Home Remedies for Diarrhea:
You can have various reasons to point out for the frequent bowel movements. Though it is not a threat to health in healthy adults, it is quite uncomfortable and unpleasant. If the condition is chronic, then the immediate medical intervention is needed. Even if the affected is sick the situation is not easy. Acute and chronic diarrhea are the two major types. Most people suffer from the short term diarrhea called the acute. Diarrhea can be caused by bacteria and virus. Food and water contaminated with bacteria can cause diarrhea. Here are a few ideas that tell you the remedies and tell you how to stay healthy when suffering of diarrhea.
Take Plenty of Fluids
- You lose liquids, electrolytes and minerals in diarrhea and so you need to take at least 8 cups of fluids in a day.
- In case, if you have a running fever take up to 12 cups a day.
- Plain water, weak tea with little amount of sugar, flat soda pop, and fruit juices except apple and prune are good options
- You can also get over the counter drugs like pedialyte, rehydralyte from the pharmacies without a prescription of the doctor
Yogurt
- Yogurt with live cultures should be taken. Live cultures are nothing but bacteria that are essential for providing a lining in the intestines. If diarrhea is because of oral antibiotics yogurt is the perfect remedy.
Rest
- Sometimes body wants to flush off things and diarrhea may be because of this. So, if you do not have any chronic illness and if you are young, then you can just grab some rest.
Medications
- Diarrhea happens when the body reacts to get rid of some troubling foreign bodies.
- If you want treat diarrhea with over the counter medicines, you need to wait till the situation turns a bit bad.
- Pepto-Bismol is the only over the counter medicine
Foods to be Avoided
- Avoid all dairy products except yogurt
- Milk and coffee are the last thing you require in this condition because the small intestine that digests these stuff cannot afford to work when affected
- Also avoid oily foods, high fiber foods
- You can take in gelatin, soup, rice, noodles, soda crackers, and skinless white meat chicken
Chamomile Tea
- You can take Chamomile tea 3 times a day.
- It is anti-intestinal inflammatory, and has antispasmodic properties
- Tannins in regular tea also has antidiarrheal properties
Starchy Foods
- Pre Cooked rice or tapioca cereals can help the soothe the tummy
- Do not take in much sugar and salt
- Potatoes can comfort stomach, and also restore nutrients
Blueberries
- This is a folk remedy for diarrhea
- They are rich in antioxidant and antibacterial properties
Orange Peel Tea
- Orange peel tea is the perfect food that helps in digestion
- Try to make tea from organic orange peels, as the skin may contain pesticides
- Cut the peel and boil it in a pint of water and let it stand till the water is cooled.
- You can add sugar or honey
Fenugreek Seeds
- This is one of the folk remedies accepted by modern science, but it is only for adults
- Mix fenugreek seeds of ½ teaspoon with water and drink it
These remedies help you to attain comfort and relieve from diarrhea. If the situation worsens immediate medical attention is required.