Diarrhea is often joked about, but once you have it, it’s no joking matter. That’s because diarrhea and the symptoms that often come with it, including abdominal pain, stomach cramps, nausea, and bloating, can zap your energy and make you feel truly miserable. Fortunately, along with medical treatments, there are a few at-home diarrhea remedies to try, to ease those uncomfortable symptoms.
First, How to Reduce Your Chances of Getting Diarrhea
You don’t necessarily have to have a serious medical condition that causes diarrhea. “The runs” can happen to healthy people due to a variety sources, namely viruses, bacteria like salmonella and E.coli, and parasites. This is why it’s important to make sure the food and beverages you drink are safe and properly cooked. Although it’s impossible to see these things with the naked eye or avoid them altogether, there are a couple of foods you might want to avoid altogether to prevent a bout of diarrhea.
First, avoid dairy. It can be tempting to eat a gooey pizza or a huge bowl of homemade ice cream right before a big presentation, but it can definitely trigger diarrhea.
Second, fructose is known to cause diarrhea as well. Fructose is found in fruits and honey, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid fruit – thanks to the fiber content, it could actually help regulate digestion.
But limit your intake of honey, artificial sweeteners like Splenda and Sweet ‘N’ Low – they’re also linked to diarrhea for some people who have trouble digesting it.
Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Diarrhea
If you’ve tried your best to be diarrhea-free but are unfortunate enough to get it, choose from these natural remedies to alleviate it as quickly as possible. But remember, if you’ve got regular diarrhea, or diarrhea for an extended period of time, see a doctor immediately:
Ginger
Ginger doesn’t just help with your nausea and motion sickness. It can also help ease diarrhea and stomach pain. 2 Simply grate a piece of ginger and mix it into a smoothie. You can also slice ginger and add it, along with orange slices, to a glass of water. If you don’t have any fresh ginger on hand, check your spice rack: you can always use ginger powder in a pinch.
Peppermint
Peppermint tea is often known to help soothe the stomach. 3 Simply get some sprigs of fresh mint and add them to a pot of boiling water. Or buy peppermint tea bags. Let the mixture cool, and drink up once the tea becomes lukewarm.
Chamomile Tea
If you don’t have the energy to head over to the grocery store for sprigs of mint, perhaps you have some sachets of chamomile tea in your pantry to help you sleep? In addition to helping you relax and drift off to dreamland, chamomile tea is often used to help with diarrhea. 4 If you have it, brew and sip.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Many believe good ol’ Apple Cider Vinegar can help treat diarrhea because ACV boasts antibacterial properties. 5 Just make sure you dilute it in water because it’s extremely strong (and the acidity isn’t necessarily good for you). Mix one teaspoon of ACV in an 8 ounce glass of water; consume twice daily.
White Rice
Many cultures rely on white rice not only for daily meals but to help the stomach “rest” while the body suffers from illness. For diarrhea, some believe that white rice helps to solidify the waste thanks to its starchiness. 6 Experts often recommend crackers and white toast for a similar reason.
Diarrhea is common but no one likes to admit they have it. In addition to forcing you to run to the bathroom at (often) inopportune times, a bout of diarrhea and its common symptoms, including stomach cramps, bloating, and nausea, can dehydrate you quickly, leaving you exhausted and utterly miserable. If you need relief from diarrhea and its symptoms, try these super-simple, natural remedies.
If you suffer from chronic diarrhea, you should visit your doctor for a check-up, to make sure there isn’t some potentially serious underlying cause.
For more helpful articles follow the links below:
10 Lifestyle Habits Destroying Good Bacteria in Your Body
5 Ways to Improve Your Digestive Microflora (and boost your health!)
Sources:
2.https://books.google.com/books?id=fNacBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA56&lpg=PA56&dq=ginger+diarrhea&source=bl&ots=2c9uFBBNnR&sig=PY9ioJFBn4dNhkQ5k2hv-Oahl4E&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi2grf0n5HTAhWrsFQKHa2QASE4HhDoAQhNMAk#v=onepage&q=ginger%20diarrhea&f=false
3.http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/peppermint
4.http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/diarrhea
5.https://authoritynutrition.com/6-proven-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/
6.http://www.rsu.edu/s/selfhelp/Diarrhea_SO.html