When adults get diarrhea, they already know that they have to eat the right type of food, follow a certain diet and hydrate themselves constantly in order to remain alert even when diarrhea is causing them discomfort but when children experience diarrhea, it can be an entirely different thing.
A lot of adults usually feel confused as to why children experience diarrhea more often than adults. There are some reasons why children get diarrhea. Some of these causes include the following:
- Medications – There are instances when children have to take certain medications especially if they have a medical condition. Antibiotics that are meant to get rid of bacteria might cause diarrhea in children. If the diarrhea is caused by medications, call the pediatrician immediately, the doctor might be able to pinpoint what to change in order to help the body adjust.
- Food Poisoning – It is highly likely that children have eaten something that their body cannot take. They might be having diarrhea or constipation because of food poisoning. If this happens, going to the emergency room is necessary to help get rid of the food product.
- Infection – A lot of children become exposed to various infections that can cause diarrhea. Most of the time, getting exposed to viruses is the main reason why children experience diarrhea.
- Food Allergies – Most of the time, children eat what adults eat and they do not know yet what are the food products that they are allergic to. When they eat something that their body cannot take, this can cause diarrhea.
- IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) – This affects children and adults and can be very annoying too when felt.
The above mentioned things are just some of the reasons for getting diarrhea. Do remember that you can always deal with diarrhea at home as long as you know the right things to do.
- Offer the child healthier food alternatives that can still be appreciated. For instance, if the child would like chocolate, offer something sweet instead like banana.
- If the child would like something like sugary, sweet cereal try to coax the child with oatmeal since this is known to be good for bowel movement. You may want to add honey too to make it taste better.
- Make sure that the child is always hydrated. If the child does not want to drink water, you can offer other alternatives such as soups and flavored drinks. It is important that the child will get enough sugar and salt to keep the child’s energy levels up.
- If the child is not taking in fluids well, another option that you can do is to offer an ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution). This will make sure that your child will stay hydrated even if he/she is not taking in fluids well.
The Dangers of Dehydration
The main reason why you always have to keep your child hydrated is because dehydration can be very serious especially amongst toddlers and children. Dehydration happens when there are not enough fluids, salts and sugars that are present in the body. This can cause the organs to fail and if the dehydration is too much, this may even cause death. There are some signs that will make it apparent if the child is already dehydrated. For children, not taking out urine for 8 hours can be a sure sign of dehydration. Another known symptom is if the child is crying and no tears are coming out.
Other Things to Do
Once you already know how to hydrate the child, you have to remember that it will take about 4 hours for the child to recover from diarrhea. The diarrhea will become less frequent and children may start to have an appetite again afterwards. After about 2 days, you can help the child return to his/her normal diet. Do remember to still take watch of his/her bowel movements so that you can be sure that returning back to normal diet will not cause an onset of diarrhea again.
Remember that if the diarrhea seems too serious and this will be apparent with how the child is acting, you may have to bring your child to the hospital. You may also ask a doctor to attend to your child immediately so that the right solution can be prepared and done at the soonest possible time. Vomiting can be a serious symptom especially if the child is vomiting with blood already or has bloody stools. You will know if the child is experiencing chronic diarrhea if the diarrhea has not stopped for a period of two weeks.
