Beware Of The Danger Of Diarrhea

Some areas in Indonesia are currently entering the rainy season. Rain with moderate to high intensity often causes several areas to be flooded. And one of the diseases that often appears during floods is diarrhea.

Diarrhea is a common disease experienced by many people, from babies to the elderly. Often diarrhea is considered a mild illness, but diarrhea also needs to be watched out for as a sign of a more serious health problem and requires medical attention. Diarrhea is a condition where a person experiences increased frequency of defecation with liquid or runny feces and can be accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and sometimes weight loss.

Acute diarrhea is an acute symptom in the form of liquid or watery bowel movements three or more times a day, which lasts for 14 days or less. However, chronic or persistent diarrhea is characterized if the episode lasts more than 14 days. Infection generally causes acute diarrhea. Diarrhea can be caused by several factors, namely:

• Infections caused by viruses, bacteria or parasites.
• Food intolerances such as lactose intolerance
• Side effects of drugs such as antibiotics, cancer drugs.
• Chronic digestive diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis.
• History of bowel and gall bladder surgery.
• Stress and anxiety

SYMPTOMS AND COMPLAINTS EXPERIENCED

Symptoms of diarrhea can vary, including:

• Liquid or watery stools
• Cramps and stomach pain
• Urgent need to defecate
• Nausea and vomiting
• Bloating
• Fever
• Lethargy or exhaustion

If the symptoms mentioned above arise, you should immediately consult your doctor. Usually the doctor will ask about the symptoms experienced, duration of symptoms, history of food consumed and travel history. This information is important for doctors in determining possible causes of diarrhea. Apart from that, other tests can also be carried out such as laboratory tests according to medical indications and the severity of the diarrhea that occurs.

TREATMENT

Treatment of diarrhea depends on the cause and severity. There are several ways that are usually done, including:

1. REHYDRATION. Drink lots of fluids, especially water and ORS or isotonic drinks to replace lost fluids.
2. DIET. Consume foods that are easy to digest and nutritious. Avoid spicy, fatty and alcoholic foods during diarrhea.
3. DRUGS. Drink regularly and on time as recommended/prescribed by the doctor.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PREVENTION

To prevent diarrhea, what needs to be done is:

1. Personal hygiene. Wash your hands as often as possible with soap, especially after using the toilet and before eating.
2. Food and drink safety. Ensure that food and drinks are prepared and stored in a hygienic manner. Avoid food that is not well cooked and served well. Avoid drinking tap water, ice cubes and refill water.
3. Avoid trigger factors for people with intolerance to certain foods. For example, if you are intolerant to milk, avoid consuming milk or derivative products that contain milk.
4. Vaccination: There are vaccines available for some causes of diarrhea, such as rotavirus.