It’s far from a pleasant subject and it may not be particularly enticing to read about, but it’s well worth looking into if you’re a regular sufferer – yes, diarrhoea. The term is generally defined as the passing of stool that’s of liquid consistency more than three times in a day.

Like it or not, diarrhoea can strike all ages of people at any point in their lives. On average, adults tend to experience the condition up to four times a year, but it usually clears up on its own after a day or two. This form is considered acute or short-term diarrhoea; it generally doesn’t go on for more than three weeks. However, chronic or long-term diarrhoea’s a different matter, as it can pose a serious threat your health, likely being symptomatic of other problems. Chronic diarrhoea then lasts longer than three weeks and, as you may have guessed, is often related to bowel function disorders.

 

Diarrhoea causes

There are a number of potential causes of diarrhoea; while some tend to be short-lived, other are usually more prolonged and often more severe and/ or serious:

• Bacterial infections enter the body when ingested via tainted food or water; common bacteria responsible for bringing on diarrhoea include salmonella, campylobacter, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Shigella

 

• Hepatitis and rotavirus are viral infections that may be identifiable because of diarrhoea; other such viral infections are Norwalk, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex viruses

 

• Basic intolerance to specific foods may also result in diarrhoea, often the likes of food colouring, milk sugar (lactose) and other additives can be culprits

 

• Parasites (microscopic organisms) present in food or water consumed into the digestive system; these include Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium and Entamoeba histolytica

 

• Sadly, some medications for the likes of blood pressure, such as antibiotic and antacid medications that contain magnesium, can be causes

 

• Bowel disorders including celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

 

• Finally, surgeries including gallbladder removal and stomach surgery can be culprits; like it or not, they tend to throw things out of balance in the digestive system, at least for a time, thus in most cases things settle down and the diarrhoea passes following a successful operation.

 

Preventing diarrhoea

You can take steps yourself to prevent experiencing diarrhoea by avoiding both greasy and fibrous foods and foods that are particularly sweet. Also, try to cut down or completely cut out dairy products; they can be major aggravators of diarrhoea.

While you’re experiencing a diarrhoea bout, aim for a mostly liquid-based intake before slowly returning to soft foods such as plain rice and bananas. And, of course, don’t forget to chew food thoroughly – after all, this is the first part of the digestion process!

You might also try one or more diarrhoea supplements; several are available through us at The Finchley Clinic; they’re very well received by our customers for bowel calm, but specifically for helping with diarrhoea we suggest…

Saccharomyces boulardii – currently on special offer, it’s internationally acclaimed as the number one probiotic for diarrhoea, to help reduce discomfort and urgency and to restore control and regular bowel movements; a completely natural probiotic, it offers support for fast-acting bowel calm, comfort and control when needed most.