People of all ages can get diarrhea. Symptoms include frequent and loose stools, abdominal cramping or pain, thirst, nausea and weight loss if diarrhea is severe. Should you experience bloody stools or have diarrhea for more than a few days, seek physician care immediately. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, children and elderly people run a higher risk of dehydration than normal, healthy adults. The average adult, who has around four bouts of diarrhea per year, has a number of remedies to try that may ward off or alleviate diarrhea symptoms.
Over-the-Counter Remedies
A variety of over-the-counter antidiarrheal medications exist that can be taken orally in both pill or liquid form. Follow the directions on the label carefully. Consumers often want to relieve the uncomfortable symptoms of diarrhea and may take too much over-the-counter medication to alleviate these symptoms, which can later cause constipation.
Nutrition and Supplements
Changing your diet may also help alleviate symptoms of diarrhea. Fresh vegetable juices and clear broths will help restore water and electrolytes that may have been depleted while experiencing diarrhea. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, probiotics, live yeast, glutamine, bovine colostrum and zinc will help treat diarrhea.
Herbs
Certain herbs will treat diarrhea and help eliminate some of the water in the intestines that accompanies diarrhea. Herbs that will ward off diarrhea include marshmallow root, blackberry leaf, carob powder, agrimony and extract of bilberry. Psyllium and plants containing berberine may also aid in alleviating diarrhea because of the anti-inflammatory properties contained in each herb.
Homeopathy Remedies
Before taking any homeopathic remedies, an experienced homeopath will assess you before recommending which remedy would best treat your diarrhea. Homeopathy remedies include arsenicum album, calcarea carbonica, chamomilla, podophyllum, mercurius and sulphur. Not only will some of these remedies treat diarrhea, but they will also treat symptoms related to diarrhea, such as bloating, stomach cramps, exhaustion, vomiting and chills.
Acupuncture
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, several studies that been published in traditional Chinese medicine journals conclude that acupuncture can help treat diarrhea. When adults have acupuncture performed to treat diarrhea, it is often combined with traditional medicine.
Antibiotics
In some cases, a physician may prescribe antibiotics, depending on the cause of diarrhea. While diarrhea could occur from nerves, stress, food poisoning and other factors, it might also be due to an infection. Bacterial infections will often warrant antibiotic treatment, as these types of infections will not go away on their own or may become more severe if not properly treated.
