If you experience liquid bowel movements, it can be said that you are having diarrhea. In addition, other symptoms of diarrhea are the desire to defecate continuously, flatulence and sometimes accompanied by cramps, and nausea and vomiting. However, diarrhea is usually not a serious condition.
It is said diarrhea if you experience liquid bowel movements more than 3 to 4 times a day. In general, in a year people experience diarrhea 1-2 times. Diarrhea usually lasts not so long, which is around 2-3 days. You can treat diarrhea using drugs that can be purchased freely. However, it should be noted that in some other conditions that are more severe due to poor immune system and also an unhealthy lifestyle, diarrhea can be experienced more often or longer, even more than one week.
Digestive Problems Until Drug Consumption
Diarrhea is caused by many things. However, some examples of the most common causes are:
- Digestive problems or because of certain food ingredients that cannot be properly digested by the body. For example, foods or drinks that contain lactose in patients with lactose intolerance.
- Diseases associated with the small intestine, large intestine or stomach. For example, in patients with irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease.
- Viral infection. For example rotavirus, which is one of the most common causes of diarrhea, especially in children.
- Parasites that pollute food and water consumed, causing liquid bowel movements, such as dysentery or amebiasis (Entamoeba infection).
- Just like parasites, these bacteria also attach to food and water which are then consumed, and cause liquid bowel movements. Bacteria that are usually the cause, among others, are E. coli bacteria.
- Drug consumption. For example, antacids containing magnesium, consumption of antibiotics, or cancer treatment.
Treatment for Diarrhea
Although usually not classified as a serious condition, if you experience liquid bowel movements, of course it must be treated. The way to treat it is:
- Drink enough water to replace fluids to prevent dehydration. You can also consume drinks containing electrolytes.
- In infants and children, give drinking water more often. Because, diarrhea in children makes the risk of dehydration higher. Let the child rest and reduce the activity, so the child will recover quickly. Especially, if liquid bowel movements are accompanied by fever, nausea and vomiting.
- Avoid eating fatty foods, spicy and spicy. Up to two days after diarrhea subsides, you should also avoid spicy foods.
- During recovery, avoid exercise that is too heavy because it can cause dehydration.
Although liquid bowel movements are not always classified as serious conditions, you cannot ignore them if the stool is mixed with blood, mucus, accompanied by fever, and causes weight loss. Liquid defecation also needs to be watched out if it lasts up to three times a day without enough fluid consumption, or if it occurs more than 3 days, because it creates a risk of dehydration.