Diarrhea is the condition when your bowel movements are loose and watery. The good news is most cases of diarrhea are not serious. While it is an unpleasant feeling, it is common enough in the general population. Statistics show that diarrhea strikes once or twice a year for most people. However, a higher frequency is possible if you suffer from other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. Fortunately, you can cure it by simply following various home remedies for diarrhea.
Causes:
The most common cause of diarrhea is a virus that infects the gut. In layman’s terms, it is called an ‘intestinal flu’ or ‘stomach flu’. Another common reason is food poisoning. When you eat foods that are spoiled or on the verge of being spoiled, your body seeks to purge itself. This results in either diarrhea or vomiting. Food poisoning can also occur when you consume foods that are entirely foreign to your stomach. This is usually the case for what is dubbed as “traveler’s diarrhea”. Other causes of diarrhea are,
- Allergies to certain foods.
- A side effect of some medications.
- Laxative abuse
- Excessive alcohol intake, or alcohol abuse.
- Hyperthyroidism
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Chronic diseases of the intestine, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.
- A side effect of radiation therapy.
Symptoms:
- A constant/frequent urge to rush to the toilet.
- Watery, thin, or loose stool.
- Nausea
- Bloating in your stomach area, and painful cramps
- Dehydration
Sometimes, you may exhibit a more serious set of symptoms, like
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Blood along with stool.
- Mucus
- Undigested food in the stool.
Home Remedies for Diarrhea:
A typical case of diarrhea lasts for 2-3 days. This diarrhea is called acute diarrhea. It is mostly harmless and cures easily. There is usually a virus or bacteria that causes this. Acute diarrhea is what most individuals suffer from. And it can be treated via different home remedies for diarrhea. Chronic diarrhea, on the other hand, is more serious. So if diarrhea lasts for more than 3-4 days, consult a doctor.
1.) Hydration to Cure Diarrhea
The first step on the road to recovery from diarrhea is to ensure that your body has sufficient hydration. When affected by diarrhea, the body loses a lot of water in the form of loose, watery stools. And because one tends to relieve themselves multiple times a day, that much more water is lost from the body. But in addition to this, essential salts like sodium, potassium, and chloride are lost from the body.
- Replenish the water and salts lost from your body with a simple homemade electrolyte drink. You will need, ½ teaspoon of salt, 4 teaspoons of sugar, and 3-4 tablespoons of orange juice or lemon juice.
- Mix all these into a 1-liter bottle of water. Sip this slowly during the day and finish it by the end of the day. This method is better than simply plain water as it is easier on the stomach.
2.) Treat Diarrhea with Banana Diet
One effective remedy is ripe bananas. This is one of the home remedies that have been passed down through generations. The combination of ripe bananas and a clear liquid of your choice can help to restore the healthy texture of your stool. Bananas are loaded with potassium. Potassium is one of the salts that are lost from the body via diarrhea. In addition, they are easy to digest and also help to bind stool to its regular consistency.
- To prepare this, you will need 1-2 ripe bananas, and some clear, sweet liquid. Room temperature, flat soda works well. You will also need a bowl and a fork.
- Peel the bananas and break into pieces into the bowl. Using the fork, mash it well till it resembles baby food.
- Add 3-4 tablespoons of the flat soda to the mashed bananas and mix well. Eat this twice a day for meals.
- Alternatively, you can replace the soda with 2-3 tablespoons of organic coconut milk.
3.) Yogurt to Treat Diarrhea Fast
Normally, you are required to stay away from dairy products when experiencing diarrhea. But yogurt has been shown to be among home remedies for diarrhea. It contains good bacteria that can help to get rid of diarrhea in a fast and effective manner. Adding some fruits to this can speed up the healing process. Use plain yogurt for this and not flavored ones. Another type of yogurt that is good for diarrhea is live-culture yogurt (Kefir).
- You will need the live-culture yogurt/plain yogurt and some fruits. Bananas or blueberries are excellent to use for this remedy.
- Chop the bananas/blueberries roughly and add into yogurt.
- Alternatively, you can mash the bananas and then add to the yogurt.
4.) B.R.A.T Diet to Combat Diarrhea
The B.R.A.T of this diet stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. This diet is quite helpful for anyone suffering from nausea or diarrhea. These foods are easy to digest and provide some form of bulk for the digestive system to intake. Naturally, this is not a long term diet, but it is very effective for curing diarrhea. It is important to note that you must take only small portions of the foods at a time for ease of digestion.
- Mix up small portions of each of these foods for each meal.
- You can mix in some rice with soup, or toast and soup. But note not to put butter on the toast as dairy products only tend to aggravate the condition further.
- Eat a small banana with some applesauce for a change in flavor. You can mash the bananas or simply chop them up.
5.) Cure Diarrhea Overnight with Fenugreek
This treatment in home remedies for diarrhea can give you instant relief from the condition. And this is because fenugreek seeds contain a high content of mucilage. Mucilage is a gelatinous solution produced by most plant roots and seeds. It is especially relevant for curing diarrhea as it acts as a thickening agent for the watery stool.
- You will need a ½ teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, ¼ teaspoon of cumin seeds, and 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt.
- Mix these ingredients together and eat. Do this thrice a day for instant relief.
- Alternatively, simply chew on ½ a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds if the other ingredients are unavailable at the time.
6.) Ginger Treatment for Diarrhea
Ginger has long been used in many home remedies for various ailments and problems. You may know it for its most common use of soothing sore throats and voice problems. But aside from all this, ginger can be used to cure various stomach problems as well. And so, it is another among home remedies for diarrhea. In addition, it can help to soothe cramps and relieve abdominal pains.
- You will need ½ inch piece of ginger root, a grater, and some honey.
- Peel the ginger root and finely grate it. Add this to a tablespoon of honey and mix it well.
- Eat this concoction about twice a day.
- After consuming, wait for a while before you drink water. This will let the effects of the ginger work on your system before you flush it out with water.
- Alternatively, you can use ginger powder as a replacement for fresh, strong ginger root.
7.) Carrots to Cure Diarrhea Naturally
Carrots, or more specifically, carrot soup is among good home remedies for diarrhea. While this vegetable is highly popular for maintaining sharp eyesight, it can be utilized to treat diarrhea. It contains many nutrients that help the body to speed up the recovery time. One such compound is called pectin. But because hard foods are difficult to digest and absorb at this time, soup is the best way to make use of the benefits of carrots.
- You will need some carrots, half a cup of water and some salt to taste.
- Peel and chop the carrots into the desired size. Pour the water into a saucepan and put it on the heat. Add the carrots and cook until it is soft.
- When it is almost done cooking, add salt to taste. Simply consume the soup like this, or pour it into a blender and make it a smooth soup.
- Make sure you eat this even a few days after the symptoms for diarrhea stop. Do not add pepper. Spices will only serve to aggravate the bowels.
8.) Chamomile Tea to Relieve Diarrhea
Various types of tea have been used to cure or aid in treating many ailments. Chamomile tea, in particular, can help to alleviate most abdominal pains caused by diarrhea. It soothes the aggravated sections of the digestive system. This is because it contains glycine, which helps to soothe tense muscles.
- You will need dried chamomile tea or a chamomile tea bag, 1 cup water and a lemon (optional).
- Heat the water till it starts to boil. Now pour into your favorite mug, and add the chamomile tea. Let it infuse for 3-4 minutes.
- If you want to improve the taste of the tea, you may add some fresh lemon juice.
9.) Black Seed Oil for Diarrhea Treatment
Black seed oil has always been used in home remedies to treat various digestive problems. And so naturally, this becomes part of home remedies for diarrhea.
- You will need 1-2 teaspoons of black seed oil and 1 cup plain, unsalted yogurt.
- Mix together the black seed oil and yogurt thoroughly. Make sure the mixture is well blended.
- Take this remedy twice a day for 5 days or till the symptoms of diarrhea subside.
10.) Treat Diarrhea with White Rice
Eating plain white rice may not be that appealing to many people. This could be because it really does not have a distinct taste of its own. Not to mention the health-conscious waist-watchers would like to stay far away from this starch loaded food. But it is under good home remedies for diarrhea. All you will need is cooked plain white rice. Avoid mixing it with any sauces or spices. Plain white rice helps to harden the stools.
