Diarrhea is a condition characterized by diluted stools released by frequent bowel movements (BAB) more often than usual. In general, diarrhea occurs due to consumption of foods or beverages contaminated with bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Usually diarrhea lasts only a few days, but in some cases extends for weeks.
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**Patients with diarrhea in Indonesia**
Diarrhea is one of the biggest health problems in Indonesian society. Based on research conducted by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia in 2007, diarrhea was ranked as the thirteenth cause of death of all ages with a proportion of 3.5 percent. Meanwhile, based on the category of infectious diseases, diarrhea ranked third cause of death after pneumonia and tuberculosis. From these data, the age group that experienced the most diarrhea was a toddler with a prevalence of 16.7 percent.
Diarrhea can be fatal if the patient is dehydrated due to loss of fluid from the body. Therefore diarrhea should not be taken lightly even if this condition is common.
**Symptoms of diarrhea**
Symptoms of diarrhea vary, ranging from those who only feel short stomach pain with stool that is not too thin to have a stomach cramps with very dilute stools. In the case of severe diarrhea, the likelihood sufferers will also experience fever and severe stomach cramps.
**Causes of diarrhea in general**
The causes of diarrhea in adults and children are generally intestinal infections. Intestinal infections can occur when we eat dirty or contaminated foods or drinks. Microorganisms that often cause intestinal infections are bacteria, parasites, and viruses such as norovirus and rotavirus .
Diarrhea may also arise due to the following factors:
* Side effects of certain drugs,
* Psychological factors, such as anxiety,
* Consumption of alcoholic beverages and excessive coffee.
* Diarrhea Diagnosis
* In diagnosing diarrhea , the doctor will usually ask about the symptoms experienced and perform physical
* examination, including finding whether there is dehydration. In some cases, doctors need to perform rectal
* examination, examine stool samples, or even blood tests.
**Regarding the treatment of diarrhea**
If severe, diarrhea can lead to dehydration. Dehydration has a fatal consequence and potentially claimed the lives of patients, especially if it occurs in children. This is because the body's resistance to dehydration is much lower than that of adults. Therefore, parents are advised to be wary of signs of dehydration in children. Patients are also advised to drink lots of fluids during diarrhea is still ongoing.
Oralit can be taken to avoid dehydration, but consult with your doctor or pharmacist first, especially if you have certain diseases, such as heart disease .
Antidiarrheal drugs are usually not very necessary, except for those who have solid activity or who want to travel long distances. One of the most effective and fast antidiarrheal drugs in stopping diarrhea is loperamide . However, loperamide should not be given to children.
Most people with diarrhea recover after several days without treatment . In adults, diarrhea usually heals after 2-4 days. While in children, diarrhea usually lasts longer, ie between 5-7 days.
If your child has severe, persistent diarrhea, or if he or she starts to show signs of dehydration, consult your doctor immediately. Diarrhea as much as six or more times in a 24-hour period in children should also be consulted to the doctor.
Likewise with diarrhea that makes your body condition decreased drastically should be consulted to the doctor, especially if there is blood or pus in your stools.
Laboratory stool examination may be necessary as part of further research. Diarrhea lasting more than a few weeks in adults can be caused by irritable bowel syndrome, colon cancer , or Crohn's disease .
**How to prevent diarrhea**
Diarrhea not only affects the patient, but also has the potential to spread, especially to family members. Therefore, diarrhea should be prevented from the first contact to the spread.
**Here are the preventive measures of diarrhea caused by contamination:**
* Wash hands before eating.
* Steer clear of food that is in doubtful hygiene and does not drink tap water.
* Separate the raw food from the ripe.
* Prioritize fresh food.
* Store food in the refrigerator and not allow food to be left under sun exposure or room temperature.
* If you have diarrhea, you may take the following steps to prevent diarrhea from spreading to those around you.
If staying one house, make sure the patient avoids the use of the same towel or cutlery as other family members.
Cleaning the toilet with disinfectant after each bowel movement.
Stay home at least 48 hours after the last diarrhea period.
Wash hands after using the toilet or before meals and before preparing food.
Source https://www.alodokter.com/diare