Prevention of diarrhea that can be done starting today

Diarrhea is common in children and adults. This disease causes symptoms such as bowel movements with continuous liquid stool, stomach upset, to nausea and vomiting that can interfere with activities. Instead of treating, let's take the following diarrhea prevention steps!

Prevention of diarrhea in everyday life

Never underestimate diarrhea. In infants and children, the elderly, and people with low immunity, diarrhea for days can increase the risk of dehydration and other serious complications.

Therefore, diarrhea prevention must be a priority in life. Better to prevent than cure, right?

1. Wash your hands diligently

Washing hands is the main way to prevent the spread of germs that cause diarrhea. Wash your hands frequently to avoid diarrhea, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States it is most important when:

before, during, and after cooking or preparing food,
before eating,
after going to the bathroom,
after using the toilet for a bow / bowel movement,
after taking out the trash,
after changing a child's diaper,
after playing, cleaning cages, or feeding pets, as well
after coughing, sneezing, or clearing nasal discharge.

Well, the way you wash your hands must also be correct so that protection against disease can work optimally.

Wash your hands with soap under running water for 20 seconds. Make sure you scrub between your fingers and the crevices behind your nails, then wash them with running water until they are clean. Dry your hands with a clean tissue or towel.

Always on hand hand sanitizer containing alcohol if the situation and conditions do not allow you to wash your hands with water.

2. Do not snack carelessly

Source: Wikimedia

Avoid snacks carelessly to prevent you and your family from diarrhea because the food sold on the side of the road is not guaranteed cleanliness.

Food and beverages that are processed and sold in the open are susceptible to contamination from environmental germs. Some of them are like E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, and Clostridium perfringens not only causes diarrhea, but can also trigger food poisoning and even typhus. That's why often snacking carelessly makes us sick easily.

So instead of snacks, it's better to bring lunch or eat at a restaurant that is guaranteed cleanliness to prevent diarrhea.

3. Cook food properly

Improper ways of preparing, processing, and serving food can cause indigestion because bacteria can contaminate your food ingredients in various ways.

Take for example, vegetables or fruit that after being harvested may still be covered by soil debris or other dirt contaminated with germs. Not to mention if the storage area is not clean, the production process is not properly controlled, or if the cleaning uses contaminated water.

If the food is not washed properly, bacteria can still stick. So, the proper preventive measure of diarrhea in this case is to wash food properly. If necessary, peel away the skin of vegetables or fruit that is exposed to the soil.

The University of Maine explains how washing vegetables and fruit will help you to avoid getting diarrhea. Here are the steps.

Choose dirty vegetables or fruits to wash first.
Use running water to wash vegetables and fruit.
Rub the surface of the fruit and vegetables clean, if necessary, use a special brush.
For chopped vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli, soak for 1 to 2 minutes first.
After washing, dry and place in a clean container.

Diarrhea prevention measures are not only limited to washing food thoroughly, but also involve processing. The reason is, there are some people who experience diarrhea from eating raw food.

Some stubborn bacteria may still stick to your food ingredients even after washing them beforehand. So, you need to cook chicken, beef, or eggs until cooked.

Don't forget to make sure the cooking utensils used are clean. If food has been thoroughly washed but not with the utensils, bacteria can still be mixed into the food.

4. Do not swim when not feeling well

Even though it sounds strange, it turns out that swimming can also cause diarrhea. This condition occurs when you or your little one swallow pool water that is contaminated with bacteria.

The bacteria that cause diarrhea mix with pool water when an infected person doesn't clean himself properly after defecating. The CDC reports that diarrhea-causing bacteria, such as Cryptosporidium sp. and Giardiacan last for 45 minutes in chlorinated pool water.

When this pool water is drunk, bacteria can infect and cause diarrhea for weeks. The right action to prevent diarrhea for this is to discourage swimming when the body is not healthy.

Complaints of not feeling well indicate a weak immune system. If you swim in contaminated water, the risk of diarrhea is even greater. If you still want to swim, try to be more careful not to drink water.

5. Take care of your diet

Certain foods, such as spicy, coconut milk, or strong herbs, can trigger diarrhea in some people. Others may get diarrhea more easily if they drink too much coffee, milk, fruit juices, or foods that contain artificial sweeteners.

Some people who have food allergies, food intolerances, or digestive disorders such as Celiac disease and Crohn's disease may also be more sensitive to certain foods that can trigger diarrhea.

Therefore, the right preventive measure for diarrhea for those of you who also have this condition is to avoid trigger foods so as not to cause health problems in the future. You can also first read the food composition listed on the back of the packaging to avoid food ingredients that might trigger your diarrhea.

Another way to prevent diarrhea is to maintain fibrous food intake. Eating too much food high in fiber can make the stool soft and even runny, such as during diarrhea. So, pay attention to your fiber intake per day so that diarrhea can be avoided.

Consult your doctor or nutritionist further if you do have certain health problems.

6. Get the vaccine

Rotavirus is one common cause of diarrhea. This virus can survive for a certain time in the environment, especially during the rainy season. Infants and children are a group that is susceptible to infection with this virus.

According to the National Library of Medicine, the way to prevent transmission of the virus that causes diarrhea is to get a vaccine injection. This diarrhea prevention measure is carried out before the baby is 5 years old with 2 to 3 injections.

The first dose is given to infants aged 2 months, the second dose at 4 months of age, and 6 months of age for the third dose. This diarrhea prevention measure is first done before the baby is 15 weeks old. In order for the baby to avoid diarrhea, consult with your pediatrician about how to prevent diarrhea.

7. Eat nutritious foods, especially those containing probiotics

The way to prevent diarrhea that you can do at home is to eat foods containing probiotics. Probiotics are a combination of good bacteria and / or yeast that live naturally in the body.

The main function of probiotics is to maintain the good bacteria in the stomach so as to keep the body neutral. When you are sick, the bad bacteria that enter the body will increase in number. That's when the good bacteria work, to fight bacteria and restore balance to the body.

As is well known, one of the most common causes of diarrhea is a bacterial infection such as E. Coli. By increasing their intake through consumption of probiotic foods such as yogurt, tempeh, or kimchi, good bacteria will increase which will help the digestive system work. In fact, these foods can be used as a preventative measure for diarrhea caused by taking antibiotics.

Remember, you have to make sure the nutrients consumed from food remain balanced. You shouldn't rely too much on probiotic foods alone.

When routinely carried out, these habits are not only useful for preventing diarrhea, but will also make your digestive system healthier.