Diarrhea in the Summers

Posted by healthbook.pk

Diarrhea in the Summers

Diarrhea is one of the common problems during summer. If you don’t properly take care, it can lead you to acute dehydration and can even prove fatal. Our digestive system is greatly challenged thanks to the ever- widening menu of strange foods, colors, food chemicals, processing chemicals, additives and preservatives. To add to these, we often eat irregularly, exercise very little or not at all, work late and constantly under stress. No wonder most of us have poor digestive systems, a reduced immune response and increased susceptibility to digestive problems like diarrhea.

What is Diarrhea?

Diarrhea in summer season is not a disease in itself, but it is a symptom. Diarrhea can be caused by an infection in the gastrointestinal tract transmitted through contaminated food and water or dietary factors such as faulty food preferences and specific allergies or even emotional factors such as stress and anxiety. The digestive system gets weakened due to dehydration in summer. This is further weakened by the vitiation of doshas and dhatus due to high environmental temperature. So following diets that increase the power of digestion and strengthen the digestive system is the best way to prevent and manage diarrhea in summers.

Acute Diarrhea is characterized by a sudden onset and frequent passage of watery and unformed stools, usually accompanied by symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramps, weakness and at times, vomiting and fever. This episode may last for 24 hours to 48 hours and because of the danger of dehydration, replacement of water and electrolytes attains prime importance.

However, try to keep the fibre to minimum of 1-2 grams per day to give rest to the intestines. The ideal source of cereals in the diet should be rice, semolina , boiled potatoes and pasta. Restrict your intake of fats as they do not digest easily.

Tips to Manage Diarrhea in Summers

1. Replenish fluid and electrolyte loss. Although water is extremely important in preventing dehydration, it does not contain electrolyte. So to compensate for the loss of electrolytes, it is advisable to have broth or soups that contain sodium.
2. You can have fruit juices made of banana and chico. Electrolyte replacement drinks or vegetables rich in potassium
3. Depending on the cause of the problem, your doctor can prescribe a medicine to reduce symptoms to treat the infection.
4. Children should ideally be provided with an oral dehydration solution to replace lost fluids and electrolytes.

Guidelines to follow:

1. Don’t eat solid food.
2. Avoid eating left- overs and stale food during summer to prevent upsetting your stomach.
3. Watch your plate and steer clear of raw or uncooked foods such as cut salads and cold cuts, especially the ones served in roadside stalls.
4. Avoid chutneys, mawa sweets, paani puri and bhel puri since the hot temperature renders these foods as a breeding ground for bacteria and germs.
5. It is recommended to rely on freshly prepared food at good eating joints when you are eating out during the summer.
6. Replace water with electrolytes. Make sure you drink clean, filtered, boiled and cool water.
7. Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly particularly green leafy vegetables and cauliflower. They may not only contain larvae and worms but also collet dirt from the streets.
8. Include naturally sour foods but not fermented such as tamarind, tomato, lime, thin buttermilk and kokum in your diet. Moong dal is easy to digest and so is coconut water, buttermilk, rice water, cooked carrots, chicken stew or whey water. Garlic , pepper, ginger, asafetida, south, turmeric, coriander and jeera improve immunity. Thus use them liberally in your recipes during summers.
9. Recommended vegetables are bhindi, dhudhi, parwal, suran roasted baingan and karela. Choose fruits that are high in water content such as watermelon, musk melon, oranges and sweet lime.
10. Peppermint leaves are helpful in combating indigestion. Just dip the tea bag in hot water and sip after meals.
11. Non vegetarians should go in for lighter meat preparations like soups and stews rather than heavy curries.
12. Avoid dairy products such as milk and paneer. However skimmed milk curd as it is rich in beneficial bacteria

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