DIARRHEA What is it, what are the symptoms,
natural remedies…and a healing diet? There are simply a few health concerns we all have; diarrhea is one of these unfortunate human maladies. A frequent urge to visit the bathroom, and when you do, loose watery stools in your bowel movements, is something we have all experienced. Usually most of us experience maybe a day or two of diarrhea and while uncomfortable, we either ‘ride it out’ or grab an over-the-counter medicine to help. But in some cases, when diarrhea lasts for more then 3 days, there might be something seriously wrong and further medical attention is needed.
What is diarrhea and why do we get it?
Your causes of diarrhea can be a whole host of culprits. Bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection, reaction to certain medicines, an inflamed bowel, unbalanced colon environment, even food allergies and intolerances can lead to frequent and too loose bowel movements.
Chronic diarrhea is usually related to a problem in your digestive system, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or colitis and there are even cases where diarrhea will occur after stomach surgery or gallbladder removal.
Diarrhea symptoms
While you and I have all experienced diarrhea from time to time (and most of us would say, one time is too many!) beyond that unfortunate uncomfortable urge to go to the bathroom too frequently, you might have some other symptoms if you are suffering from a bout of diarrhea:
- You may experience frequent cramping
- Abdominal pain that you can’t ignore
- You experience agonizing bloating
- Nausea that makes swallowing water difficult
The dangers of dehydration from diarrhea
Besides the discomfort and the annoyance of running to the bathroom so much, prolonged diarrhea can cause dehydration. When your body has lost too much fluid you can loose electrolytes (the salts and minerals that affect the amount of water in your body, muscle activity, heart rhythm and other functions).
I recommend you be aware of these possible signs of dehydration: - You thirst may be insatiable
- If your urinating less frequently
- You may notice darkly-colored urine
- Fatigue that makes you unable to focus
- You may have light-headedness or dizziness
If your diarrhea persists for longer then three days I do recommend you come in to see me or some other health care practitioner to address the problem. In children and older adults dehydration can be a serious health concern, not to be ignored.
Diarrhea natural remedies, treatments and diet
Unfortunately, I can’t really suggest much more of a treatment or natural remedy for diarrhea other then…time. The reason is because diarrhea should be taken seriously and a recommendation from me may help you, but could possibly make you worse. For example a common misconception of a natural remedy or treatment is that toasted white bread may help your diarrhea. This can possibly be true in an acute attack, but if you have chronic diarrhea this can make your situation worse. I recommend though that during the couple of days you might be experiencing this discomfort that you be sure and replace those precious lost fluids. I also recommend that you try to avoid caffeine, greasy foods, and anything unusually sweet. If your diarrhea condition exists beyond a few days or you seem to be experiencing other digestive disorders, please call me for a free consultation 201.618.3534. Robert Galarowicz, ND
Naturopathic Doctor, Clinical Nutritionist AIM Center - Alternative Integrative Medical Center
1 Sears Dr. Fl#4
Paramus, New Jersey 07652
The AIM Center office is located in Bergen County, NJ near rockland county, ny, a short distance from blauvelt, nyack, spring valley, oceanburg, piermont, nanuet, bardonia, and valley cottage, new city, ny, ho ho kus, n.j. westwood, woodcliff lake, n.j. closter, n.j. park ridge, n.j. montvale, n.j. saddle river, n.j. upper saddle river, n.j. old tappan, nj. ramsey, n.j. allendale, n.j. pearl river, n.y. piermont, n.j. blauvelt, n.y. mahwah, n.j., n.y. alpine, n.j. west nyack, n.y. westwood, n.j. white plains, ny. harrington park, n.y. tarrytown, n.y. mount vernon, n.y. and hastings on the hudson, n.y. |
