Foods to Avoid While Preventing Diarrhea

Most times, the cause of diarrhea is unknown such that when you experience it, you begin to try hard to remember what you ate last that must have triggered diarrhea you are experiencing. Do you know that it is not only junks that cause diarrhea? Real foods do too. However, foods that cause diarrhea differ among people, but some common triggers include spicy foods and some vegetables.

Stooling can be a regular thing in our everyday life, but when it becomes watery and loose, you need to be cautious and take quick medical measures to prevent complications. A situation whereby you use the bathroom more frequently than you normally do, with an extremely watery and loose stool, and you probably vomit in the process of stooling, are clear indications that you are suffering from diarrhea.

Usually, diarrhea happens for different reasons with almost no specific cause, but it goes away with time on its own after a few days. In some people, no necessary medications need to be taken to stop it, while in other people, urgent medical attention is advised. Anyone can suffer from diarrhea—children, infants, and adults alike.

The discomfort that comes with diarrhea includes weakness, bloated stomach, and nausea. These discomforts can graduate into severe complications if proper care is not taken. The weakness attached to diarrhea is due to the high-level of dehydration as a result of the constant watery stool. During diarrhea episodes, a lot of water leaves the body leading to dehydration, and this is why a salt-sugar solution is provided to replace the lost fluid and prevent fainting. The severity of diarrhea is in different stages, all of which would be discussed in this article.

Understanding the concept of diarrhea and having an idea about its prevention and cure is very important. All the information you might require on how to tackle diarrhea, foods to eat while having diarrhea, as well as foods that cause diarrhea are richly provided by this article. In order to better understand these, you need to proceed to the next part of this article, where the severity levels of diarrhea are discussed.

Levels of Severity

Acute Diarrhea

This kind lasts between one to two days, with no necessary medications needed aside from salt-sugar solution as fluid replacement. This kind stops on its own in most cases, and the cause is usually unspecific.

Persistent Diarrhea

This kind persists for weeks and is more severe than acute diarrhea. It lasts between two to four weeks.

Chronic Diarrhea

Chronic diarrhea stays for more than four weeks; just like the name implies, it is chronic and could be dangerous if the victim is not under medical observations. It is important to seek medical advice when symptoms like fever, dehydration even after taking fluid replacement and severe abdominal cramps get worse and lasts longer than normal.

Causes of Diarrhea

The causes of diarrhea range from individual to food reactions. The known cause of diarrhea in every case is a viral or bacterial infection. Other possible causes include;

• Certain foods
• Allergies
• Some medications
• Poor absorption of foods

Are you trying to imagine how foods cause diarrhea? Read on.

Foods That Cause Diarrhea

Spicy Foods

The heat from spicy foods can irritate the stomach and the digestive system, causing them to react in return. Spicy foods contain capsaicin, and too much of it causes nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and finally, diarrhea.

Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are sugar substitutes like saccharin and aspartame. These sugar substitutes are capable of upsetting the stomach and digestive system in general. Foods that contain sugar substitutes include; cereals, diet drinks, dessert, sodas, and processed milk.

Dairy Products

Having diarrhea after eating any dairy product means you are suffering from lactose intolerance. This is a condition whereby your body disposes of the sugar in the dairy product very quickly in the form of diarrhea instead of breaking it down. Some of these dairy products include; oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, lactose-free dairy milk.

Coffee

Coffee, which contains caffeine, stimulates your digestive system such that you begin to feel bloated after taking real coffee. In order to reduce diarrhea-causing effects in coffee, try adding milk or any other dairy product. If it persists, then leave coffee and switch to green tea or any other healthy beverage.

Caffeinated Foods Asides from Coffee

Eating certain foods that contain caffeine can lead to diarrhea. Caffeine is a stimulant that stimulates mental alertness, also stimulates the digestive system, and upset it in the process, after which diarrhea sets in. Foods that contain caffeine include; black tea, chocolate, cocoa, and cola.

Foods that Contain Fructose

Fructose being a natural sugar found in fruits, is capable of upsetting the digestive system when it gets into the body. When fructose is taken in large amounts, that is, eating fruits in large amounts could lead to the funny movement of your bowel. The resultant effect of this action becomes diarrhea. Fructose can be found in the following foods; soft drinks, preserved foods, and candies.

Garlic and Onions

The gases produced by garlic and onions, when broken down by the acid in your stomach, can irritate your digestive system, leading to diarrhea.

Broccoli and Cauliflower

As rich in nutrients as broccoli and cauliflower are, digesting them irritates your digestive tracts, causing abdominal cramps and diarrhea in the process. The body finds it a bit difficult to break down these two.

Fast Foods

It is no longer news that fast foods contain tons and tons of preservatives, sweeteners, saturated, and trans-fat. These agents can cause diarrhea and worsen diarrhea symptoms. This is as a result of the hurdle the body passes through in order to break them down. Examples of some foods that are high in saturated fats include; fried chicken, French fries, burgers, and so on.

Alcohol

Taking alcohol in large amounts can lead to diarrhea. It is advisable to stop all forms of alcohol, especially beer when you notice any symptom of diarrhea.

Symptoms of Diarrhea

• Frequent watery and loose stool; here, it is possible for you to use the bathroom twice in five minutes.
• Nausea; here, you feel so irritated and bloated such that your one and the only way of feeling better is throwing up.
• Fever, though fever does not come with all kinds of diarrhea. It differs in persons and body systems. However, chronic diarrhea comes in handy with burning fever and extra discomfort.
• Dehydration and weakness; this is usually due to the loss of fluid in the body. In order to replace the fluids, healthy beverages and solutions have been discovered by professional health care practitioners to be helpful in the easing of symptoms and reduction of dehydration to the barest minimum.
• Abdominal cramps; it is the first stage of diarrhea. In some people, cramps are severe, while in others, they not. After abdominal cramps come nausea and stooling.

Foods to Eat When Suffering from Diarrhea

• Broths like chicken or beef broths
• Coconut water
• Foods that contain vitamins
• Salt-sugar solution
• Decaffeinated tea
• Scrambled eggs

Home Remedies for Diarrhea

• Rehydrate yourself with a salt-sugar solution. Mix half teaspoon of sugar and half teaspoon of water in a cup of water, drink the solution to replace your lost fluids.
• Eat foods rich in potassium and electrolytes. Examples of these foods include; potatoes, fruits, miso soup, soft vegetables, and so on.
• Consider the BRAT diet. BRAT means
• Banana
• Rice
• Apple sauce
• Toast
• Avoid foods like spicy, greasy, fatty, and hot foods that can irritate your digestive tracts.
• Take drugs and foods that can help strengthen your digestive system.

See A Doctor When;

• Your diarrhea episodes become very frequent
• You feel severe abdominal cramps
• There is lingering dehydration after taking replacement fluids.
• You notice pus contents in your stool.

In conclusion, diarrhea can be very discomforting and painful, especially for children. Understanding the ways and methods of tackling it will go a long way in bringing quick relief when you notice its symptoms. Diarrhea, depending on its degree of severity, could last between two and thirty days. The immediate remedy should be given at the slightest symptom observed. Some foods have been identified to be the culprit behind diarrhea, while some other foods have been the superheroes that come to the rescue when these culprits carry out their acts. Above all, seeking medical attention is important in order to prevent complications. Also, avoiding diarrhea’s triggers is a good first step in preventing it.