Warning: Diarrhea Can Induce Paralysis or Cause Death

Arlenroy had acute diarrhea. The problem was that he was in a public place when he had to use a toilet.

This is how it went...

"I ran into 7-11 because I couldn't hold on much longer. The feeling of unleashing that toxic foam was incredibly relieving, but I had pinched a nerve in my lower back when I sat down so fast (I have a moderate disc hernia).

This hurried diarrhea squat rendered me paralyzed from the waist down. I couldn't relieve the pressure on my nerve that caused the paralysis because that requires standing up, and I couldn't stand up because I was paralyzed. The EMTs came to lift my naked ass of the toilet and I regained feeling in my body."

Diarrhea is bad for Seniors:

Two weeks ago I helped myself to an avocado smoothie that's been in my ref for three days. It was already a bit rancid but, being an avocado junkie, I took it just the same.

As soon I downed everything, I felt my stomach groan in protest and immediately knew that I will be visiting the toilet more often than I want to.

For wanting to stretch my food to their shelf-life limits, I paid a very high price - diarrhea - something I, or any person my age can hardly afford to have.

Why? Because diarrhea can cause dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, vitamin and mineral deficiencies which, if untreated, can lead to weakness, or even death, according to Anil Minocha, M.D. in his book, "The Encyclopedia of the Digestive System and Digestive Disorders."

And seniors are particularly susceptible because of the deterioration of their digestive and immune systems due to aging. They can easily get it from viral infection, lactose intolerance, contaminated water, too much beer, anxiety, and side-effects of some drugs they are taking for other medical issues.

In case your loose bowel movement episode is similar to that of Alrenroy's, you can easily deal with it at home using these steps to help you avoid serious complications:

1. Stay home, don't go out:

Diarrhea can sap your energy and can be embarrassing if you had to rush to the toilet each time you need to discharge.

So stay home and near your toilet. With your wobbly legs, poor balance, and poor eyesight, you can experience a fall while if you have to cover some distance to relieve yourself, especially at night.

2. Hydrate yourself:

Drink lots of water after each discharge to make up for fluid loss.

Take electrolytic drinks, like Gatorade, to replenish the loss of your body's electrolyte through frequent discharge.

Dehydration is one of the main causes for seniors to end up in hospital emergency rooms.

3. Eat the right kinds of foods:

Eat lots of fruits like bananas, or white rice, applesauce, and white bread.

In between, eat baked potatoes, plain crackers, pretzels, baked chicken (without the skin and fat).

Avoid fatty foods like milk, butter, ice cream, cheese, alcohol, caffeinated drinks, artificial sweeteners, and foods that can produce excess gas like cabbage, beans, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Stick to a soft diet, avoiding oily foods.

4. Take some medicines:

Most doctors would suggest that you just ride out your diarrhea. Instead of taking medicines, they suggest you take electrolytic drinks, like Gatorade.

But for faster relief, take Diatabs or Lomotil. They work every time. But they induce constipation, too.

When we were kids, my Grandma's favorite was the horrible-tasting Kaopectate. Makes you wish you didn't have diarrhea at all.

5. Get plenty of rest:

Acute diarrhea can make you weak. Lose your appetite. It makes you want to jus to lie down and do nothing. And you should conserve energy.

Last year I had an episode of acute diarrhea. It woke me up early morning and lasted until late afternoon. During that span of time, every hour on the hour, I had to go to the toilet to discharge nothing but fetid water.

It was so bad and so frequent, my anus started hurting from kissing all those toilet papers.

Twelve hours later, my daughter, who is a doctor, decided to intravenously feed with me saline solution to prevent dehydration.

That stopped my ordeal.

What about you? When was the last time you had a case of acute diarrhea? I hope you did not have to rush to a 7-11 - not to buy but use their toilet.

I am a blogger and a freelance writer. My blog covers issues concerning the elderly, which is very relevant because the world is getting "old."

I also write about happiness, motivation, career development, leadership, and management, which I learned through my long years in the corporate world.

Should you need help in above issues, please send me an email at dabon.joseph@gmail.com, or in my Skype account at joesfortune, or leave a message on my Contact Page at http://www.agewithcharm.com/.

I would get back to you the soonest possible.

I would be my pleasure to be of help.

Joseph M. Dabon



 By Joseph Dabon


Article Source: Warning: Diarrhea Can Induce Paralysis or Cause Death