Diarrhea is loose, watery stool, and possibly more frequent bowel movements. When you suffer from diarrhea, you will have loose stools three or more times a day. Acute diarrhea usually lasts for one or two days, but it may last longer. Chronic diarrhea lasts at least a month and can be a sign of a serious problem. Severe diarrhea may cause dehydration, which is dangerous. 

Diarrhea Causes and Symptoms

Diarrhea usually happens for various reasons and lasts for a short time. The most common causes of diarrhea include: 

• Bacterial infection 
• Viruses (Rotavirus is the most common cause of acute diarrhea in children)
• Parasites 
• Problems with colon functions (irritable bowel syndrome)
• Stomach, Small intestine, Colon disease (Crohn’s disease)
• Medicines (Cancer drugs, antibiotics, antacids)
• Food intolerance
• Radiation therapy 

Sometimes no cause can be associated with diarrhea, and it goes away within a couple of days. 

Symptoms: Signs and symptoms that indicate that you may have diarrhea include: 

• Urgent need to have a bowel movement 
• Vomiting 
• Abdominal pain 
• Abdominal cramps 
• Nausea 
• Fever 
• Mucus in the stool 
• Blood in the stool 
• Weight loss 

Severe diarrhea can cause significant health complications. You must call your physician and seek medication treatment. 

Diarrhea Treatment Natural Remedies and Medication

In the majority of the acute cases, it gets better on its own. Also, many use over-the-counter medication like bismuth subsalicylate, which helps with recovery. 

However, it is crucial to prevent dehydration in diarrhea and replace lost electrolytes and fluids. Depending on the cause of diarrhea, you may either need medicines to stop diarrhea or treat an infection. 

Diarrhea Natural remedies include:

• Consuming plenty of water, fruit juices, and sports drink for adults to prevent dehydration
• Eating bananas, rice, applesauce, and white toasted bread also helps to reduce diarrhea episodes. 
• For infants, continue breastfeeding or formula feeding, and for children, they should be given oral rehydration solutions to replace the lost fluids and electrolytes. Moreover, consuming semisolid and low-fiber food helps. 

The physicians also advise probiotics to counter diarrhea. However, always talk to your physician before starting a probiotic or supplement. 

Alternatively, your physician may also prescribe you antibiotics or other medications to treat the infection causing diarrhea. Loperamide is another medication that helps to reduce the number of diarrhea episodes. 

Is Diarrhea a symptom of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative Colitis?

If diarrhea is caused by other medical conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis. In such cases, treating the underlying cause helps reduce diarrhea. 

Always consult your physician before starting any form of treatment on your own. Identification of the cause of diarrhea is vital, and treatment would depend on it. 

How does Clonidine work to treat diarrhea?

Clonidine is an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist used in the treatment of hypertension. It also has an antisecretory effect (it reduces motility and prolongs intestinal transit time), which helps treat diabetic diarrhea (a troublesome gastrointestinal complication in patients having diabetes). Research also indicates it may benefit patients with irritable bowel syndrome. 

In addition, Clonidine can help manage diarrhea associated with:

• Fecal incontinence
• Intestinal failure
• Cholera
• Neuroendocrine tumors

Diarrhea  Treated with Clonidine Use and Dosage

The usual dose of Clonidine for diarrhea is  300 μg/day. However, it is used only when other treatment options have failed. You will need a doctor’s prescription to get Clonidine. You may need to take medicine once a day or as prescribed by your doctor. 

Other precautions to watch out for if you experience diarrhea

Some precautions can help you to reduce your chances of getting diarrhea that includes:

• Washing your hands (soap or sanitizer) before eating, cooking, or handling is an important way to prevent diarrhea 
• Eating good, cooked food 
• Use only bottled or purified water for drinking 
• Avoid consumption of unpeeled or unwashed fruits and vegetables 
• Vaccination (Rotavirus)

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