DIARRHOEA What is Diarrhoea? Complementary Advice about Diet
Supplements that will help with this condition
Herbs that will help this condition
What is diarrhoea?
When you have an attack of diarrhoea you pass water or abnormally soft stools very frequently.
Symptoms
Vomiting sometimes accompanied by a fever, stomach cramps, abdominal pains and thirst. For those who suffer with diarrhoea as a symptom of IBS, it is important to treat the associated diarrhoea as part of IBS.
Causes
Infections, both viral and bacterial are the cause of acute diarrhoea. Infections can be caught through contaminated water, with other conditions and situations like cancer, incomplete digestion of food, food poisoning, food allergies, pancreatic disease or the use of certain drugs and stress leading to attacks.
With Crohn's disease you will experience diarrhoea. If diarrhoea continues for longer than a few days medical advice must be sought.
A breakdown of causes follows :
Lactose Intolerance
Some people don't have the enzyme needed to digest milk sugar, they often experience a bout of diarrhoea after consuming ice cream or milk, and for this reason they are known as lactose intolerant. The best way to deal with this intolerance is to avoid the foods altogether or consider taking a supplement called lactase prior to consuming milk or milk products, as it has been proven to be of help with digestion. 1
Food allergies and sensitivities can trigger diarrhoea. Studies show that cow's milk-based formulas brought on an attack in some infants 2 who then switched to soy-based milk and experienced no food sensitivity with the newly introduced formula 3.
Dehydration is a real problem associated with this condition especially in children, so it is essential that you seek medical advice. Food-allergy tests may indicate food intolerances that are triggering the condition or making it worse, therefore, it is worth being tested. Tests for intestinal parasites should also be undertaken, as the presence of parasites can also cause diarrhoea.
Other medicines and additives
Some bouts of diarrhoea are not caused by infection but are triggered by consuming other supplements or foods. Large amounts of Vitamin C have been know to cause diarrhoea, so check to see if you are not taking too much of this vitamin as a daily supplement.
Magnesium too, has been shown to bring about a bout of diarrhoea in some people, along with fruit juices and foods containing sorbitol. 3, 4 Avoid alcohol, caffeine 5 and spicy foods.
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