Gelisim News

Diarrhea is one of the most common infectious diseases in children and adults in the summertime. Diarrhea, which can cause excessive fluid loss, can result in serious health problems if precautions are not taken in the early period. Stating that summer complaint can be seen in all age groups, it is a risk especially for children and the elderly, Public Health Specialist from Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU) Dr. Nurten Elkin said that diarrhea is most common in children aged 0-5 years and diarrhea is one of the leading causes of death, especially until the age of 2.

 Stating that summer complaint, which is frequently encountered in the summertime, mostly affects children in the age of 0-5, Assist. Prof. Dr. Nurten Elkin said: “Watery stool in infants being fed with breast milk more than 6-7 times and in children who are not fed with breast milk more than 3 times are regarded as diarrhea. If there are vomiting and fever including diarrhea, parents should consult to a health facility as soon as possible. The important thing is to monitor the loss of fluid in the child. In order to find out fluid loss, parents need to analyze the amount of urination and whether there is a decrease in urine.”

Stating that diarrhea symptoms are sorted according to the severity of the disease, Assist. Prof. Dr. Elkin said: “If the person has lost a small amount of fluid, the symptoms may appear as thirst, and if there is a moderate loss of fluid, symptoms such as xerostomia, uneasiness, and decrease in urine may be seen. Accordingly, the most common diarrhea symptoms are fluid defecation, urgent defecation, and unable to hold defecation, excessive defecation, thirst, nausea and vomiting, fever, fatigue, abdominal pain and gas. Bacterial infections in the summertime usually appear with complaints of fever, vomiting, nausea and abdominal pain.”

Pointing out the only treatment of diarrhea is to replace the loss fluid, Assist. Prof. Dr. Elkin said: “The lost fluid is not only water. Along with fluid, vital electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, chlorine and bicarbonate are lost. Therefore, drinking only water does not meet the requirement of fluid which is lost by diarrhea. These electrolytes must also be in the fluid. Therefore, ‘oral rehydration packages are recommended for patients of all ages. One of these packages should be added to one liter of water and the patient should drink as much as (s)he can. After each defecation, it may be recommended to drink 1-2 glasses and replace the lost liquid. Parenteral fluid should be given immediately to patients who cannot ingest fluid due to nausea and / or vomiting.”

Elkin continued her speech:

“If any of the symptoms such as the sense of thirst, dry mouth, collapse of eyes, fatigue, wrinkles and drowsiness occur, the person should consult to the nearest health institution. The fluid and electrolyte loss of the body should be replaced as soon as possible. In addition, consumption of plenty of water, boiled potatoes, bananas, yogurt, lean rice, pasta and rice soup will help the recovery of patients with diarrhea. However, fats, fatty foods, spicy, acidic and caffeinated foods and beverages can intensify diarrhea.”

Pointing out that food should be kept in the refrigerator, even if cooked, especially in the summertime, Assist. Prof. Dr. Elkin warned that food which are left in the hot and especially sold as open, or food with milk and mayonnaise or cream carries various risk in this respect.

Giving suggestions to prevent the summer complaint, Assist. Prof. Dr. Elkin concluded her speech as follows:

“Hand washing should be taken care of. Hands should be washed with soap before and after the toilet, before meals. Clean water should be used for drinking and potable water. When there is doubt about purity of water, the use of water should be avoided. If necessary, it should be used by boiling for at least 10 minutes. Vegetables and fruits should be consumed by washing with plenty of clean water. Especially during the summertime, food that is sold in the hot and outdoors and whose expiry date is not known should not be consumed. Frozen foods should not be frozen again after thawing. Freshly cooked or reheated dishes should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours. Breastfeeding should be continued in infants with diarrhea as in other infants. It is important for people with diarrhea to give importance to personal hygiene rules, to maintain oral nutrition in order to replace the loss of liquid and salt, and to take children who vomits and cannot be fed orally to the doctor without losing time to prevent sudden fluid losses.”