Author of the article: Tironova Inna Igorevna
Gastroenterologist, therapist
15 years of experience
Professional skills: Colon hydrotherapy, treatment of gastrointestinal diseases
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Diarrhea, among other things, leads to severe dehydration. In this case, microelements are lost, as well as a lot of liquid, which can cause a violation of the water-salt balance. A saline solution prescribed for diarrhea helps avoid complications.
Positive properties
It should be noted that saline solution for diarrhea cannot cure the cause of the disease. The drug is used to prevent dehydration, which is extremely dangerous for the body and can lead to a serious condition and even death of the patient. Women during pregnancy and young children are especially at risk. Salt can retain water. It is an excellent assistant for stopping diarrhea at first. The positive properties of this product include the following factors:
- The liquid restores water-electronic balance;
- Removes toxic substances from the body;
- Helps retain moisture in the intestinal walls, which prevents exhaustion and severe dehydration of the body;
- Neutralizes pathogenic microflora that rapidly multiply in the gastrointestinal tract;
- Normalizes the digestive process;
- Neutralizes toxins that accumulate during the life of microbes.
Salt is a widespread and accessible product that is available in every home, so if necessary, you can provide first aid to a patient using a water-salt solution for diarrhea.
Pharmacy analogues
Pharmacy analogues of saline solution will help to quickly restore the balance of fluid in the body at home:
- Asparkam. Designed to normalize electrolyte balance and magnesium and potassium deficiency. It can only be taken on the recommendation of a doctor, as it has a number of side effects and contraindications.
- Glucosan. This solution eliminates and prevents dehydration. With its help, they fight the main symptoms of infectious diseases; it is also used to prevent fluid deficiency during intense physical activity, changes in climatic conditions or diseases.
- Gastrolit. This drug has a wide range of actions: relieves intestinal spasms and inflammation, kills harmful bacteria, replenishes the balance of minerals and trace elements. There are practically no side effects, so it is used to treat children, pregnant and lactating women, adolescents and adults.
- Regidron. Medicine recommended by WHO for diarrhea. It has a mild effect, improving the condition of prolonged vomiting and diarrhea. Its distinctive feature is a moderate concentration of sodium in the composition and a high concentration of potassium. Due to this, the drug does not cause side effects or allergic reactions.
In medical institutions, under the supervision of hospital staff, droppers are made with the following solutions:
- Trisol. This drug improves blood circulation and removes toxins, stops oxidative processes in the body and relieves stress on the kidneys and heart. Trisol is used for severe dehydration and poisoning.
- Linger-Locker solution. Often used to treat the underlying symptoms and side effects of dehydration.
- Sodium chloride. The most popular solution for droppers. In a short period of time it eliminates the symptoms of nausea and vomiting. The need to monitor the dosage and frequency by a doctor is due to possible side effects.
- Lactasol. A drug that compensates for water and electrolyte balance, improves heart function and blood circulation, and removes toxins.
When taking pharmaceutical saline solutions at home, you must carefully follow the instructions, do not exceed the dosage, and in case of overdose, immediately seek emergency medical help.
Effective recipes with salt
In folk medicine, there are several basic recipes that allow you to effectively cope with diarrhea at home. To prepare the solution you will need the following ingredients:
- one glass of water;
- salt (the amount of product is determined based on the patient’s age).
To prepare, bring 200 ml of water to a boil. Next, pour in the salt and mix thoroughly until completely dissolved. The resulting mixture is left to cool to room temperature. The salt composition is calculated based on the person’s age. Thus, you will need:
- From three to seven years – 1 teaspoon of salt;
- From seven to fifteen years – 1.5 teaspoons;
- At fifteen or more years old, 2 teaspoons will be required.
Main causes of diarrhea
Diarrhea in people occurs very often due to the fact that the intestines first take the hit of all pathogenic bacteria and toxic substances. Diarrhea is usually caused by the following reasons:
- infectious lesions of the gastrointestinal tract (cannot be treated on their own);
- chemical poisoning (cannot be treated on their own);
- renal or liver failure (cannot be treated on their own);
- tumor formations of the gastrointestinal tract (cannot be treated on their own);
- food poisoning (treated at home in most cases);
- severe overheating of the body (in most cases, it can be treated on your own);
- diarrhea due to a strong emotional outburst (can be treated on your own).
Diarrhea, which can be treated at home, occurs in the vast majority of cases, and therefore the home medicine cabinet must certainly have medications for this problem. If you suspect diarrhea caused by reasons that cannot be treated at home, you should not waste time on self-medication and should immediately seek medical help.
Features of the use of salt essences
The prepared mixture must be taken periodically. Children from three to seven years old need to drink 50 ml every one and a half to two hours. From 7 to 15 years, 100 ml every hour. Adults: 100 - 150 ml every 30 minutes. The composition is drunk slowly, in small sips. The duration of therapy may be until the symptoms of diarrhea subside. If there is no positive effect within several hours after the start of therapy, immediate contact with a specialist is required.
How to use
Saline solution for diarrhea should be taken after each bowel movement. An adult should drink 200 ml of the product in small sips. In the absence of signs of intoxication and dehydration, the daily dose is approximately one and a half liters, no more. But for dizziness, weakness, dry mucous membranes and other symptoms indicating serious fluid loss, salt water should be consumed every five to seven minutes in small sips.
You need to drink the saline solution slightly warm, since cold liquid can cause stomach cramps and provoke an attack of vomiting.
Contraindications to the use of salt formulations
Despite the safety and harmlessness of folk recipes, the use of saline solution for diarrhea has its contraindications. Restrictions are necessary under the following factors:
- allergic reaction to sodium chloride;
- in case of impaired renal function;
- for severe gastrointestinal diseases;
- if you have diabetes;
- breastfed infants and children under 3 years of age;
- Use with caution in pregnant women.
Saline solution helps restore body function after diarrhea. It is recommended to use even in cases where there are no signs of dehydration. As a preventive measure, 200 ml is allowed after each bowel movement. This dosage is intended for children from three years of age to adulthood. Up to three years, the amount of solution is based on the baby’s weight. For every kilogram you will need 10 ml of liquid. Two days of treatment is enough for recovery. If it is necessary to stop diarrhea, it can be taken until complete recovery. Saline solutions are quite effective and are an excellent substitute for medications. The safety of the folk recipe makes it possible to treat not only adults, but also small children with a fragile immune system.
Danger of dehydration
Prolonged diarrhea can cause signs of dehydration (24 to 48 hours, bowel movements more than 6 times a day). This is a very dangerous condition, especially for children and the elderly. Dehydration often leads to the most severe consequences, including death. Signs of pathology:
- Weakness
Thirst- Hyperthermia
- Dry mucous membranes and skin
- Reduced urge to urinate
- Dizziness
- Tachycardia
- Digestive disorders
- Apathy
- Lack of appetite.
The whole body suffers from dehydration, and the following complications may occur:
- Kidney dysfunction
- Mental disorders
- Failures of metabolic processes
- Decreased blood volume
- Death.
Impurities in stool during diarrhea
Dark green stool is a sign of an intestinal infection (unless, of course, you have consumed green foods in large quantities).
An admixture of green mucus indicates putrefactive processes in the intestines. Tarry stool indicates a possible perforation of a stomach or intestinal ulcer (some foods, such as beets, as well as activated charcoal, give the stool a dark color). The light yellow color of stool indicates a disruption of the digestive process and enzymatic insufficiency of the pancreas.
White stool, coupled with dark urine, indicates a violation of the outflow of bile. Diarrhea mixed with scarlet blood indicates the disintegration of an intestinal tumor. Loose stools mixed with blood may indicate a ruptured hemorrhoid.
Diarrhea mixed with bile and grayish-brown mucus indicates elementary food diarrhea. This is where our saline solution comes in handy.
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Medications
Today, the pharmaceutical industry has succeeded in creating ready-made saline solutions with additional properties. On the shelves of pharmacies you will find a large assortment of drugs that restore electrolyte balance, which are recommended as a life-saving remedy. In the hospital, the doctor prescribes ready-made pharmaceutical products.
Regidron
The most popular medication used in hospitals and prescribed by doctors is called Regidron. Shows good results thanks to the composition:
- Salt.
- Sugar.
- Potassium chloride. Present in the drug as a normalizer of alkaline balance.
- Sodium citrate. This substance regulates the acid balance of the digestive system.
Using the solution
How to properly use saline solution for diarrhea?
- In children under 7 years of age, the solution is prescribed 70 ml every 1.5-2 hours.
- For adolescents, the recommended dose of the solution is 100 ml every half hour to an hour, if after the first dose of the solution diarrhea recurs within the next half hour.
- Elderly people and pregnant women can take 100 ml every 60 minutes.
- Adults should drink 100 to 150 ml every 30 to 40 minutes.
As a rule, a solution of table salt has an effect within 4-5 hours from the start of its administration. If during this time the expected effect does not occur, you should immediately consult a doctor.
To restore the water-salt balance and prevent dehydration, you can use special salt and glucose-salt solutions for oral administration, for example, Glucosolan, Citroglycosolan.
General characteristics
The dosage form of Regidron is a white powder with a fairly pronounced crystalline consistency. It is intended for preparing a water product that replenishes the water, alkaline and salt balance in the body.
- sodium chloride (regular table salt);
- dextrose (a type of sugar);
- potassium chloride (acid-base balance regulator);
- sodium citrate (acidity regulator).
It is recommended to take the product to restore the water, salt and alkaline balance of the body. Experts prescribe this remedy for sudden losses of electrolytes (fluids). Among the traditional conditions requiring rehydration therapy are acute intestinal infections, excessive physical exertion, and heat damage to the body. For an adult and a child, it is equally important to monitor the body’s water balance and, if provoking factors arise, take measures to eliminate them together with “drinking.”
To get a better idea of the importance of rehabilitation therapy, you can watch the video. Professor Komarovsky recommends treating an adult or child for dehydration with the help of a rehydration agent, which can be purchased at a pharmacy or prepared independently at home. After watching the video, you will receive a lot of useful information about the importance of this product and learn the most optimal recipe for its preparation.
