QUESTION: Although many articles appear about taking care of diarrhea that comes on when traveling, little is said about the every day homegrown variety. Surely many more of us suffer from this inconvenience than the other kind. Won't you please give us some tips on caring for the problem?
ANSWER: You know, you are right.
The fact is that most questions that are addressed to me do express anxiety about meeting up with diarrhea while voyaging to foreign countries.
Actually the information that is contained in answers to those questions contain important tips about your "homegrown" variety, but I am happy to address that problem now.
The most common cause of diarrhea, with its frequent large amounts of loose and watery stools, is viral infection.
However, the same symptoms can be caused by bacterial infections, allergies to certain food products, or digestive intolerance to certain foods.
The dangerous effect of prolonged and excessive watery movements is the loss of body fluids and dehydration, much more serious in children.
Therefore we pay a lot of attention to the replacement of liquids. Fruit juices and sweet liquids are NOT a good idea, and can make the condition worse.
Water is not too helpful either, for it lacks some of the important chemicals, sodium and potassium (electrolytes) that are lost in the liquid stool.
Nonfat chicken soup is a good replacement fluid, as is Gatorade, and children may be given special solutions prepared for them after checking with the physician.
Stay away from spicy or hard to digest foods.
Stay at home and rest, for you may easily pass on your condition to fellow workers or family you may come in contact with.
When you begin to feel better, resume your normal diet gradually, starting with rice, crackers and toast, cooked potatoes and carrots, then on to broiled skinless chicken and fish.
It may take a while to get everything back to normal, but slow progress is better than the discomfort of a recurrence because your battered system needs more rest.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
