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| Coquitlam Connection |
| Diarrhea |
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| If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does he become disoriented? |
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| Almost everyone gets diarrhea once in a while. Usually it lasts only a day or two and isn't serious. Many things can cause diarrhea: Infection by a virus, bacteria or parasites Ingestion of bad water or spoiled food Food poisoning Allergies Emotional turmoil Too many laxatives Certain drugs (antibiotics like tetracycline, clindamycin and ampicillin) can give you diarrhea Diverticulitis Inflammatory bowel disease or Crohn's disease Questions to Ask Question: Does the patient have any of these problems with the diarrhea? Black stools Feeling very thirsty and not passing much urine Blood in the stool Severe pain in the stomach or buttocks Extremely dry skin Wrinkled skin If the answer is YES, see your doctor. If the answer is NO, go to the next question. Question: Has the diarrhea lasted 48 hours or more, and/or does the patient have a fever of 1010F or more? If the answer is YES, see your doctor. If the answer is NO, go to the next question. Question: Are any medicines being taken? They may not be working because of the diarrhea, or they may be causing it. If the answer is YES, see your doctor. If the answer is NO, go to the next question. Question: If the patient is a baby or a sick, older person, are they getting the diarrhea more than eight times a day? If the answer is YES, see your doctor. If the answer is NO, go to the next question. Question: Did the person just come back from a trip to another country? If the answer is YES, see your doctor. Self Care Procedures Watch out for dehydration. Drink plenty of clear liquids. Sucking ice chips helps, too. Adults should drink about two cups of water an hour unless they are vomiting. Children over two years of age can drink up to two quarts a day. Ask your doctor for help if the child is thirsty, has cramps, or seems weak or confused. Ask your doctor what to give a child under two years of age. You can buy Pedialyte� or Lytren� (both are liquid and contain minerals) at most pharmacies. They can be taken by adults, too. When the Diarrhea Starts to Lessen, Follow These Tips Eat a B.R.A.T. diet (BRAT stands for ripe Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast). You should eat these foods before you try any others. Eat small amounts of soft foods, like cooked potatoes. Stay away from meat, nuts, beans and dairy foods. Don't eat high-fiber foods like whole-grain bread or bran cereal. Don't eat foods that are hard to digest, such as raw fruits and vegetables, fried foods and sweets. Don't drink coffee. Don't exercise too hard until the diarrhea is gone. Try any over-the-counter drug such as Immodium A-D�, Kaopectate� or Pepto-Bismol�. Wait at least 12 hours before taking these, however. Let the diarrhea "run its course" to get rid of what caused it. Note: Do not give aspirin or any medication containing salicylates, such as Pepto-Bismol�, to anyone 19 years of age or younger, unless directed by a physician, due to its association with Reye's syndrome, a potentially fatal condition. Excerpted from an article in the Self-Care Advisor; via Ostomatic News, Dallas (TX) & Ostomy Newsletter, S. Brevard (FL) & The Courier ,The Mission Ostomy Chpt. of Tucson (AZ) Sep 02 |
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