Diarrhea is a symptom, and its treatment depends on the cause. In many cases for people with diarrhea, diarrhea is cured by removing the cause and suppressing the diarrhea until the body heals itself. For instance, diarrhea is cured when a person stops drinking coffee or cola drinks containing caffeine. A diarrhea due to a viral cause generally resolves by itself in 24 to 48 hours.
In many cases, diarrhea will disappear on its own within a few days. However, there are various drugs and other complementary medicine that may be employed to help treat symptoms of diarrhea. Your health care provider may suggest the following:
Avoid certain foods. Avoid coffee, chocolate, dairy products, fruit juices, fried and junk foods, strong spices, and other solid foods. These foods tend to aggravate diarrhea. Avoid alcohol as it is dehydrating.
Gradually build your diet. Introduce bland foods such as clear soup, rice, potatoes, crackers, white bread, applesauce and bananas as diarrhea gets better.. Make rice and barley water using 1 cup of raw grain to 1 quart of boiling water. Let steep for 20 minutes. Strain and drink throughout the day. Rice and barley water helps restore lost electrolytes due to diarrhea.
Get help from good bacteria. Probiotic bacteria or Lactobacillus are good bacterias that normally lives in our intestines and support the digestive process. Probiotic bacteria are available as powder or in capsules, and can also be found in yogurts. When taking lactobacillus or probiotic bacteria, follow the labels. Probiotic bacteria or lactobacillus helps normalize bowel flora and may help cure your diarrhea.