preparing your food. Or if you eat meat that is not cooked properly. The viruses, bacteria or parasites usually enter the intestines through the mouth and cause inflammation of the intestinal wall. The result of this may be that the intestinal wall absorbs less moisture. Because the fluid remains in the intestine, the stool becomes thinner and thinner. Someone with an intestinal infection can transmit the pathogens to another person through the stool. And that is mainly through the toilet and through unwashed hands.Viruses can also be transmitted through saliva, for example when using other people’s unwashed cutlery. Contaminated water or food can also contain bacteria that cause an intestinal infection.
Be the first to make sure you don’t infect other people! Clean your house, clothes and towels well. Drink plenty of water and eat a healthy and varied diet. It is important that you drink extra if you have diarrhea. Think of at least two liters of water per day. The more diarrhea, the more you should drink to prevent dehydration. Preferably do not drink soft drinks or energy drinks. If, in addition to the diarrhea, you also vomit or have a fever, drinking water is extra important. Not eating at all or a special diet is not necessary for diarrhea and also not good for your body. Listen to your body, when the appetite comes back it usually goes the right way.
If the diarrhea lasts longer than seven days or keeps coming back, avoid sweet drinks such as milk or apple juice for a while. Sometimes the intestines are temporarily less able to tolerate this sweet drink after an infection. Diarrhea usually goes away after four to eight days. When you are completely fit again, try to prevent another infection by implementing all these points in your lifestyle. Prevention is always better than cure.
Long-term, frequent or chronic diarrhea? Do you not urinate for a day, do you gradually become more and more confused, does the diarrhea last longer than usual, do you have constant abdominal pain and the thirst persists? Then something is really wrong in your body and a visit to the doctor is necessary. He will offer you two types of medicine. ORS that works against dehydration or Loperamide. Loperamide is more of a coagulant that you get when you have an emergency appointment, so you can’t get the actual rest and recovery period you need. Also keep an eye on the effect of your other medicines if you suffer from diarrhea or vomiting, because they can also be absorbed less well in the case of diarrhea, just like food.
If you prefer a natural solution , a poo transplant is not such a bad idea. The pathogens have the upper hand in your intestines at the time of prolonged diarrhea. If they encounter resistance from the healthy intestinal flora of a healthy donor on an empty stomach, the battle may soon come to an end. In the future, a pill is expected that is made from your own healthy intestinal flora at a time when you are super comfortable in your own skin! If on a nice trip in Thailand, after a delicious meal at that cozy restaurant, you still have to run to the toilet, then you can simply take your own healthy intestinal flora pill so that your intestinal flora recovers.
