Your Childrens Health

Diarrhea is an unpleasant disorder that unfortunately almost everyone experiences at one time or another. The stool is of loose consistency, and usually means more frequent trips to the toilet.

More common causes of loose, watery stools and abdominal cramps are infection from bacteria, parasites and viruses. Some other causes include artificial sweeteners and medication, particularly antibiotics.

Chronic diarrhea usually lasts longer that acute diarrhea. It could be a sign of a serious disorder like inflammatory bowel disease, or it may be due to a less serious condition like irritable bowel syndrome. Usually most cases of diarrhea clear up on their, own without treatment.

Some signs and symptoms of diarrhea are as follows:

·     Loose frequent water stools

·     Fever

·     Bleeding

·     Abdominal cramps

·     Abdominal pain

Other symptoms like nausea and vomiting may precede diarrhea that could be caused by an infection. Sometimes infections caused by bacteria and parasites can cause bloody stools.

The most common causes of diarrhea include the following:

·     Viruses- The rotavirus is the most common cause of diarrhea in childhood. Viral diarrhea is spread very easily

·     Parasites and bacteria- Water of food that has been contaminated can transmit parasites and bacteria into your body

Lactose, a sugar found in milk and milk products is also a common cause of diarrhea. Antibiotics can disturb the natural bacteria balance in the intestines. Artificial sweeteners mannitol and sorbi, which are found in chewing gum, and other ‘sugar free’ products can also cause diarrhea.

If diarrhea lasts for more that a week, or if you become dehydrated, see your doctor. You should also get medical attention if you have severe abdominal or rectal pain.

Call your doctor if diarrhea lasts for more that 12 to 24 hours or if your child:

·     Has black or bloody stools

·     If skin doesn’t flatten if pinched and released

·     Has a high fever

·     The mouth is dry and cries without tears

·     Hasn’t had a wet diaper in three or more hours

·     Abdomen, eyes or cheeks are sunken in

·     Is sleepy, drowsy, unresponsive or irritable

The doctor will most likely advise you to administer replacement fluids and an electrolyte mixture, because of the loss of fluids and salts during diarrhea. If a parasite caused the diarrhea, prescription antibiotics may ease your child’s symptoms. Antibiotics will ease the symptoms of bacteria diarrhea, but will not help viral diarrhea.

You can prevent the spread of diarrhea by encouraging your child to frequently wash their hands. If your child has diarrhea, it is also good to inform schools and/or daycare. Keeping your child home from school or daycare decreases the chance of an outbreak. Contact your family doctor with any comments or concerns.

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This entry was posted on Friday, March 17th, 2006 at 5:41 am and is filed under Infections, Medical Care, Adolescence, Diet and Nutrition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.