How is Diarrhea Treated?
Despite diarrhoea (not diarrhea) being fairly common, it is more then treatable and even without treatment, more often than not it goes away by itself after a few days. Within adults it tends not to last more then a few days due to the fact that they have fully developed immune systems to help ward off a lengthy threat. But in the case of diarrhoea that manages to stay between two to four days like the norovirus or the rotavirus, which can often last for up to a week or slightly longer, you should be aware of the treatments that are available to help you get over it.
Home remedies for diarrhoea
A common problem with diarrhoea is that it drains body fluid. A simple treatment in order to help maintain your energy levels and to avoid dehydration is to take sips of water throughout the day. It’s vitally important you don’t provoke your intestines by drowning your body with drinks high in sugar, as tempting as they might be, as this may only help prolong the bout of diarrhoea you may be suffering from. For those who are over sixty years old and frail, your general practitioner can recommend an oral rehydration solution (ORS) to help you.
To help aid your recovery, though opinion is divided, some medical experts state you should eat solid foods when you feel right. The meals should be small and light in nature, so it does not irritate your bowels any further. You should be looking to eat as soon as possible with the aid of fluids as it is considered essential.
Medical treatments
You have to understand that any medical treatment no matter how wonderful they may be will not instantly cure your diarrhoea. Antidiarrhoeal drugs will slightly shorten how long you have diarrhoea for and may help you get back on your feet, but they should only be taken out of absolute necessity. The preferred medication to help treat diarrhoea given out by general practitioners is Loperamide. This drug is favoured for patients by doctors primarily because it has the fewest side affects. It has also been documented to being one of the most affected drugs about to help combat diarrhoea.
There is the option of taking painkillers, though this is not recommended to directly treat diarrhoea. For those of you who find the constipation too much to handle, the option of taking the daily recommended dosage of painkiller to help fight the pain in your abdomen is available.
In the most severe cases of diarrhoea, where infection and bacteria may be the root cause, antibiotics are the route to go. But this should be considered as a last resort as it does not you if your diarrhoea is caused by a possible virus. Side affects of antibiotics may also do you more harm than good, so it is best to explore other options with this in mind. You must also take note that if no direct cause can be verified behind your diarrhoea, antibiotics should once again be ruled out completely.
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