Natural Help for Diarrhea

Diarrhea is not a pleasant thing to have. You feel sick, bloated, and all around lousy. As a general rule most people will have diarrhea a few times a years. Strange as it sounds, this can be a good thing. Diarrhea is natures way of ridding your body of something that just doesn't belong there.

There are two types of diarrhea, acute and chronic. Acute diarrhea normally lasts a few hours. It makes you uncomfortable, slightly dehydrates you, and then goes away. When it lasts more than a couple of days, this is when you need to start to become concerned. It will now be considered chronic diarrhea and be a sign of a more serious problem.

These help tips are for the diarrhea that is only a few hours long. Please see a doctor if your diarrhea persists.

Now that you've been unable to avoid diarrhea, what can you do to help it go away? Well, there is nothing that will completely make it disappear. he best you can do is help it go away a little faster and make yourself a little more comfortable while you are enduring it. Of course, while you are at it, you'd like to do this without medicines. Here are a few suggestion.

• Eliminate dairy products, wheat and eggs from your diet. Because of the high level of allergens they can cause diarrhea.
• Drink lemon juice. Squeeze a whole lemon into into a large glass of water and drink. It helps kill off the pathogens that cause diarrhea.
• Add a tsp of turmeric to a glass of warm water. It will help to settle your stomach and balance your digestive. Drink a glass a day until symptoms go away.
• Eat yogurt, it contains live cultures, or friendly bacteria, that lines your intestines and helps kill off the bad bacteria.
• Eat starchy foods such as rice, potatoes, or tapioca. They can help ease the stomach.
• Try drinking different types of teas. Black, blackberry, chamomile, ginger, and raspberry teas are all especially good at helping to settle the stomach.
• 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water or juice also is good for settling the stomach. Drink glasses of this until stomach is settled.
• Drink lots of fluid, at least 8 cups a day. If you have a fever along with diarrhea then 12 cups of fluid a day is better.
• Eat some blueberries. They have antioxidant and antibacterial properties which fight diarrhea.
• Stay away from fruit and vegetable drinks.
• Replace your electrolytes. Make a mixture of 1 quart of water, 1 tsp salt and 8 tsp sugar. Drink through the day a few ounces at a time.
• There are some that think that carob soothes irritation in the intestines and therefore help with diarrhea.
• Make sure you get lots of rest. Diarrhea is nature's way of getting rid of something that should not be there in your body.

• Infection by bacteria
• Laxative abuse
• Crohn's disease
• Stress or anxiety
• Food poisoning
• Long term use or excessive amounts of aspirin , ibuprofen, or acetaminophen
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Medications
• Hyperthyroidism
• Improper chewing of food
• Diverticulosis or Diverticulitis
• Pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables
• Diabetes
• Ulcerated colitis
• Niacin deficiency
• Caffeinated drinks
• Eating an excessive amount of fatty foods or fruit
• Allergies to certain foods
• Celiac disease
• Viruses
• Consumption of sorbitol and mannitol, sugar substitutes
• Intestinal Obstruction
• Laxative abuse
• Radiation therapy
• Folic acid deficiency
• Dishwashing detergent residue
• Pancreatitis
• Gluten intolerance
• Lactose intolerance
• Large quantities of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and magnesium

How do you know you have diarrhea? It's really quite easy. Once you've had it you won't forget. I've included some of the symptoms.

• cramping
• bloating
• nausea
• headache
• dehydration
• loss of appetite
• fever
• lightheadedness
• frequent, watery stools

Diarrhea is one of those little things you want to avoid. Here are a few ways to help you avoid it.

• refrigerate leftovers promptly
• wash hands frequently
• thaw frozen food in your refrigerator
• cook all food to an internal temperature of 160 F
• use hand sanitizer
• wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly
• when traveling avoid tap water, ice cubes, and fresh vegetables
• clean all food preparation surfaces with hot water an soap

To help you I've included some of the foods you need to avoid when you are suffering from diarrhea. Believe me, you don't want to exacerbate the situation.

• fatty food
• greasy food
• fried food
• spicy food
• gravy
• butter
• cottage cheese
• cream cheese
• ice cream
• diet soda
• sugar free candy
• sugar free gum
• sugar substitues
• peas
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• beans
• onions
• cabbage
• alcohol
• caffeine
• carbonated drinks
• artichokes
• asparagus
• brussel sprouts
• carrots
• celery
• lentils
• green peppers
• radishes
• apples
• grapefruit
• oranges
• peaches
• pears
• prunes
• raisins
• milk
• barley
• wheat
• oat bran
• nuts of any kind
• flax seed

I've also include things that help make you feel better or at least won't irritate your stomach during this ordeal.

• yogurt
• toast
• bananas
• soda crackers
• melba toast
• applesauce
• rice
• noodles
• potatoes
• hard boiled egg
• steamed chicken
• blueberries
• tea, herbal and black
• sports drinks
• broth
• pretzels

For all of you dog lovers out there I decided to include this little section. It is miserable when you pet has diahrrea. They don't understand what's going on and you can't explain it to them. They seem to feel and act as though they are doing something wrong. Poor babies, they can't help it.

There are many different reasons for your dog to come down with diahrrea. The most frequent cause is eating something they shouln't have. So, how do you help your dog through this?

• First, withhold food from your pet for the first few hours - usually it is best to not feed them for about 12 hours.
• Cook some ground turkey or ground chicken. Mix this with some canned pumpkin, not the pie filling, sweet potato, or mashed potato.

OR

• Cook some lean ground beef and mix with rice.
• Feed one of the mixtures two to three times a day for the next two days in small amounts.

OR

• Feed your dog canned pumpkins mixed with a little unflavored yogurt or low fat cottage cheese.

THEN

• If your dog still has diahrrea, now is the time for a trip to the Vet.

Important: If your dog shows signs of the following please take him/her to the Vet: fever, vomiting, bloody stool, weight loss, dehydration, lethargy, pain, loss of appetite, or foulk smelling stool.