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- $Unique_ID{BRK00361}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Tips on Caring for Every Day Diarrhea}
- $Subject{diarrhea Digestive Infection home grown viral bacterial infections
- allergies foods food allergy digestive intolerance dangerous effect loss
- fluids dehydration replacement liquids Water sodium potassium electrolytes
- electrolyte}
- $Volume{I-12, A-12}
- $Log{}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- Tips on Caring for Every Day Diarrhea
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- QUESTION: Although many articles appear about taking care of diarrhea that
- comes on when traveling, little is said about the every day homegrown variety.
- Surely many more of us suffer from this inconvenience than the other kind.
- Won't you please give us some tips on caring for the problem?
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-
- ANSWER: You know, you are right. The fact is that most questions that are
- addressed to me do express anxiety about meeting up with diarrhea while
- voyaging to foreign countries. Actually the information that is contained in
- answers to those questions contain important tips about your "homegrown"
- variety, but I am happy to address that problem now. The most common cause of
- diarrhea, with its frequent large amounts of loose and watery stools, is
- viral infection. However, the same symptoms can be caused by bacterial
- infections, allergies to certain food products, or digestive intolerance to
- certain foods. The dangerous effect of prolonged and excessive watery
- movements is the loss of body fluids and dehydration, much more serious in
- children. Therefore we pay a lot of attention to the replacement of liquids.
- Fruit juices and sweet liquids are NOT a good idea, and can make the condition
- worse. Water is not too helpful either, for it lacks some of the important
- chemicals, sodium and potassium (electrolytes) that are lost in the liquid
- stool. Nonfat chicken soup is a good replacement fluid, as is Gatorade, and
- children may be given special solutions prepared for them after checking with
- the physician. Stay away from spicy or hard to digest foods. Stay at home
- and rest, for you may easily pass on your condition to fellow workers or
- family you may come in contact with. When you begin to feel better, resume
- your normal diet gradually, starting with rice, crackers and toast, cooked
- potatoes and carrots, then on to broiled skinless chicken and fish. It may
- take a while to get everything back to normal, but slow progress is better
- than the discomfort of a recurrence because your battered system needs more
- rest.
-
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-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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-