Causes of Diarrhea
Diarrhea can be a result of many conditions and factors, but the most common causes of diarrhea include:
Contaminated Food and Water
‘Spoilt’ food and water contain disease-causing pathogens like (bacteria and parasites) which can get transferred into our body and disturb the physiological functioning. This is also known as food poisoning.
Parasites like Giardia lamblia and cryptosporidium cause diarrhea, while Escherichia coli (commonly known as E.coli), salmonella, shigella, and campylobacter are common diarrhea-causing bacteria.
In developing countries, ‘traveler’s diarrhea’ is a common complaint, brought about by these bacteria and viruses.
Rotavirus in Children
A widespread cause of diarrhea in children is rotavirus, a virus that spreads quickly through contaminated hands, objects and surfaces. This virus causes inflammation in the stomach and intestines, leading to severe diarrhea, fever, dehydration, abdominal cramps, and vomiting.
Medications
Certain medicines like antibiotics disturb the balance of gut bacteria by killing both good and bacteria. This imbalance can cause diarrhea.
Antacids often contain magnesium, which can cause the stools to become loose.
Emotional Stress
The gastrointestinal tract has many nerves connected to it and is very sensitively tuned to the nervous system. Therefore, any factors (like stress) that affect the nervous also have an impact on the gastrointestinal tract.
Stress can cause spasms throughout the gut and cause diarrhea.
Food allergies
Food allergies can also cause diarrhea, as the body tries to expel the allergens out quickly.
Lactose intolerance is also a common cause of diarrhea. People who are unable to digest lactose (found in dairy products) often experience loose stools after consuming dairy products.
Digestive Disorders
Chronic diarrhea is often a sign of some underlying gastrointestinal disorder like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, colitis, inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD).
Symptoms of Diarrhea
If you are passing stool for three or more times in a day, and the stool is watery, or loose, then you have diarrhea.
Other signs and symptoms of diarrhea that can accompany loose stool include cramping in the abdomen, mucus/blood in stool, and abdominal bloating.
In case of food poisoning, vomiting and nausea may be present.
Can Homeopathy treat Diarrhea?
Yes, homeopathy offers effective treatment for diarrhea. It treats the root cause of diarrhea to help ease the symptoms and bring about recovery. Medicine for diarrhea is prepared from natural substances, so there are no side effects. Homeopathy for diarrhea works for people of all age groups and can be safely used in children and older adults.
Homeopathy offers cures for diarrhea also work well for infections (viral, parasitic, bacterial), inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel disease.
