Many different factors can disrupt the habitual life of a person, causing him such an unpleasant problem as diarrhea. This pathology can also take place in an acute form, which lasts for a short time, and in chronic, prolonged for years. But how to treat diarrhea in an adult patient or child, so that in the shortest time it was possible to achieve the most positive effect, and not to allow the occurrence of serious, often very dangerous complications, not everyone knows. Therefore, many patients are interested in basic information about the methods of treatment of liquid stool.
Treatment of diarrhea in adults with a strong stomach disorder directly depends on the nature of the causative agent that caused it, or on the disease of the internal organs that provoked bowel dysfunction. Diarrhea can occur as an infectious disease, because of pathogenic microorganisms that have colonized the digestive organs of the patient( staphylococcus, salmonella, E. coli), and have a non-infectious origin, which is associated with intolerance to certain foods or poisoning. Often you can hear the question of how to treat diarrhea correctly. For effective therapy of pathology, when it is known that the appearance of a stool is not caused by a disease of internal organs requiring serious medical intervention, a symptomatic method is used which consists in suppressing the emerging pathological symptomatology with the following course of drugs:
- To reduce intestinal motility, and to reduce the amountwater flowing into its lumen, in the treatment of severe diarrhea, anti-peristaltic agents are prescribed. Among them, the most effective are Octreotide and Loperamide. They should be taken only after consulting a specialist and carefully studying the annotation;
- The second group of drugs used by specialists in the treatment of diarrhea is the means designed to restore the water-salt balance. With the help of them, not only the liquid that is lost with frequent watery stools, but also the microelements, salts and vitamins that are washed out of the body are replaced. If you ignore this stage in the treatment of indigestion, severe dehydration can occur, with severe consequences, including seizures;
- In order to collect and remove from the intestinal tract pathogenic viruses, bacteria and toxic substances, during soreness therapy sorbents are used. Taking these medications while treating diarrhea should be done based on body weight. In addition, the sorbent must be thoroughly chewed and washed down with plenty of water. Only in this case of their proper use is it possible to effectively treat diarrhea. It should also be remembered that prolonged use of them contributes not only to the elimination of diarrhea, but also to the development of constipation.
Due to the fact that during disorganization of the stomach and in adult patients, and in children, there is a disruption of the normal operation of the digestive organs, the correct for prolonged liquid stool will be the intake of enzyme preparations. And for the restoration of intestinal microflora violated by severe diarrhea, the most effective medical applications are the reception of probiotics, due to the treatment with which the pathogenic microorganisms that occupy the digestive organs are replaced by normal ones.
Treatment of indigestion in children
Therapeutic techniques for severe diarrhea in younger age groups are similar to those in an adult and are based on the elimination of its cause. The main directions in the absence of a serious disease, for the elimination of which surgical or surgical intervention is required, will be the following:
- Correction of neurovegetative disorders;
- Normalization of diet and lifestyle;
- Treatment of background diseases that contribute to the development of diarrhea.
Correction of impaired functions of the digestive organs in children is an auxiliary task. Most often, with diarrhea caused by psychoemotional stress caused by babies, light poisoning or ingested pathogens through dirty hands or toys, unwashed hands and raw water, it is sufficient to carry out such treatment of diarrhea, which is aimed at eliminating the cause that caused indigestion. Children also need correction of motor disorders of the digestive tract. In this case, the following medical purposes are most effective:
- With pathological reflux and sphincter insufficiency, the use of prokinetics is necessary;
- In the event that diarrhea is accompanied by cramping pain, they are treated with spasmolytics or a collection of herbs that have such an effect, for example chamomile and mint.
In case of prolonged diarrhea, correction of the resulting secretory disorders is necessary. Prevention of an ailment consists in creating an adequate level of psycho-emotional and physical loads, optimizing nutrition and correcting the regime of the day of babies. Even in the case when such a syndrome, as diarrhea is cured, it is required to carry out a follow-up of the child within 1 year. Taking into account the patient is removed only when for a long time there are no morphological changes at the micro- and macrostructural level.
Often parents ask, which doctor treats diarrhea? Respond to it only after the cause of the emergence of a loose stool has been identified. For the most part, the assistance of a pediatric gastroenterologist is required, but consultations with such doctors as an infectious disease specialist or an allergist may be required. In the most severe cases, when diarrhea in a child is caused by a serious internal disease, surgical intervention by the surgeon may be required.
Methods for treating diarrhea
Therapy of diarrhea, both in the adult and in the child, should be performed immediately after the appearance of the first signs, otherwise the progression of the pathology will lead to complete dehydration, which will require urgent hospitalization. Various methods are used to treat diarrhea. Many are interested in which of them will be the best. To this question, the answer of specialists usually happens that with strong diarrhea, it is possible to achieve a good result only by applying all methods of treating diarrhea in the complex and necessarily after consulting a doctor.
Drug therapy should be conducted against a background of a special sparing diet, allowing the intestines to work in a quiet mode. It is also necessary to treat stomach upset using folk remedies. With the help of them, the symptoms accompanying diarrhea are quickly removed. It is the broths of certain roots, herbs or berries immediately after the appearance of a liquid stool to help qualitatively and quickly overcome the pathogens that enter the organs of the digestive tract.
Diet and nutrition for the treatment of diarrhea
Gentle nutrition for diarrhea is prescribed in order to maintain the gastrointestinal tract during their recovery and as much as possible to ease the load on the digestive system. All products must undergo special treatment, which includes such methods as grinding, steaming or baking. All food used during the treatment of diarrhea should not only be properly cooked, but also have a neutral environment. Only in this case it is possible to reduce the irritant effect on the intestinal mucosa. What doctor is developing a menu for the patient? Usually this is the responsibility of the gastroenterologist, but with the infectious or allergic nature of diarrhea, the help of specialists such as an infectious disease specialist or an allergist may be required.
Most often, in the treatment of diarrhea, diet No. 4 is prescribed. It helps not only to calm the intestinal mucosa, but also provides sparing action due to the restriction in the supply of mechanical, chemical and thermal stimuli, and also reduces fermentation processes in it. In this case, mainly semi-liquid or liquid food is used, the temperature of which does not exceed room temperature. Also during treatment of diarrhea it is not recommended to use those foods that increase the secretion of digestive organs. Adult patients are strictly prohibited any alcoholic beverages that enhance intestinal peristalsis.
But do not worry that the restrictions in eating will harm the body. Despite the fact that this diet significantly reduced the amount of fats and carbohydrates, with it all the substances necessary for normal vital activity enter the body. With improvement in the treatment of diarrhea during dietary therapy, the general functional state of the intestine and the reduction in the main symptoms of diarrhea, nutrition in both adults and children can gradually expand, new products are added to it.
Many parents are interested in what features of a sparing diet in children under one year. In the case of breastfeeding, all dietary restrictions should be performed by the mother. The baby should be combined with oral rehydration. If the baby is completely weakened from diarrhea, during the treatment of the pathology it is fed with expressed milk. Any lures in this case are canceled.
Toddlers who are on artificial feeding, in the treatment of diarrhea are fed lactose-free mixtures, but the amount of food consumed is reduced by half, and the frequency of feeding is increased. If you follow all the recommendations of a specialist, you can hope that recovery from such a pathological symptom, like diarrhea, will come quickly enough and not cause serious complications.