How to rehydrate during a period of acute diarrhea?
Diarrhea causes significant water and electrolyte losses: how to rehydrate effectively?
A prolonged episode of diarrhea or vomiting can cause the body to lose more fluid than it can absorb. Severe dehydration , often a symptom of diarrhea, can lead to kidney failure and can be particularly dangerous in children and the elderly. It is important to control it in adults and people at risk and thus allow the body to defend itself in these situations leading to dehydration.
What is diarrhea?
Going to the bathroom, having a bowel movement, pooping – whatever you call it, bowel movements are a normal part of your life. However, sometimes this process of removing waste from your body changes. When you have loose or watery stools, it’s called diarrhea. This is a very common condition that usually resolves without intervention. Diarrhea can occur for a wide variety of reasons and it usually goes away on its own within one to three days. When you have diarrhea, you may need to rush to the bathroom urgently and this may happen more frequently than normal. You may also feel bloated, have lower abdominal cramps, and sometimes feel nauseous. While most cases of diarrhea are self-limiting (occurring for a fixed duration and a consistent level of severity), diarrhea can sometimes lead to serious complications. Diarrhea can cause dehydration (when your body loses large amounts of water), electrolyte imbalance (loss of sodium, potassium, and magnesium which play a key role in vital body functions), and kidney failure (not enough blood/fluid is supplied to the kidneys). When you have diarrhea, you lose water and electrolytes along with stool. You need to drink plenty of fluids (even if it is difficult) to replace what is lost. Dehydration can become serious if it does not resolve (get better), worsens, and is not treated adequately
If you have diarrhea or vomiting, watch carefully for these signs of dehydration:
- Feeling of thirst and dry mouth
- Colored or dark urine
- Urinating infrequently during the day
- dry skin (skinfold test)
- Fatigue and loss of concentration
- Nausea
By the time these symptoms appear, however, dehydration may be well advanced. At the first sign of diarrhea or vomiting, begin replacing lost water and essential salts called electrolytes with rehydration solutions.
ORS (oral rehydration salts) is a special combination of dry salts mixed with clean water. It can help replace fluids lost due to diarrhea.
Hydratis is a French company specializing in the theme of body hydration and rehydration , working with specialists in this field.
People with certain medical conditions such as heart failure or incontinence may need to limit their fluid intake, so ask your doctor how much fluid you need to prevent dehydration when you're sick.
What are electrolytes used for hydration?
Electrolytes are essential for a body to function properly, and they are even more essential for a well-hydrated body.
These are the minerals responsible for directing water to the areas of your body that need it most.
They also help maintain optimal water balance within the cells themselves.
Electrolytes are minerals that conduct electricity when dissolved in water. They are distributed throughout your body's fluids and use their electrical energy to facilitate important bodily functions: They are essential for controlling your fluid balance, regulating blood pressure, supporting muscle function, including your heart, and maintaining the correct acidity of your blood (pH).
Glucose is also an essential element to facilitate the absorption of fluids in the small intestine via the sodium cotransport system with glucose, and therefore facilitate the absorption of water by the body. This relatively complex process allows water molecules to pass through the cell membranes of the intestine more quickly, and therefore makes these ingredients essential for the creation of an oral rehydration solution (ORS).
Older people are at increased risk of dehydration
Age-related changes in the body's ability to balance water and sodium increase the danger. An older person with diarrhea and/or vomiting should try to drink at least 1.7 liters of fluids every 24 hours, or just under half a gallon. That's the equivalent of about seven eight-ounce glasses of water. Dehydration experts also recommend liquid meal replacements.
Find the Hydratis 50+ product range in pharmacies and on the hydratis.co website.
The Hydratis team has developed the first rehydration solution adapted to the needs of adults aged 50 and over . The Hydratis 50+ range is available in several flavours to ensure a pleasant user experience, while the formulation allows the creation of a hypotonic drink with a low sugar and sodium content to benefit from better assimilation of liquids while being adapted to the physiological fragilities of age. Hydratis 50+ is an ideal solution during episodes of diarrhoea and vomiting or during periods when adults' water needs increase; physical exertion, alcohol consumption, high temperatures and heat waves.
Why does diarrhea cause significant water loss?
Diarrhea usually goes away on its own within a few days and is not a cause for concern. But severe or frequent diarrhea can be a sign of a more serious health problem and requires medical attention. If left untreated, diarrhea can lead to dehydration, which comes with its own set of health problems. When Diarrhea Leads to Dehydration The biggest complication of diarrhea is dehydration, which occurs when you lose more fluid than you take in. When this happens, your body doesn't have enough water and fluids to carry out its normal functions. Anyone can become dehydrated, but it's more common and dangerous in young children and people with weakened immune systems.
Periods of diarrhea after drinking alcohol ?
Many people experience diarrhea after drinking alcohol . Diarrhea can be uncomfortable and may be accompanied by other symptoms. Additionally, some types of alcohol may be more likely to cause diarrhea than others, but there is no cure.
Alcohol is easily absorbed by the body. As soon as alcohol enters the body, it begins to make its way into the bloodstream that takes place in the stomach. If there is food in the stomach at that time, the rate of absorption will slow down. This is why people feel the effects of alcohol faster on an empty stomach. Once it leaves the stomach, alcohol begins to be absorbed in the small intestine. A large part of the alcohol is absorbed here, but the rest goes to the large intestine and comes out with the stool and urine. Alcohol can cause serious changes in the normal functions of the digestive system and thus be responsible for inflammation and more or less severe diarrhea.
In this case, it is not recommended to consume drinks such as coffee, milk, or fatty foods. Favor tea with honey, a sweet drink to rehydrate yourself - or add a Hydratis tablet to enrich your water with minerals and trace elements. Think about eating slow sugars, easy to digest like pasta or rice.
When to get help for dehydration?
Experts recommend calling your doctor if diarrhea or vomiting persists for more than two days. Be careful, call earlier if there is fever or pain in the abdomen or rectum, if stools appear black or tarry, if signs of dehydration appear. If a period of acute diarrhea persists for more than 24 hours, see your doctor and at the first signs in fragile people; seniors and infants.
How to recover after a period of acute diarrhea?
We recommend eating rice as soon as possible to facilitate intestinal transit and hydrating yourself generously with drinks rich in electrolytes . Vegetables are not necessarily digestible, but gradually offering them can be useful. Returning to a normal diet gradually after the illness is important without shocking the metabolism. If the episodes of diarrhea return regularly, it is important to understand the cause of this disorder; it may be due to lactose intolerance (dairy products), lack of fiber in the foods consumed, or a bacteria or infection. In all cases, seek advice from your healthcare professional if this symptom persists.
