Saturday, March 22, 2014

Diarrhea aka cirit

this time it's a bit ... er.. smelly?

Diarrhea is a situation where, you or maybe your family members, friends, mates, have to pass stool more frequent than their usuals. (yup, more frequent.)  - but hold first. Baby, especially newborns, or maybe some people, do pass stool about up to 3-5 times per day!

I'm not finish actually - it's also changes in the stool form (it'll be more water than solid) & even color (it may be black, maroon, worse, some red!).

just a pic of toilet, ha,ha, not associated with the topic
Some prefer to self treat - this is where the anti diarrhea 'on-the-counter' enters in -->
my place - from black bitter tea to 'chi-kit' teck aun traditional tabs,

When it comes to diarrhea in kids, it is advisable to bring them to visit nearest docs or nurses or even medical attendance. What i experienced in my short life time of work, they usually don't start kids on antidiarrhea medicines. Why???
"Kids digestion system undergoes diarrhea as a defense mechanism to brush out the microbs or any other possible irritating things in them. Most of the antidiarrheal use in adults works by stopping the washing out process, & if it is used in children, the diarrhea might stop. But the child still loosing out water. IT was never being absorb into the body & just stack in the digestion system, causing bloating in some cases."

What docs/nurses/medical attendants do first is ask on how, when, why, it happen - yeah, you want your kids to get their medicine, not for interview, i understand. They need these information because 80% succes of medication comes from the correct info of patient's condition.

Err, let me remind you, when you yourself or any of family members, friends, or even stranger that you help is in not so fit in condition, the medical staff might start straight with setting up the needle in arms/legs & connect with a bag of water (so call Intravenous line fluid resuscitation) - sound terrible huh,? - if they don't do it, the diarrhea might cause your body (or the patient's body) to be more weaker, or for worst, dried out of water that might bring the body to the state of shock (the body become weak, heartbeat become fast but unable to access with touch, drowsy or for child, really irritable that it is not consolable... )

please, don't be scared with what i said - but don't look down on diarrhea itself.

there's a lot of causes for this case, depends on your story..

some have it just exactly after having seafoods

others might have it a week later after another fellow in the school having it 

I got a neighbour who's having a soft stool for months - really? =_="

*sleepy mode on*

ok, ok, what to do then? any cure?

DEPENDS

For kids, usually, medical attendances start with oral rehydration salts, & encourage them to drink any drinks -preferable not the carbonated, too super sweet drinks for the time being. (this is the same for teens or adults)
How bout milk? some kids or even adults do get their diarrhea from consuming milk - then, try to stop it.
But as kids need milk for one of their nutrition to grow up, do try alternative milk brand. For a bigger child like in an early kindergarten age, you may try giving milk product as to supply their nutrition need. Some might want to try soy milk-  let me remind that some do tolerate, some don't. The soy milk might help for a short time, but in a long time, for kids especially, it does not give much nutrition as much as usual milk for the child to grow up.

What is this oral... salt thingy?
It's a salt, basically.  (not just an ordinary table salt - it's similar but not same)
Diarrhea let you not only loosing water & stool, but not to forget that stool came from what we eat. - basically, it is just like vomiting - everything goes in & everything comes out, but through the butt. Nothing is stored in the body, No salt & water in the body in a short period may cause, mildest, dehydration, & for worse, comatised.
Kids, especially small youngs one, easier to lost water than in adult,.  

wait, what?? ain't kids more smaller size than adult? - no! physically yes, but metabolically, no! 

They need more water & salt, & when it comes to diarrhea, they tend to lost more than adult!.

This ORS is easily available in pharmacy or even some clinics or supermarkets. Or, you can make it by yourself - but with a risk it may be too diluted nor too concentrated that it won't help your diarrhea to heal.

Make-yourself-ORS:
Cooled by air boiled water ~ 1 litre + 6 tablespoon sugar + 1/2 teaspoon salt (regular salt). 
*please correct me if i'm wrong*






why no antibiotics??
Depend on the cause of the microbs

Mostly, in kids, around baby to school kids, viruses are the main cause that give the waterry, loose, yellow stool
VIRUSES?? Where is it?? 
It happen. Kids, especially the one about 6 months to 2 years age, they tend to grab on something & put into their mouth, no? - that's one way of the exposure.
Another way, it may be possible, without realising, that the food prepared is not so 'clean' - please don't be like sterilising the food after i said so - what i mean is, just prepared the food by cleaning under running, clean water instead of stagnant water, then, properly cooked them full cooked instead of half cook.
(this do valid for adults diarrhea cases.)

Let me remind you again - depend on the happening of the diarrhea, when the diarrhea sound not only with yellow water stool, but with a specific smell, or even stool change to black or with a red stain, medical staff may start considering antibiotics, depend on what they are aiming to treat for. Do mind to ask them what they are considering, & why as such.
While on antibiotics, as an outpatient or in the ward patient, some may ask for your poo sample to check on bacterial, parasites, or lucky, maybe neither.


... to be continued..