Thursday, December 22, 2011

My Lil Lady - Aisyah Khadijah


My Lil Lady-Aisyah Khadijah is 9 years old now. Going for glasses-specky Aisyah. Cute hoh! When you look at her, there's a similarity to MakTam a bit when I was at her age. WUHUU!! I dare not say this in front of everyone but the stubborness, the outspoken-ness, the stuckup-ness (is there such a word) and the self centered-ness is a bit more like MakTam and she too like to keep bits and pieces of everything like me. Even an old piece of paper that have a sentimental value to me. To think of it, if I'm still married, I would have a daughter about her age by now. I wanted to name my daughter Aisyah Qistina. What to do-fate is not in my way.

"Aisyah Khadijah - the daughter I never had"

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Punca Gastrik & Ulcer - Tanda-Tanda dan Rawatan

Semakin hari semakin ramai orang yang menghidap penyakit gastrik.

Kali ini saya akan cuba mengupas penyakit gastrik / gastritis menurut pandangan doktor serta pandangan arwah guru saya serta bagaimana kaedah merawat penyakit grastrik secara tanpa memakan ubat yang diberikan doktor.

Berikut adalah antara penjelasan Dr Aminuddin Ahmad::

TEKANAN (stress), rangsangan atau tindak balas bahan kimia daripada ubat, makanan dan jangkitan bakteria boleh menyebabkan pembengkakan di kawasan permukaan perut. Pembengkakan yang timbul akibat daripada tindak balas setempat ini menyebabkan seseorang itu mendapat gastritis atau lebih dikenali sebagai gastrik.

Perut adalah kawasan yang mengeluarkan rembesan asid yang kuat dan pepsin yang berfungsi untuk menghancur / menghazam bahan-bahan makanan. "Kadangkala asid dan pepsin ini yang sepatutnya bertindak / menghazam ke atas makanan seperti daging sebaliknya merosakkan permukaan perut dengan cara menghazamkan/mencerna permuakaan perut yang juga adalah daging. Apabila permukaan perut terhakis asid akan menembusi lapisan pertahanan perut dan mengakibatkan hakisan/kecederaan itu membesar dan akhirnya menjadi ulser," katanya.

Bagaimanapun, katanya pembengkakan permukaan perut boleh disebabkan oleh bahan kimia yang diambil dalam makanan dan kimia yang terjadi dalam tubuh manusia sendiri seperti asid regurgitasi atau hempedu .

Ubat steroid dan bukan steroid, sesetengah antibiotik dan ubat-ubat tradisional Melayu dan Cina juga boleh menyebabkan gastritis (pembengkakan perut) serta berkemungkinan terjadi gastrik.

Menurut dr Aminuddin lagi:

PUNCA GASTRIK

* Merokok
* Meminum minuman beralkohol
* Jangkitan bakteria helicobacter pylori
* Kegagalan organ tubuh seperti kegagalan buah pinggang, pernafasan, jangkitan septisemia dan pesakit tenat yang boleh mengakibatkan stress ulser.
* Tabiat pemakanan yang tidak mengikut waktu.
* Gaya hidup yang tertekan (stress)
* Bahan-bahan kimia seperti ubat Non-Steroid Anti Inflammatory Drug (NSAIDs).

Setakat ini tiada bukti jelas yang mengaitkan beberapa jenis makanan sebagai penyebab terjadinya gastrik.

Namun, sesetengah makanan yang masam seperti cuka, dan beberapa jenis buah-buahan seperti nangka serta makanan pedas mungkin memburukkan lagi keadaan atau gejala gastrik yang dihidapi.

Tambah beliau lagi:

TANDA-TANDA GASTRIK

Antara tanda-tanda yang dihidapi oleh seseorang yang menghidapi gastrik ialah:

* Terdapat pesakit yang mengalami gastritis atau hakisan perut tanpa gejala klinikal
* Sesetengah pesakit merasakan gejal-gejala kesakitan semasa lapar dan mereka terpaksa mengambil makanan yang lebih kerap untuk mengurangkan rasa sakit tersebut
* Pendarahan gastrousus boleh berlaku pada pesakit yang menderita masalah yang lama, malah 25 hingga 30 peratus penyebabnya ialah kerana hakisan (gastritis erosif).

Dari bahan-bahan penulisan ini bolehlah saya rumuskan penyakit gastrik atau juga dikenali sebagai gastritis sebagai:

Penyakit Gastrik / Gastritis ringan

Inflamasi (pembengkakan) pada bahagian lapisan perut yang bersentuhan dengan makanan.


Penyakit Gastrik / Gastritis berat

Berlaku kecederaan (luka) berpanjangan bahagian lapisan perut yang bersentuhan dengan makanan.

Penyakit Ulser gastrik (peptic ulcer)

Merujuk kepada ulser perut. (Ulser memberi maksud sejenis luka terbuka). Darah boleh dikesan dalam muntah atau najis. Ulser gastrik adalah abang kepada Penyakit gastrik berat.


Berikut adalah pandangan berkaitan penyakit gastrik yang diturunkan oleh arwah guru saya:

Punca Penyakit Gastrik:

Punca penyakit gastrik adalah amalan tabiat makan (minum pagi, makan tengahari dan makan malam) yang tidak mengikut waktu yang tetap. Sebagai contoh kadang-kadang makan tengahari pukul 11.00, kadang-kadang pukul 12.00, kadang-kadang pukul 1.00, kadang-kadang pukul 2.00 dan kadang-kadang bila tersangat sibuk sampai pukul 4.00 petang belum makan tengah hari. Apabila amalan ini diteruskan untuk tempuh kira-kira 5 tahun, insyaAllah Allah akan memberikan penyakit gastrik. Setelah penyakit gastrik dikesan, namun tabiat ini masih diteruskan, insyaAllah dalam tempuh 2 tahun lagi, orang ini akan mendapat penyakit yang lebih serius lagi iaitu peptic ulcer atau ulser perut.

Tempuh matang untuk penyakit gastrik ini akan dipercepatkan lagi sekiranya seseorang itu merokok, suka makan nenas, makan mee segera, jeruk kering dan basah, junk food, minum minuman bergas, makan makanan berangin seperti pisang nangka, ubi dan cempedak / nangka; makan makanan terlalu pedas, makan hingga tersangat kenyang, makan ubat doktor atau tradisional tertentu dan makan makanan yang bercuka.


Tanda-tanda penyakit gastrik:

1. Kerap sakit kepala di bahagian kanan kepala terutama apabila perut kosong atau lewat makan nasi.
2. Sakit kepala ini kadang-kadang diikuti dengan perasaan loya atau mual dan sebu perut dan hilang selera untuk makan. Kadang-kadang simptom ini dialami tanpa sakit kepala.
3. Demam yang saya panggil demam gastrik apabila selalu miss makan pagi, tengahari atau malam.
4. Muntah kadang-kadang berwarna kuning dan kadang-kadang ada darah dalam muntah atau darah beku bergumpal.
5. Sakit perut yang kadang kala teramat sakit.
6. Keluar angin dari mulut macam sendawa terutama apabila bahagian tertentu badan digosok atau diurut.


Rawatan penyakit gastrik:

1. Pastikan mulai sekarang, waktu makan adalah mengikut disiplin waktu yang ketat contoh setiap hari makan tengahari pukul 1.00 tgh plus minus 15 minit.
2. Elakkan makanan junk food, jeruk kering seperti asam boi dan jeruk basah dan juga mee segera.
3. Elakkan nescafe, kopi, teh, minuman bergas, sunquick dalam botol, orange squash, air limau
4. Jikalau peringkat gastrik berat, elakkan segala makanan mengandungi yeast seperti roti, donat, pau, piza dll
5. Elakkan makan terlalu kenyang
6. Elakkan cuka, makanan yang pedas
7. Elakkan atau kurangkan daging dan ayam.
8. Elakkan makanan ubi, pulut, keledek, kentang, pisang nangka, pisang tanduk, cempedak / nangka, rebung, dan makanan lain yang menyebabkan kembung perut atau banyak angin dan sendawa.
9. Elakkan sama sekali dari mengambil sebarang ubat dari doktor dan klinik bagi rawatan gastrik seperti milk of magnesia dsb kerana ia akan merumitkan lagi gastrik.
10. Minum susu segar atau susu tepung full cream (bukan HL atau low fat atau annelene) pada awal pagi (6.30 pagi), 10.00 pagi, 4.00 ptg dan 9.30 malam setiap hari sehingga benar-benar sembuh.
11. Kalau sakit perut teramat sangat, muntah atau demam, ambil secekak pucuk jambu batu, rebus dengan 3 sudu ketumbar, rebus dengan 3 gelas air dan masak hingga menjadi 1 gelas. Bahagikan air ini kepada 3 bahagian, minum 1 bahagian air rebusan ini tiga kali setiap 4 jam.

Mengenang semula penyakit gastrik ini, saya terkenang sejarah permulaan saya berjumpa dengan arwah guru saya kira-kira pada tahun 1985. Pada waktu ini ayah saya yang sudah berusia lewat 50an sedang sakit teruk iaitu ulser perut. Ulser lebih teruk berbanding gastrik. Ayah saya tinggal di Labis, Johor sedangkan saya pula tinggal di Kuala Lumpur. Hendak menjenguk selalu jauh. Alhamdulillah seorang kakak ipar bekerja sebagai staf nurse di Kluang. Beliaulah yang banyak menguruskan ayah saya ini masuk keluar hospital di Segamat (kira-kira 20 batu dari Labis).

Masalah Ulser perut ayah saya tidak selesai walaupun sudah banyak kali berjumpa doktor dan banyak kali keluar masuk wad di hospital, macam orang muda kata, pi mai pi mai dok tang tu juga. Kakak ipar saya pula selalu memberikan nasihat yang berkaitan.

Dengan izin Allah SWT, pada tahun 1985, saya membawa ayah saya untuk berubat dengan arwah guru saya di Cheras Kuala Lumpur. Itulah pertemuan pertama secara resmi antara saya dengan arwah guru saya.

Selepas banyak bersoal jawab antara arwah guru dan ayah saya, akhirnya arwah menjelaskan nama penyakit tersebut (ulser), punca penyakit dan bagaimana merawatnya. Saya terpaksa mengulang ke rumah arwah tersebut untuk mengambil (membayar) ubatnya beberapa hari kemudian.

Selepas mengamalkan pantang larang dan memakan ubat selama dua bulan sahaja, alhamdulillah penyakit ulser perut ayah saya pulih sehinggalah sekarang.

Selepas hampir sepuluh tahun kemudian, saya pula mengalami penyakit gastrik kerana tidak menjaga waktu makan disebabkan kesibukan kerja yang terlalu teruk, pukul 8.00 pagi hingga lewat malam 5 hari seminggu. Ilmu ini jugalah yang digunakan untuk saya merawat penyakit gastrik yang saya alami. Alhamdulillah sudah sembuh mudah-mudah tidak lagi berulang.

http://fajridil.blogspot.com/2010/07/punca-gastrik-ulcer-tanda-tanda-dan.html

Caffeine Side Effects

Hours shows at 11pm, the body feels tired and sleepy. The morning and afternoon school sports training. Only just had finished their homework. But at 1:30 am I have a live soccer match English League between Manchester United and Arsenal. To overcome the problem of drowsy you have to take a cup of coffee and snacks.

Such situations often occur in adolescents. Furthermore, when to sit, some both study until late at night with a bundle sekole coffee. Do you know what that makes you fresh and able to stay awake till the morning? Do you know what the chemicals contained in coffee? Generally have to know about caffeine.

Caffeine is a drug that produced naturally in the leaves and seeds of some plants. Caffeine also produced artificially and used as additives or flavors in some foods.

Caffeine is known also known by its chemical name trimetilksantina metilksantina family. This material is a white powder and a little bitter taste. Other chemicals found in the theophylline group is found in tea leaves and teobromin found in cocoa beans.

Caffeine found in coffee beans (Coffea arabica), tea leaves (Theasinensis) and cocoa (cacao Theobrama). Caffeine is also available in more than 60 other vegetation types. Among the trees guarana (Paullinia cupana) in the Amazon. Caffeine is often used, especially in soft drinks. Many teenagers are now very keen to take the non-cola drinks contain caffeine, but also only the high sugar content. Caffeine is also used in some medicines to treat several diseases. Among the treatment of headaches, migraines, heart disease and relax airways in asthma treatment.

Effect of Caffeine Intake

Effects of caffeine depending on the amount taken and different for each individual who took it. On average, the smaller the size or weight of a person, the less caffeine needed to produce the effect. However, many of the effects of caffeine depending on the amount taken. Coffee Lovers often require a high intake to achieve pleasure. This means that more caffeine is consumed every day, then more is needed to achieve pleasure.

Caffeine will enter the body's system after a few hours then take it out through urine. Continuing impact of caffeine on our bodies as long as still in the blood. The time required by the body to remove half of the amount of caffeine is taken from a few hours to a few days. On the average for adults, the impact could be felt for five to seven hours. There are several factors that slowed life of caffeine in our body, including a person who takes drugs, liver disease and pregnant women.

Therefore, for pregnant women on caffeine should be reduced or stopped altogether because caffeine increases the risk of miscarriage and infertility. There is also evidence that caffeine can cause birth defects at birth.

Caffeine can cause people with heart problems and the failure of the nerves become more severe, and most consumers are unaware of this situation on them.

Studies have shown that caffeine affects such as the use of other stimulant drugs. Caffeine tends to stimulate the brain and central nervous system then acts on the heart, blood vessels and kidneys. One of the most common symptoms faced by consumers is dehydration (excessive water production from the body causing the body of water shortage). Even if you think by drinking a lot of caffeine to maintain body water content, but will serve instead of caffeine on the body. Here, caffeine acts to accelerate digestion and stimulate the production of urine.

In such a situation it is important to the youth active in sports and liked to drink caffeinated non-caffeinated drink enough water to prevent dehydration. With caffeine will also cause loss of body calcium and potassium, and this will cause muscle pain and delay the time to rest after an exercise. For women in menopause who prefer caffeine organs will accelerate the process of osteoporosis due to loss of the mineral materials.

Although the effects of caffeine vary from one user to other users, medical practitioners advised to take no more than 100 mg of caffeine a day, being approximately one cup of coffee a day. But there are many recommendations put forward by various parties on the ideal of caffeine. Notwithstanding the recommendations put forward the ideal of caffeine should consult a doctor first if we are certain illnesses that may be allergic to caffeine.

Intake at doses of 250 to 750mg of caffeine (two to seven cups of coffee) can cause a person has a panic situation, tired, not sleeping, headache and abdominal pain. But caffeine will increase the sense of caution and suspicion increase and enhance the focus on the task. However, sleep will be disturbed, was more calm and relieve fatigue.

If taken more than 750mg of caffeine (seven cups of coffee) per day will cause headaches, irritability, fear arose and could not sleep (insomnia). High doses also can cause cramping and may be followed by death.

Long-term effects

Ulcer - Caffeine is believed to cause ulcers, since it stimulates the production of acid and peptin in the stomach. If taken in large amounts can cause stomach discomfort. A person suffering from ulcer are advised not to take coffee because it will cause ulcers worse. But, not caffeine alone caused the occurrence of ulcers. More research should be conducted to prove whether caffeinated coffee and coffee without caffeine can cause ulcers.

Heart Problems - There is evidence to suggest that caffeine can cause irregular heartbeat (cardiac SCA) to some people. Usually people with heart disease are advised not to take caffeine at all. Even so there is no evidence that caffeine is a risk factors for heart disease.

Addicted - Caffeine can make some people become addicted. If individuals continue berbabit stop caffeine intake, they will experience withdrawal symptoms (withdrawal symptoms) such as headaches. This symptom is common among coffee lovers and this headache will go away by itself within one to five days or it will get back to drinking coffee again, or take drugs. Most coffee lovers who try to cut down on caffeine may experience nervousness, pain, unable to work, fatigue, drowsiness and headache.

To remove the caffeine addiction habits is not easy. Effective way is to reduce intake per day. Practice drinking plenty of water and fruit juices in your daily meals.


Type of Food & Drink

Caffeine content (mg)

Dose

Coffee Filters / Filter

100-150

one cup

Instant Coffee

50-70

one cup

Tea

30-90

one cup

Tea Bags

65

one cup

Coffee Caffeine transvestite

1-6

one cup

Kola drinks

72

360g

Sunkist Orange Soda

42

360g

Hot Chocolate Drink

5

one cup

Chocolate Cake

20-30

a cut

Medicines



Migraine Drug

100 mg / dose


Analgesic

15-40 mg / dose


Cough / Flu

15-125 mg / dose


* The above information obtained from www.prn2.usm.my/mainsite/bulletin/sun/1996/sun35.html


Thursday, December 8, 2011

Two Empty Arms by All Leather

Love that runs away from me
Dreams that just won't let me be
Blues that just keep bothering me
Chains that just won't set me free
I'm too far away from you and your sweet charm.
Just out of reach of my two empty arms.

Each night in my dreams I see your face
My love for you I can't erase
I awake and find you gone
I'm lost and all alone
Your lips so sweet and warm
Just out of reach of my two empty arms.

If you need me I'll be here
I'll be faithful never fear
I think of you, both night and day
So close yet so far away
Just out of reach of my two empty arms.

Diarrhea

Definition - Diarrhea is defined by the World Health Organization as having 3 or more loose or liquid stools per day, or as having more stools than is normal for that person.

Types 5-7 on the Bristol Stool Chart indicate diarrhea

Secretory

Secretory diarrhea means that there is an increase in the active secretion, or there is an inhibition of absorption. There is little to no structural damage. The most common cause of this type of diarrhea is a cholera toxin that stimulates the secretion of anions, especially chloride ions. Therefore, to maintain a charge balance in the lumen, sodium is carried with it, along with water. In this type of diarrhea intestinal fluid secretion is isotonic with plasma even during fasting.[5] It continues even when there is no oral food intake.

Osmotic

Osmotic diarrhea occurs when too much water is drawn into the bowels. This can be the result of maldigestion (e.g., pancreatic disease or Coeliac disease), in which the nutrients are left in the lumen to pull in water. Osmotic diarrhea can also be caused by osmotic laxatives (which work to alleviate constipation by drawing water into the bowels). In healthy individuals, too much magnesium or vitamin C or undigested lactose can produce osmotic diarrhea and distention of the bowel. A person who has lactose intolerance can have difficulty absorbing lactose after an extraordinarily high intake of dairy products. In persons who have fructose malabsorption, excess fructose intake can also cause diarrhea. High-fructose foods that also have a high glucose content are more absorbable and less likely to cause diarrhea. Sugar alcohols such as sorbitol (often found in sugar-free foods) are difficult for the body to absorb and, in large amounts, may lead to osmotic diarrhea.[5] Osmotic diarrhea stops when offending agent (e.g. milk, sorbitol) is stopped.

Exudative

Exudative diarrhea occurs with the presence of blood and pus in the stool. This occurs with inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, and other severe infections such as E. coli or other forms of food poisoning.[5]

Motility-related

Motility-related diarrhea is caused by the rapid movement of food through the intestines (hypermotility). If the food moves too quickly through the gastrointestinal tract, there is not enough time for sufficient nutrients and water to be absorbed. This can be due to a vagotomy or diabetic neuropathy, or a complication of menstruation[citation needed]. Hyperthyroidism can produce hypermotility and lead to pseudodiarrhea and occasionally real diarrhea. Diarrhea can be treated with antimotility agents (such as loperamide). Hypermotility can be observed in people who have had portions of their bowel removed, allowing less total time for absorption of nutrients.

Inflammatory

Inflammatory diarrhea occurs when there is damage to the mucosal lining or brush border, which leads to a passive loss of protein-rich fluids, and a decreased ability to absorb these lost fluids. Features of all three of the other types of diarrhea can be found in this type of diarrhea. It can be caused by bacterial infections, viral infections, parasitic infections, or autoimmune problems such as inflammatory bowel diseases. It can also be caused by tuberculosis, colon cancer, and enteritis.[citation needed]

Dysentery

Generally, if there is blood visible in the stools, it is not diarrhea, but dysentery. The blood is trace of an invasion of bowel tissue. Dysentery is a symptom of, among others, Shigella, Entamoeba histolytica, and Salmonella.

Differential diagnosis

Diagram of the human gastrointestinal tract.

Diarrhea is most commonly due to viral gastroenteritis with rotavirus, which accounts for 40% of cases in children under five.[1] (p. 17) In travelers however bacterial infections predominate.[6] Various toxins such as mushroom poisoning and drugs can also cause acute diarrhea.

Chronic diarrhea can be the part of the presentations of a number of chronic medical conditions affecting the intestine. Common causes include ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, microscopic colitis, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome and bile acid malabsorption.

Infections

There are many causes of infectious diarrhea, which include viruses, bacteria and parasites.[7] Norovirus is the most common cause of viral diarrhea in adults,[8] but rotavirus is the most common cause in children under five years old.[9] Adenovirus types 40 and 41,[10] and astroviruses cause a significant number of infections.[11]

The bacterium Campylobacter is a common cause of bacterial diarrhea, but infections by Salmonellae, Shigellae and some strains of Escherichia coli (E.coli) are frequent.[12]

In the elderly, particularly those who have been treated with antibiotics for unrelated infections, a toxin produced by Clostridium difficile often causes severe diarrhea.[13]

Parasites do not often cause diarrhea except for the protozoan Giardia, which can cause chronic infections if these are not diagnosed and treated with drugs such as metronidazole,[14] and Entamoeba histolytica.[15][16]

Other infectious agents such as parasites and bacterial toxins also occur.[6] In sanitary living conditions where there is ample food and a supply of clean water, an otherwise healthy person usually recovers from viral infections in a few days. However, for ill or malnourished individuals, diarrhea can lead to severe dehydration and can become life-threatening.[17]

Malabsorption

Malabsorption is the inability to absorb food fully, mostly from disorders in the small bowel, but also due to maldigestion from diseases of the pancreas.

Causes include:

Inflammatory bowel disease

The two overlapping types here are of unknown origin:

  • Ulcerative colitis is marked by chronic bloody diarrhea and inflammation mostly affects the distal colon near the rectum.
  • Crohn's disease typically affects fairly well demarcated segments of bowel in the colon and often affects the end of the small bowel.

Irritable bowel syndrome

Another possible cause of diarrhea is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which usually presents with abdominal discomfort relieved by defecation and unusual stool (diarrhea or constipation) for at least 3 days a week over the previous 3 months.[18] Symptoms of diarrhea-predominant IBS can be managed through a combination of dietary changes, soluble fiber supplements, and/or medications such as loperamide or codeine. About 30% of patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS have bile acid malabsorption diagnosed with an abnormal SeHCAT test.[19]

Other causes

Pathophysiology

Evolution

According to two researchers, Nesse and Williams, diarrhea may function as an evolved expulsion defense mechanism. As a result, if it is stopped, there might be a delay in recovery.[21] They cite in support of this argument research published in 1973 which found that treating Shigella with the anti-diarrhea drug (Co-phenotrope, Lomotil) caused people to stay feverish twice as long as those not so treated. The researchers indeed themselves observed that: "Lomotil may be contraindicated in shigellosis. Diarrhea may represent a defense mechanism".[22]

Diagnostic approach

The following types of diarrhea may indicate further investigation is needed:

  • In infants
  • Moderate or severe diarrhea in young children
  • Associated with blood
  • Continues for more than two days
  • Associated non-cramping abdominal pain, fever, weight loss, etc.
  • In travelers
  • In food handlers, because of the potential to infect others;
  • In institutions such as hospitals, child care centers, or geriatric and convalescent homes.

A severity score is used to aid diagnosis in children.[23]

Prevention

A rotavirus vaccine has the potential to decrease rates of diarrhea.[1] There are currently two licensed vaccines against rotavirus. New vaccines against rotavirus, Shigella, ETEC, and cholera are under development, as well as other causes of infectious diarrhea.

A Cochrane Review of studies found that in institutions and in communities, interventions that promote hand washing lead to significant reductions in the incidence of diarrhea.[24]

Management

In many cases of diarrhea, replacing lost fluid and salts is the only treatment needed. This is usually by mouth – oral rehydration therapy – or, in severe cases, intravenously.[1] Diet restrictions such as the BRAT diet are no longer recommended.[25] Research does not support the limiting of milk to children as doing so has no effect on duration of diarrhea.[26]

Medications such as loperamide (Imodium) and bismuth subsalicylate may be beneficial; however they may be contraindicated in certain situations.[27]

Antibiotics

While antibiotics are beneficial in certain types of acute diarrhea, they are usually not used except in specific situations.[28][29] There are concerns that antibiotics may increase the risk of hemolytic uremic syndrome in people infected with Escherichia coli O157:H7.[30] In resource poor countries, treatment with antibiotics may be beneficial.[29] However, some bacteria are developing antibiotic resistance, particularly Shigella.[31]

Bismuth compounds

While bismuth compounds (Pepto-Bismol) decreased the number of bowel movements in those with travelers' diarrhea, they do not decrease the length of illness.[32] These agents should only be used if bloody diarrhea is not present.[33]

Anti motility agents

Anti motility agents like loperamide are effective at reducing the duration of diarrhea.[29]

Codeine is used in the treatment of diarrhea to slow down peristalsis and the passage of fecal material through the bowels - this means that more time is given for water to reabsorb back into the body, which gives a firmer stool, and also means that feces is passed less frequently.[34]

Bile acid sequestrants

Bile acid sequestrants such as cholestyramine, colestipol and colesevelam can be effective in chronic diarrhea due to bile acid malabsorption. Therapeutic trials of these drugs are indicated in chronic diarrhea if bile acid malabsorption cannot be diagnosed with a specific test, such as SeHCAT retention.

Alternative therapies

A Cochrane systematic review found that zinc supplementation benefits children suffering from diarrhea in developing countries, but only in infants over six months old. This supports the World Health Organisation guidelines for zinc, but not in the very young.[35]

A 2010 systematic review determined the effectiveness of probiotics in treating acute infectious diarrhea. The study demonstrated that the use of probiotics reduced the duration of symptoms by one day and reduced the chances of symptoms lasting longer than four days by 60%.[36] The probiotic lactobacillus can help prevent antibiotic associated diarrhea in adults but possibly not children.[37] For those who with lactose intolerance, taking digestive enzymes containing lactase when consuming dairy products is recommended.[who?]