Introduction

Diarrhea is defined as unusually frequent or excessive evacuation of loose watery faeces.

Types

Acute diarrhea

• commonest form
• self- limiting, short lived, lasting within days.
• Usually due to infection of food and drinks by bacteria, virus, parasite.
• Implicated food include chicken, sea food, milk and milk products
• other causes are food intolerance (especially after eating large amount of fruits or beans)
• antibiotic reactions

Chronic diarrhea

• recurrent in nature
• longer duration, more than 4 weeks.
• watery, bloody or fatty in nature
• underlying causes could be sinister.
• maybe due to colorectal cancers, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, chronic infections like HIV, chronic laxative and antacid use, diabetic neuropathy and constipation with overflow diarrhea especially for the bedridden elderly.

Symptoms

• watery stools of variable nature
• with or without blood and mucus
• abdominal cramps
• urgency
• bloatedness
• incontinence
• headache
• vomiting
• fever
• alternating diarrhea and constipation
• loosing weight and appetite
• pain in joins, backache, eye trouble or mouth ulceration

Complication

• Dehydration
• Prolonged discomfort
• Death

Treatment

Acute diarrhea – mostly dietary modification and non drug therapy

• Rest the bowel
• Take small frequent clear fluids such as water or light tea.
• Take low fat food such as boiled rice porridge, soups, boiled potatoes, mashed vegetables, dry toast or bread, biscuits, most canned fruits, jam, honey and jelly.
• Avoid alcohol, coffee, strong tea, fried food, spicy food, raw vegetables especially with hard skins and cigarette smoking
• Reduce normal activities until diarrhea stops
• On the third day introduce small amount of dairy products such as milk in tea or coffee. Also lean meat and fish either steamed or grilled.
• Avoid use of antibiotics unless organism is identified.
• Consult your doctor if diarrhea occurs more than 8 hours, passage of stool larger in volume (? 6 stools/24hr) and bloody diarrhea.

Chronic diarrhea

• See your doctor to find and treat underlying cause

Prevention

• Take freshly cooked food
• Practice good hygine especially after toilet use
• Washing hands with soap and water
• Avoid pronged use of laxatives
• Avoid indiscretion use of antibiotics, laxatives and antacids ;