Summer Diarrhea | Acupuncture for Digestion
Hot summer is the time that diarrhea happens a lot. Many people think it's just "wrong foods". You may not know that, bad diarrhea sometimes can be health and life-threatening.
What are the reasons for summer diarrhea?
BBQ - There are up to 1.7 million bacteria per square centimetres on outdoor barbecues. These bacteria contain highly pathogenic E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria, which cause vomiting and diarrhea once infected.
Beer and other cold drinks - Drinking a large amount of beer in a short period of time, especially cold beer, will affect the digestive function. In severe cases, it can cause spasmodic abdominal pain, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal diseases.
Iced watermelon - Watermelon itself is of cold nature. Cold storage will increase its coolness. If you eat it cold, it will contract gastrointestinal tract and other digestive organs, and result in abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Lactose intolerance - Due to lack of lactase in the digestive tract and malabsorption, some people, after drinking milk, may have abdominal distention, diarrhea, abdominal pain and other symptoms.
How to cope with Summer Diarrhea?
Prevent dehydration and electrolyte imbalance - Many diarrhea especially watery diarrhea, can cause the body to lose a lot of water and even have acidosis and shock. So, as long as you do not vomit, be sure to drink water.
Diarrhea also loses electrolytes - salt in the body. Electrolyte disorders can cause fatigue, heart palpitations, arrhythmias and severe cases can be life-threatening. Oral rehydration salts can be taken at this time. Potassium can be supplemented from freshly squeezed juices.
If accompanied by constant vomiting, you really can't eat or drink, and you experience dizzy when standing up, feeling significant blood pressure drop, cooling hands and feet, the skin becoming flowery with red (or dark purple)/white patterns. After the skin is pressed, the skin colour recovers after more than 2 seconds, and the consciousness is unclear. All these are critical signs and urgent care is needed.
Other than the above severe cases and you are up to more natural ways to recover instead of taking antidiarrheal or antibiotic drugs, you can see a good acupuncturist to help regulate the digestion.
