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Diarrhoea Symptoms, Causes, Prevention Tips Along with Health Insurance Benefits

By Juhi Walia
11 October 2022, 2:30 PM

We have each been there, the horrible tummy aches and endless travels to the loo. You may suppose you are the only one suffering, but diarrhoea has been discovered to be one of the most current health issues. While it may be primarily mild, diarrhoea can also be life-threatening and may cause you serious issues and, afterward, unexpected hospital bills. Therefore you must decide on a good health insurance policy that covers you and your family. Read on to learn about this unsuspecting but rampant disease and how you can help or handle it in your capacity.

Why is Diarrhoea Dangerous?

Diarrhoea comes in second as the most common health problem, with more than 1.9 million babies getting diarrhoea every year; it's only imminent that the number of people affected by diarrhoea must be more than people assume.

The National Family Health research shows that the frequency of youth diarrhoea has increased from 9% to 9.2% from 2016 to 2020 in India. It's the 3rd most common responsible illness for under 5-year children.

While it's curable and often treatable, occasionally, effects can take a worse turn in diarrhea. Medical negligence always lets it go unbounded, resulting in hospitalization.

Before you browse for your best-suited health insurance online, precisely read this section to know what causes this problem, along with its symptoms and cautions.

Causes of Diarrhoea

Generally characterised by extremely watery and abnormally loose stools, diarrhoea can last for a few hours to many days. However, it could be acute diarrhoea, if you pass less than three watery stools.

There are several factors responsible for diarrhoea:

  • Allergy caused by food
  • Intestinal disease
  • A viral, parasitic, or bacterial infection
  • Lactose intolerance or similar intolerance for a particular food

Symptoms of Diarrhoea

Most people complain about frequent runny stools and abdominal pain during diarrhoea. You can feel one or further of the following symptoms:

  • Body cramping
  • Fever
  • Dehydration
  • Dry mouth
  • Little or no urination
  • Blood in stool
  • Bloating
  • Abdominal or rectal pain
  • Increased stool volume

Among these, dehydration can create even a trip to the hospital if your body isn't given proper treatment. Symptoms of diarrhoea are different and affect people of varying age groups. Seek help immediately if:

  • Diarrhoea remains for over 24 hours in the case of a child
  • You notice dehydration in infants or youthful people
  • Diarrhoea is accompanied by blood

Make sure you have a comprehensive health insurance plan to cover these unanticipated hospital visits.

Hospitalisation may be needed if the patient is severely dehydrated or in a lot of pain. While this can be treated with ORS available cheaply, intravenous consumption may be required in case of extreme dehydration. All this can cost you up to INR 50,000 in severe cases. A health insurance can come in handy as suggested by the points shown below.

  • Relief from soaring medical costs, especially in the private sector, assists with expenditures related to consultation charges, medical tests, and ambulance charges.
  • Reimbursement of other pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses as per the policy. The facility of the cashless amount and subsequent treatment at various hospitals is mentioned in the network.

Tips for Helping with Diarrhoea

  1. Wash your food items daily to avoid infections and food poisoning.
  2. Do not keep cooked food open or in storage for a long period of time. The food is served and consumed as soon as possible after cooking.
  3. Don’t thaw frozen food at an average temperature. Especially for meat, make sure you thaw it in a refrigerator.
  4. While traveling, consider an antibiotic treatment from your doctor in case you are prone to traveller diarrhoea.
  5. Avoid tap water and fresh produce, which may have been treated with tap water.
  6. Ensure you wash your hands constantly and adequately if you still have diarrhoea. This will help stop it from spreading to others in case it is because of viral or bacterial infections.

Conclusion

In India, it's common to treat diarrhoea without any medical supervision in numerous cases. But sometimes, people suffer from chronic diarrhoea. A comprehensive health insurance policy is thus imperative to stay financially secure in case you or your loved ones get affected by this disease. It also covers you against other common conditions, including gastrointestinal diseases, digestion-related issues and more. Therefore, make sure you buy a brilliant health insurance plan for yourself and your family, as children and older people will likely suffer dehydration from diarrhoea.

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FAQs

1. Is diarrhoea covered under health insurance?

A comprehensive health insurance policy covers you against diarrhoea and other diseases. 

2. How will you take care of a person suffering from diarrhoea?

Drink plenty of liquid including water, juice and broth. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Add semisolid and low-fiber foods gradually as your bowel movements return to normal. Try soda crackers, toast, eggs, rice or chicken.

3. What are the causes, symptoms, and prevention of diarrhoea?

Diarrhoea is usually a symptom of an infection in the intestinal tract, which can be caused by various bacterial, viral, and parasitic organisms. The disease expands through contaminated food or drinking water or from person to person due to poor hygiene.

4. How long does diarrhoea last?

In adults, diarrhoea usually improves within 2 - 4 days, although some infections can last a week or more.

5. What are the types of diarrhoea?

It can be divided into three categories: fatty (malabsorption), watery, and inflammatory. Watery diarrhoea may be subdivided into secretory, osmotic, and functional types. Watery diarrhoea contains irritable bowel syndrome, the most common cause of functional diarrhoea. Chronic diarrhoea is the form of diarrhoea that can trouble you for a long period, more than 4 weeks. 

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