Random snacking habits can have a negative impact on your health. The condition of the body that was previously healthy and fit can be directly disrupted because it consumes food or drinks from the results of the processing process that cleanliness is not guaranteed. Coupled with changing weather conditions also affect the condition of the body, causing diarrhea.
Street food does have its own charm when compared to food sold in restaurants. But unfortunately, apart from good taste and affordable prices, these types of snacks sometimes rule out health and hygiene factors. Cooks that are not cooked well, for example, risk being contaminated with a number of bacteria that cause diarrhea.
What happens when you have diarrhea?
Diarrhea is a health disorder characterized by increasing frequency of bowel movements (BAB) up to three times or exceeding your normal habits in a day. At each time of defecation, the stools released have a liquid texture.
WHO, as the world health agency, states that diarrhea is the second highest cause of annual death, with 760 thousand children under the age of five. However, diarrhea is a common disease that can still be prevented and treated before the condition gets worse.
In addition to food or drinks that are contaminated with bacteria, the most common causes of diarrhea are infection with the flu virus, norovirus, and rotavirus. Children aged 3-8 years can also get diarrhea due to bacterial infections, viral infections, and / or antibiotic side effects. Diarrhea in children caused by parasites that can be transmitted from their peers. Symptoms of diarrhea in children can be easily detected through changes in the texture of the bowel that looks more fluid and increased frequency of bowel movements.
Almost the same symptoms experienced by adults, but accompanied by the emergence of other conditions, such as cramps or pain in the stomach, often back and forth to the bathroom for bowel movements, nausea, and vomiting.
Diarrhea suffered for two days or longer must be checked by a doctor because of the risk of causing loss of water and ion content in the body. Most causes of death in people with diarrhea are severe dehydration. Therefore, several actions need to be taken to prevent dehydration due to diarrhea, one of which is by maintaining adequate fluid and ionic balance of the body.
Restore Body Fluids with Rehydration Efforts
The Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) has established a five-step complete diarrhea program (LINTAS Diarrhea) consisting of:
- Provision of ORS
- Provision of zinc drugs
- Giving milk or food
- Giving antibiotics only if needed
- Educate mothers or caregivers about how to administer fluids and medications and when patients should be taken to the nearest hospital.
One key therapy in the case of diarrhea is to prevent dehydration and restore lost fluids through rehydration. Rehydration or fluid therapy is an effort to restore body fluids that are wasted with feces by consuming adequate fluids, one of them by taking ORS. If it is not available, broth, vegetable sauce can also be an alternative choice as a replacement liquid.
Help Prevent Dehydration with Electrolyte Drinks
Although plain water is still recommended for drinking as a deterrent to dehydration, experts say that consuming water alone is not enough to restore lost ions. Normal water does not contain ions needed to maintain the balance of ions in the body. For this reason, the researchers recommend consuming drinks that contain the essence of the rehydration process itself. You can choose drinks that contain ions needed by the body so that the lost ions can be returned immediately.
For those of you who have diarrhea or have symptoms, be sure to always meet your daily fluid and ion needs. Not only consume fluids, but it is advisable to maintain personal hygiene also to avoid bacterial infections.
