Signs and Symptoms of Diarrhea
Diarrhea can be best understood as an increase in the volume and liquidity of your stools. This condition lasts for a few hours or could extend for a couple of days. During this time, the patient might also suffer from cramps.
You need to remember that diarrhea is not an illness itself but a symptom. It may occur with bloating, fever and nausea.
While diarrhea is not dangerous, it could lead to dehydration or could be a sign of something else.
It is best advised to visit your nearest physician if you have a high fever, are showing signs of dehydration and have blood in your stool.
Before ringing any alarm bells, it is advised that you first monitor the frequency of your visits to the bathroom, if you pass stool thrice in one day, then it is time to establish that you are indeed suffering from diarrhea.
Diarrhea can be linked with a number of specific diseases of the intestines to the diseases outside the intestines.
Instructions
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1
Symptoms
- Unexpected onset of vomiting, stomach pain, headache and fever
- Bowel movements are frequent and last 12 to 60 hours.
- Cramps and audible bowel sounds is a sign of small intestinal disease.
- In chronic diarrhea, a history of chronic weakness, weight loss and anorexia, are important for the doctors before prescribing you any medication
- Bloating
- Nausea
- An urgent need to use the bathroom
- An inability to control the bowels
- Feeling sick to the stomach
- Chills
- Muscle aches or pain
- Low heart rate
- Joint pain
- Repeated constipation
- Blood in stool
- Presence of mucus in stool -
2
Time for you to see the doctor when:
- You become dehydrated
- Your condition persists more than three days
- You have bloody stools
- You have a temperature of more than 102 F (39 C)
- You experience abdominal or rectal pain -
3
Prevention:
- Avoiding the use of tap water is the best prevention against diarrhea. It is best advised that you do not use it even while brushing your teeth
- Avoid drinking unpasteurized milk
- Ice made from tap water should be the last thing on your mind
- Avoid buying food from street vendors
- It is best advised not to eat meat or shellfish which is not hot when served
- Eating raw or rare meat and fish is prohibited
- Do not use raw fruits and vegetables unless they can be peeled
