What to do if you have severe diarrhea

Diarrhea is the most common digestive system disease with a high incidence rate. It is normal to have diarrhea occasionally in daily life, but if the diarrhea is very severe and frequent, it may directly or indirectly affect people's lives and work. So what should we do if the diarrhea is severe? It can be controlled by taking medicine, and the most important thing is to drink plenty of water.

Drink plenty of water - Diarrhea patients suffer from severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance due to large amounts of bowel movements, so they must replenish a lot of water. Rehydration salts containing sodium chloride, potassium chloride, glucose and sodium citrate are ideal choices because they can replenish glucose and minerals lost in the body, and regulate potassium, sodium electrolytes, water and acid-base balance; carrot juice, apple juice, watermelon juice, etc. can not only replenish water, but also replenish essential vitamins, and are also good supplements. They are all good ways to prevent dehydration and collapse from diarrhea.

Do not rush to take medicine - unless the diarrhea is caused by a viral or bacterial infection, or severe diarrhea causes complications, common diarrhea does not require medication and its symptoms generally do not exceed 48 hours. Therefore, do not use medication to stop diarrhea for at least two days, because diarrhea is the body's way of eliminating toxins. When patients have acute diarrhea, the use of antidiarrheals is discouraged unless there is another urgent need to control the condition. Otherwise, letting it drain out may be beneficial and speed up recovery.

Check your medications – Diarrhea can sometimes be related to medications you take, such as antacids for heartburn. Antacids are the drugs most commonly associated with diarrhea. To avoid diarrhea associated with heartburn, antacids containing only aluminum hydroxide are recommended. In addition to antacids, antibiotics, quinidine, colchicine (anti-gout drugs) and other drugs may also cause diarrhea. If you suspect these or other medicines are causing your diarrhea, talk with your doctor.

Let nature take its course - Many people like to use pectin, acidophilus, carob powder, barley, bananas, yogurt and all kinds of exotic foods to treat diarrhea. These things can restrain the intestines and slow down their peristalsis. But in fact, this only prolongs the time that the source of the problem stays in the body. What you really need is to excrete the substance that causes diarrhea. The best way is still to let it be excreted naturally.

Stay away from the kitchen - you should not cook for your family when you have diarrhea until the symptoms disappear.

Drinking 3 bowls of rice soup every day is beneficial for treating diarrhea. Add half a cup of brown rice to 3 cups of water and cook for 45 minutes. After filtering, drink 3 bowls a day. At the same time, eating rice can help form stool and provide vitamin B.

Take charcoal tablets - Take 4 charcoal tablets with water every hour until your condition improves. Use at night. Do not use with other vitamins or medicines.

Eat a light diet - During diarrhea, you should consume light liquid foods, such as chicken soup or other clear liquids. Because during diarrhea, your intestines need to rest. Once you are sure that the chicken soup is fine, you can gradually add easily digestible foods such as rice, yogurt (containing beneficial bacteria), lettuce, etc. to your diet when your symptoms improve.

Avoid the following foods - When you have diarrhea, the most important foods to avoid include beans, cabbage, etc. Other foods that are high in poorly absorbed carbohydrates can also make diarrhea worse. These foods include fats, wheat and gluten-containing foods such as bread, noodles and other flour products, apples, pears, plums, corn, oats, potatoes, etc. Avoid carbonated drinks; the gas they contain may make your diarrhea worse.