Diarrhoea
is the frequent passing by the bowel of semi-formed or liquid
stools. In Western society it is a condition, usually of inconvenience
rather than severe illness. In the Third World it is, probably,
the greatest killer of babies and young children. Diarrhoea
is usually caused by an infection or by a particular food. Anything
that causes inflammation of the bowel will cause diarrhoea,
illnesses such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and diverticulitis, for example. Bacterial causes include campylobacter, salmonella and E. coli infections, all implicated in food poisoning. Infections of the bowel are often associated with vomiting (gastro-enteritis) which can be bacterial or viral. In the developed world there is a growing concern regarding the increase in food poisoning. In the Third World, bottle fed babies are more at risk than breast fed babies, and diarrhoea/gastro-enteritis is a substantial cause of infant mortality. Certain foods have a laxative effect and can cause diarrhoea, prunes, figs and rhubarb for example. Malabsorption of food, caused by gluten in wheat products, for example, can cause diarrhoea as can the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) a condition found particularly in otherwise healthy young adults. IBS is often thought to be the result of anxiety, itself a cause of diarrhoea. Numerous other conditions can cause diarrhoea such as hyperthyroidism (see Thyroid problems).
In the fit, well individual, simply not eating for a few hours and taking plenty of fluid will deal with most attacks of simple diarrhoea. In the more severe cases, however, there may be dehydration and loss of body salts (particularly sodium and potassium) resulting in weakness and general debility. For this reason it is a good idea for the sufferer from diarrhoea, and particularly gastro-enteritis, to replace this lost fluid with preparations (usually added to water) that contain essential minerals. Such packaged products are useful to take on holiday when diarrhoea is very common. In severe bacterial diarrhoea, such as campylobacter infections, antibiotics can be useful. Chronic diarrhoea should always be investigated by a physician lest the sufferer has a severe, underlying bowel disorder or other illness. Loperamide is a useful anti-diarrhoea agent, as is codeine, available in many countries, though not all, without prescription. One traditional remedy in many countries is rice water. |
