2 hours agoAuthor: Gaurav Tiwari
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whole world Diarrhea is a major cause of death in children and elderly people. According to a study recently published in ‘Lancet’, diarrhea has been the leading cause of death for children under 5 years of age and the elderly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia for the past several decades.
According to this study published in ‘Lancet’, 12 lakh people died due to diarrhea in the year 2021. However, these figures are less than the 29 lakh deaths due to it in the year 1990. This means that there has been a 60% reduction in death cases in these years. Despite this, the World Health Organization (WHO) is worried about these figures.
According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, every year in India, more than 1 lakh 58 thousand children aged 1-6 years die due to diarrhea.
so today ‘medical certificate‘I will talk about diarrhea. You will also learn that-
- What do national and international statistics say about diarrhea?
- Why is it so dangerous for small children?
- Why does this happen and what are the preventive measures?
Diarrhea is the third biggest cause of death in children
According to the World Health Organization, diarrhea is the third leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age. It causes the death of about 4 lakh 44 thousand children all over the world every year. The mortality rate from diarrhea in children under 5 years of age is up to 9%.
This number of deaths due to diarrhea is a matter of concern because both treatment and prevention of this disease are available. See all the figures related to this in the graphic:
Children are at greater risk due to weak immunity
Pediatrics and Neonatology Consultant Dr. Pradeep Aggarwal says that diarrhea can happen to anyone. However, the immunity of small children and the elderly is weak. Therefore they are more at risk of infection. Apart from this, diarrhea caused by rotavirus often proves fatal for children.
Why does diarrhea occur?
Most people have diarrhea caused by viruses. People call it stomach flu or stomach bug. It infects the intestines and causes stomach upset. Although diarrhea can occur due to many reasons.
Causes of infection: Diarrhea can be caused by infection due to any virus, bacteria or parasite. Norovirus is usually the cause in older people. In small children, it is mostly caused by rotavirus.
Causes of food poisoning: Toxins and pathogens can enter our stomach through contaminated food or drinks. These can reach the intestine and cause diarrhea. In case of small children, cases of food poisoning are also seen a lot.
Due to medicines: Sometimes some medicines may cause diarrhea. Consuming too many antibiotics kills the healthy bacteria in our stomach. This creates a condition of dysbiosis and can lead to stomach upset.
Due to intolerance: Some people may get diarrhea from eating certain things. If someone is lactose intolerant then eating things made from milk can upset his stomach. This happens because their body has to work very hard to digest lactose i.e. the sweetness present in any dairy product. This worsens digestion.
Causes of diseases: In some diseases, inflammation in the intestines can cause diarrhea. Stomach upset can occur in diseases like irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease.
What are its symptoms?
Its most common symptom is passing watery stool. During this period, stomach cramps and cramps may occur. Sometimes vomiting may also occur.
If there is severe diarrhea then it can be fatal, so consult a doctor immediately. See its symptoms in the graphic:
Some common questions and answers related to diarrhea
Question: What complications can occur in diarrhea?
answer: The biggest complication of diarrhea is dehydration. In this, children under 5 years of age and elderly people above 65 years of age are at greatest risk. Dehydration, if not controlled, can lead to kidney failure, heart attack or death.
Question: What is the treatment for diarrhea?
answer: Diarrhea in adults is usually cured at home. However, during this time they have to take care of hydration.
In case of children and elderly people, do not try to cure it at home as it is difficult for them to recover from dehydration. In case of diarrhea, take them to the hospital or doctor immediately.
Question: What is the treatment for dehydration?
answer: In case of dehydration, just drinking water is not enough. Therefore, doctors may advise drinking ORS solution for this. If severe dehydration occurs, an IV (drip) may be needed.
Question: What are the things that need to be taken care of before or after treatment?
answer: Diarrhea causes swelling in the intestines. Therefore, only light food should be eaten during and after the treatment.
In case of diarrhea, it is important to stay hydrated along with treatment. Due to diarrhea, the body becomes so weak that maximum rest is required for recovery.
- During this time we should increase our liquid intake.
- Drinking mixed veg soup prepared from seasonal vegetables proves beneficial.
- Pedialyte and other liquids can be taken along with electrolytes.
- Very sweet or greasy foods and sweet juices should be avoided. Increasing sugar intake can increase the problem of diarrhea.
- During this period, one should not eat BRAT diet i.e. bananas, rice, apple chutney, toast etc.
Question: What are the measures to prevent diarrhea?
answer: To avoid diarrhea, it is most important to maintain cleanliness. For this-
- Keep washing your hands frequently.
- Avoid eating street food.
- Keep food well covered.
- Do not eat stale or stored food.
- If you go out somewhere, drink only clean water.
- Do not drink fruit juices available on the roadside.
- Eat fruits and vegetables after washing them with warm water.
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