Every person had an upset stomach at least once in their life. Few people attach great importance to this. But it happens that loose stools do not stop for a week or longer. What to do in such a situation and what complications to expect? Is it possible to recover by folk methods or is it time to call an ambulance? What if the diarrhea is contagious? You will find answers to all these questions below.
Causes of loose stools in children
If your child complains of pain in the abdomen, and later on diarrhea, then you first need to determine the cause. This will determine the further treatment strategy. If a child has eaten an expired product, then it will be enough to take a course of bifidobacteria to improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. And if the diarrhea is of an infectious nature, then you can’t do without the help of a qualified doctor.
The most common causes of diarrhea in children:
- development of infectious or inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract;
- eating foods that can cause stool liquefaction and bloating;
- use of certain antibacterial drugs;
- strong stress.
How to determine the nature of the disease
The exact cause of diarrhea will help determine the color of loose stools in a child:
- black and green shades are possible when overeating stale grapes, dairy products, iron supplements and activated charcoal;
- light-colored stools are characteristic of infants who have recently been switched to artificial feeding;
- brown tint of stool - most often a violation of the intestines due to the frequent intake of liquid food and drinks, an excess of carbohydrates (for example, the baby overate sweets the day before);
- yellow hue (especially if loose stools with mucus) signals danger: dangerous processes are taking place in the child's body. It can be a rotavirus infection, a violation of the outflow of bile, problems with the pancreas, hepatitis of various origins.
When it's time to ask for help
Loose stools without fever usually do not cause alarm in parents. Just think - well, the child ate something wrong. Most of the time it does.
But if the temperature rises in the evening, abdominal cramps signal pain, loose stools are like water in consistency - do not hesitate. Call an ambulance. If the doctor suspects the infectious nature of the disease, the child will be hospitalized. At home, treating such ailments is fraught with serious complications.
If there are pronounced fractions in the feces (mucus, blood, undigested food residues) - this is also a reason to visit a pediatrician and a gastroenterologist. These symptoms are indicative of a problem withpancreas. Subsequently, pancreatitis may develop.
Folk remedies for diarrhea in children
If there is no temperature, pain and other warning symptoms, then you can successfully treat loose stools in a child at home:
- Rice congee. Throw a handful of ordinary white uncooked rice into boiling water. Boil ten minutes. Drain the water and give the patient 30-40 ml every two hours. Has a bonding effect.
- Children from four years old can be given pomegranate decoction. To prepare it, you need to pour a few pomegranate peels with boiling water and let it brew for 15-20 minutes. After the infusion has cooled, give the patient half a glass once an hour.
- Regular potato starch has a binding effect. It is necessary to mix a tablespoon of starch and 30 ml of clean boiled water. Give the resulting gruel to the child a teaspoon every two hours.
- Infusion of bird cherry berries. Boil a handful for ten minutes, the resulting liquid can be drunk as compote.
- Infusion of oak bark has an astringent effect. In terms of efficiency of removing toxins, it can compete with pharmacy activated charcoal. It is undesirable to drink more than 0.5 liters of infusion from oak bark per day - an allergic reaction may occur.
- Strong black tea can help with uncomplicated childhood diarrhea. Brew natural Ceylon or Indian tea as strong as possible and let the child drink in small sips throughout the day. Sugar can be added in minimal quantities - a teaspoon per 300 ml.
- For diarrhea chamomile- doctor number 1. Chamomile tea can be given to a child at any time (it is undesirable to add sugar, but if you cannot do without it, then a teaspoon per glass of liquid). It also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Virtually no side effects.
Pharmacy medicines for childhood diarrhea
Can be grouped according to the principle of action on the body:
- Sorbents are taken primarily to relieve intoxication. Indispensable for diarrhea caused by infectious diseases and food poisoning. "Activated charcoal", "Enteros gel" - sold at any pharmacy without a prescription.
- Probiotics and prebiotics. Emulsions or powders that add beneficial microflora to the intestines. The child's stool is normalized within three to four days. The most popular drugs with this principle of action are Hilak Forte, Acipol, Bifidumbacterin.
- Enzymes are used if the causes of loose stools are pancreatitis, impaired bile outflow, liver disease. The most popular drugs of this class are Pancreatin, Creon. Please read the instructions carefully before allowing your child to take these products.
- Drugs to restore the water-s alt balance. Children are most often advised "Regidron".
During the treatment of diarrhea, exclude sweets, beans, fatty meats, fast food, carbonated drinks from the child's diet. Give preference to boiled and stewed food.
Infectious diarrhea in children
Diarrhea associated with the presence of infection in the body can be divided into two types: with bloody and watery stools.
The most common cause of bloody diarrhea is dysentery and salmonella. In this case, the temperature often rises. Do not hesitate: call an ambulance. The treatment is carried out with antibacterial drugs with constant monitoring of the child's condition using blood and urine tests.
Watery diarrhea is caused by a different type of bacteria. It could also be food poisoning. In this case, antibiotics are useless. It is necessary to remove toxins from the body, bring down the temperature. For several days, follow a therapeutic diet of the type Table No. 5 (nothing fatty and fried, exclude yeast bread, grapes, chocolate). Rehydration solutions should be given to the child until the gastrointestinal tract is fully established.
The most common causes of loose stools in adults
There are five main causes, some of which require urgent medical attention:
- Irritable bowel syndrome. It is characterized most often by stabbing pains in the lower abdomen and green loose stools. The urge to go to the toilet is very frequent, sometimes even uncontrollable. Bloating even after eating the right foods is also a symptom of IBS. The causes of the disease are most often psycho-emotional: frequent stress, nervous exhaustion, mental disorders.
- Unhe althy diet, eating expired foods, eating stale salads, soups, vegetables and fruits.
- Chronic non-specificulcerative colitis - ulcerative inflammation of the mucosa of the large intestine. This disease is characterized not only by diarrhea, but also by pulling pains in the left abdomen. A visit to a gastroenterologist is indispensable, advanced ulcerative colitis can lead to internal bleeding.
- Dysbacteriosis usually affects people with obesity, pancreatitis, with liver disease. He also often pursues chronic alcoholics. May occur after a course of antibiotics. Dysbacteriosis is a violation of the beneficial intestinal microflora, resulting in chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, constant weakness and poor he alth.
- Infectious diseases (salmonellosis, dysentery, shigellosis) cause prolonged diarrhea that does not go away from the usual Loperamide. They are also accompanied by fever, chills, headache. Treatment requires monitoring of blood tests and a course of antibiotics in parallel with prebiotics.
Secretory diarrhea in adults
Profuse (more than one liter per toilet visit) watery green loose stools. The frequency can reach 15 times a day. The temperature usually does not rise. If left untreated, loose stools with blood may appear.
For secretory diarrhea, it is characteristic that the secretion of water prevails over absorption. severe dehydration develops. This condition is caused by enterotoxin, which appears in the human intestine through infection, or as a result of eating stale foods. In some cases, it manifests itselfsalmonellosis.
After the elimination of enterotoxin, the activity of the gastrointestinal tract is getting better. The diarrhea stops completely. At home, treating secretory diarrhea is not recommended due to severe dehydration. Better go to the hospital if possible.
Osmotic diarrhea in adults
Electrolyte imbalance leads to water retention in the colon, bloating and diarrhea.
Osmotic diarrhea is most often provoked by the following factors:
- foods containing sorbitol or xylitol;
- vitamin-mineral complexes with a high content of iron and magnesium;
- disturbances in the pancreas (most often it is chronic pancreatitis);
- chronic alcoholism (poisoning by ethanol breakdown products)
- dysbacteriosis due to prolonged use of antibiotics;
- rotaviruses;
- celiac disease.
If you do not go to a gastroenterologist and continue trying to treat loose stools with osmotic diarrhea at home, you can sit out until pancreatic necrosis or severe dehydration. Only a doctor, based on tests, will be able to establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe an adequate treatment for the patient's condition.
Invasive (purulent) diarrhea
Characterized by the presence of pus and mucus in the stool. Loose stools with blood are also characteristic of this type of disease. At the same time, the patient suffers from pulling, excruciating and exhausting pains in the abdomen.
Most often this type of diarrhea is caused by parasitic infestations. It rarely happens that household items that are not intended for eating have somehow entered the patient's intestines.
To establish the exact cause of loose stools with mucus and pus, a complete examination is necessary: an x-ray of the gastrointestinal tract, blood biochemistry and a number of other tests.
Pharmacy remedies for diarrhea
How to alleviate the suffering of the patient at least for a couple of hours? Here is a list of the most effective pharmacy remedies, based on the types of stool problems:
- With secretory diarrhea, "Smecta", "Bifidumbacterin", "Loperamide" most often effectively and quickly help.
- In case of osmotic diarrhea - "Imodium", "Regidron" (allows you to quickly restore the water-s alt balance), "Biseptol" (mild antibacterial agent).
- Astringent sorbents are most often prescribed for motor diarrhea.
- Invasive diarrhea is most often treated with antiparasitic drugs. The name of the drugs can only be reported by a doctor after detecting the presence of parasites or their absence.
Whatever the type of diarrhea, it is very important to avoid dehydration (rehydration) of the body. Drink as much clean water as possible. If possible, purchase Regidron, dilute according to the instructions in a liter of water and drink every hour.
Potato starch
One of the most effective folk recipes for diarrhea. Suitable for both adults and children. Has no side effects.
Dilute a tablespoon of starch in 30-40 ml (half a glass) of plain water. mix thoroughly until a homogeneous mass without lumps is obtained. Eat a teaspoon every hour. This recipe will help you get rid of loose stools in just a day. It is also advisable to drink a course of probiotics to normalize the microflora in the intestine.
Chamomile for stool normalization
In any pharmacy you can buy dried leaves of this wonderful plant. Chamomile has a positive effect not only on the gastrointestinal tract, but also on the pancreas. It has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Loose stools in an adult will help to stop in a day.
The infusion is very easy to prepare: pour dry chopped chamomile leaves with boiling water and let cool. The resulting broth is used as tea leaves. You can drink up to two liters of this tea per day. You can take any medications in parallel, chamomile is not an antagonist of pharmacological agents.
