Diarrhea situation in Bangladesh: Diarrhea is a significant problem in Bangladesh. Although diarrhea is a disease of all ages, it is more common in children. Thirty percent of children in Bangladesh die due to diarrhea and malnutrition. Diarrhea is the third leading cause of death in children under five years of age, followed by malnutrition and pneumonia.
About two and a half to three lakh children die every year due to diarrhea. Recent studies have developed a straightforward and safe method for treating diarrhea. The introduction of dietary saline for the treatment of all types of diarrhea has been hailed as a groundbreaking invention of the present century.
This is a matter of great concern, as the role of medicine in the treatment of diarrhea is negligible and harmful, except in some instances. Even a few days ago, one child in Bangladesh would die of diarrhea every 2 minutes.
Simply put, frequent thin stools are called diarrhea. It should be noted that this definition has two conditions: –
- Thinning of the toilet means more water than usual in the stool. The container in which the bathroom is kept contains the size of the box.
- Frequent (or recurrent) bowel movements, that is, an increase in bowel movements, usually three or more regular bowel movements in 24 hours are called diarrhea.
- At what age is the incidence of diarrhea higher? Diarrhea is more common in children from 6 months to 2 years. However, the prevalence of diarrhea is higher in children under six months of age who consume cow’s milk or powdered milk. Diarrhea is more common in children under five years of age. The excrement of a baby who is exclusively breastfed can occasionally be a little liquid like paste, which is not called diarrhea.
Classification of Diarrhea:
A. Based on the duration of the illness:
1. Acute – Acute onset and lasts for hours or days (but not more than 14 days).
2. Chronic diarrhea – lasts for 14 days or more (sometimes a few months) after onset.
B. Depending on how fluid the stool is and whether there is blood in it-
Watery: Aqueous diarrhea- The stool is very thin, especially in the field of water. There will be no blood in the stool
Dysentry: (Dysentery) – There will be blood in the stool, and it can be seen in the eyes.
How many germs enter the esophagus and cause diarrhea? The disease germs that cause diarrhea are common in our country.
- Virus – Ratavirus mainly
- Bacteria – E. coli, Sigella, Salmonella, Vibrio cholerae etc.
- Parasites – Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, etc.
The way diarrhea germs enter the esophagus – The primary means of spreading the germs of diarrhea are- food or beverages, flies, feces, dirty hands, utensils, or other commonly used items.
Diarrhea is easily transmitted in that physical condition:
Malnutrition: – Diarrhea germs can quickly attack malnourished people.
How many rages: – which generally reduce the body’s resistance to the disease.
Such as – Measles, pneumonia, malaria, etc.
Consequences of Diarrhea:
Regardless, the immediate consequences of diarrhea are dehydration, and death can occur if dehydration is not treated in time. Malnutrition and the associated patient can also occur as a long-term consequence of diarrhea.
Dehydration is when the body does not have enough water and salt to stay healthy. In case of diarrhea, water and salts are excreted from the body along with the stool. Excessive vomiting and excessive fever can also cause the body to lose fluid and salt through sweating. Dehydration naturally occurs when the damage to the body is not adequately compensated.
Dehydration is the supplementation of body water and salt deficiency with oral saline or intravenous saline. The treatment of saline deficiency with oral saline is called ‘Oral Rehydration Therapy’ (ORT), and the salt used to treat it is called ‘Oral Rehydration Salt’ (ORS) or oral saline.
Treatment of Diarrhea:
Three levels of water scarcity. It is essential first to determine the level of rage and dehydration. In most cases, diarrhea can be treated effectively with food saline.
Other symptoms of dehydration:
There may be other symptoms of dehydration, but they are not as crucial in diagnosing dehydration as in children, such as tingling of the scalp or palate, decreased urination or not urinating for longer (more than 6 hours), weakened pulse, and Fast pace, low blood pressure, weight loss.
Diarrhea and malnutrition:
When the patient has to be sent to the hospital or doctor
- If the condition of the patient does not improve within three days.
- If there is frequent thinning of the water.
- If vomiting occurs again and again.
- If you are very thirsty
- The disease if you reduce/give up eating or drinking.
- If blood appears in the stool.
- If there is a fever
- When the patient urination stops, this is a severe complication of diarrhea. If the patient has not urinated in the last 24 hours, he should be sent to the nearest medical center immediately.
Use of medicine to treat diarrhea:
Diarrhea is an autoimmune disease (in most cases). In other words, even if you don’t use any medicine, it gets better at some point. Therefore, in almost all diarrhea, there is no need to use any drug other than saline. Antibiotics do not affect most of the germs identified as the cause.
Unnecessary and indiscriminate use of antibiotics has led to the development of resistance to antibiotics in the patient germs and its proliferation. Moreover, the use of such drugs costs money unnecessarily. Therefore, antibiotics
should never be used regularly for all diarrhea
- Hands should be washed before meals, before feeding the baby, after cleaning the stool, before serving food—other personal hygiene – Regular nail trimming, daily gassing, breast cleaning before breastfeeding.
- If there is malnutrition, extra food should be given.
- Only breastfeed until the baby is six months old.
- Use safe water.
- Measles should be vaccinated.
- Use latrine or toilet.
- Hands should be washed thoroughly with soap after defecation.
- Baby stools need to be drained quickly.
- Food should be covered.