Diarrhoea

Symptoms

Passing loose and liquid stools many times during a day is the main symptom of diarrhoea. It may be associated by cramps while passing stool or otherwise, wind and distention in the abdomen, weakness, mild fever and dehydration.

Causes

According to Ayurveda diarrhoea is a disease caused by weakening of the digestive fire or due to weak absorption of the food material in the colon. When the food is not properly digested or absorbed it passes out it semi liquid or watery form. Improper eating habits like eating food which your system cannot digest, eating a meal before the previous one is digested and irregular eating habits are some causes of diarrhoea.

Every one has a general idea about the foods which cause trouble to them. For example if a person feels heaviness, uneasiness, wind, distention or stomach ache immediately after eating a certain dish or food, it means that the particular food is not easily digested by the person. Generally foods which are fried in oil or ghee (clarified butter), meats, vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, beans, nuts and sweets are a little difficult to digest. So they should be eaten in less quantity and carefully.

Eating foods at the same time, which are contradictory to one another like milk and yogurt, is also a cause for diarrhoea. Impure food or water or eating food which your system is not used to, for example, a westerner eating a hot and spicy Indian preparation, can cause diarrhoea. It can be caused due to infection of the alimentary canal. Psychological factors like horror or terror, grief and nervousness can also cause diarrhoea. Mainly, it is caused by the aggravation of pitta. Another cause of diarrhoea and dysentery according to Ayurveda is ama. Ama is toxic material produced from the food which remains undigested. This is the cause of many other diseases in the body.

Remedies

1. Frequent passing of stool makes the intestines to over work and as a result their absorption power becomes low. First and the most important thing is to take a diet which can be easily digested and absorbed. Liquids should be given in small quantity ( 3 or 4 sips) at one time, though it can be given more frequently, at an interval of thirty minutes.
2. Only diet which binds the stool like yogurt, rice, banana and pomegranate should be taken in the beginning. Fruit juices can be taken in small quantity as described above.
3. In case more diet is needed, the patient should take some easily digestible preparations like boiled vegetables, khichree and fruits. Khichree is prepared by cooking together one part rice and six parts mung dal (green beans). Digestive spices like cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric and cardamom can be used for cooking.
4. In case of excessive thirst, water boiled with coriander seeds should be given after straining. Pomegranate juice can be given frequently in a small quantity .
5. A decoction prepared from the skin of pomegranate is very useful to stop diarrhoea. Take about 50 gms. of pomegranate skin, preferably fresh. Soak it in about 800 ml. of water for one hour. Boil till it remains about 200 ml. Keep it in dry and clean bottle. This can be taken 3 or 4 times a day. Each dose should be 20 ml. In case there is blood in the stools, mix half a tea spoon honey with this decoction.
6. Another helpful home remedy is sugar and salt solution. Mix about one tea spoon of sugar and about one gram common salt in about 200 ml. water. This should be given whenever the patient wants to drink. Do not give the whole thing at a time. Give in small doses of 50 ml. at a time.
   If available, a paste of sesame seeds ( 5 gms.) can be taken with 100 ml. of goat milk.
7. Some western herbs like nutmeg, oak bark, raspberry and marshmallow can be useful to stop diarrhoea.
8. Fasting also helps in digesting the toxins, though it should not be practiced if the patient is weak.

Diet and Regimen

As already mentioned the patient should strictly take light and easily digestible diet like boiled vegetables, fruits etc. It is important to take care that the food helps in binding the stool and not in creating any more diarrhoea. As the absorption power of the intestines is very low, the patient should not eat too much at one time. The principle is to eat less but more frequently if necessary.

The patient should take complete rest until he gains enough strength to go out. Physical exertion of any kind like exercise, sexual activities, sports, singing, dancing etc. should be strictly avoided. The mind should be relaxed and free from all kinds of tension. A gentle oil massage on the head can be done for that.

 
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