Category: Digestive System Problems

Alternative name : Loose motion

What is diarrhea?

Diarrhea refers to the frequent passage of loose or watery unformed stools. As a rough guide it can be said that three or four loose or watery stools a day can be considered as diarrhea. The disease may be acute or chronic. Commonly known as “loose motion”, it is perhaps the most common disease in India.

The intestine normally gets more than 10 litres of liquid per day which comes from the diet and from secretion of the stomach, liver, pancreas and intestines. In the case of diarrhea, water is either not absorbed or is secreted in excess by the organs of the body. It is then sent to the colon where water holding capacity is limited. Thus the urge to defecate comes quite often.

What are the causes of diarrhea?

There are many and varied causes of diarrhea. The chief causes are overeating or eating of wrong foods, putrefaction in intestinal tract, fermentation caused by incomplete carbohydrate digestion, nervous irritability, use of antibiotic drugs and excessive intake of laxatives. Other causes include parasites, germs, virus, bacteria or a poison which has entered into the body through food, water or air; allergies to certain substances or even common foods such as milk, wheat, eggs and sea foods and emotional strain or stress in adults and fright in children. Some of the common causes of diarrhea includes:

• Viruses, bacteria, and parasites.
• Dehydration.
• Food intolerance.

Diarrhea may be a prominent feature of organic disease affecting the small or large intestine such as the sprue syndrome, malignant disease and ulcerative colitis. It may also result from operations on the gastrointestinal tract. Diarrhea may alternate with constipation. This may result from the irritation of the mucous membrane by impacted hard feces. Diarrhea for prolonged periods can lead to certain complications. These may include

1. Weakening, due to loss of vitamins like A. D, E and K and other nutrients as food is rushed through the body without giving the nutrients a chance of being absorbed.
2. Dehydration, due to loss of body fluids and washing out of minerals from the body and nervous conditions.

What are the symptoms of diarrhea?

Some of the common symptoms of diarrhea includes:

• Nausea, vomiting.
• Fever.
• Loose or watery unformed stools.
• Feeling tiredness.
• Indigestion.

Natural home remedies for the treatment of diarrhea

1. Buttermilk

Buttermilk is one of the most effective home remedies in the treatment of diarrhea. Buttermilk is the residual milk left after the fat has been removed from curd by churning. It helps overcome harmful intestinal flora. The acid in the buttermilk also fights germs and bacteria. Buttermilk may be taken with a pinch of salt three or four times a day for controlling this disease.

2. Carrot Soup

Carrot soup is another effective home remedy for diarrhea. It supplies water to combat dehydration, replenishes sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur, and magnesium, supplies pectin and coats the intestine to allay inflammation. It also checks the growth of harmful intestinal bacteria and prevents vomiting. Half a kilogram of carrots may be cooked in 150 ml of water until they become soft. The pulp should be strained and enough boiled water added to it to make a litre. Three quarters of a tablespoon of salt may be added. This soup should be given in small amounts to the patient every half an hour.

3. Banana

Mash a tender, just ready to eat banana (not over-ripe) and have with a cup of milk twice a day. It useful in diarrhea and dysentery.

4. Fenugreek Leaves

Fenugreek leaves are useful in diarrhea. One teaspoon of seeds which have been boiled and fried in butter should be taken with a cup of buttermilk twice daily. They are valuable in allaying biliousness. The seeds are also beneficial in the treatment of this disease.

5. Ginger

In case of diarrhea caused by indigestion, dry or fresh ginger is very useful. A piece of dry ginger should be powdered along with a crystal of rock salt, and quarter of a teaspoon of this powder should be taken with a small piece of jaggery. It will bring quick relief as ginger, being carminative, aids digestion by stimulating the gastrointestinal tract.

6. Mint Juice

Mint juice is also beneficial in the treatment of diarrhea. One teaspoon of fresh mint juice, mixed with a teaspoon each of lime juice and honey, can be given thrice daily with excellent results in the treatment of this disease.

7. Bottle gourd

The juice of bottle gourd is a valuable medicine for excessive thirst due to severe diarrhea. A glass of plain juice with a pinch of salt should be taken every day in treating this condition .

8. Drumstick Leaves

The juice of fresh leaves of drumstick is also valuable in diarrhea. A teaspoon of this juice, mixed with a teaspoon of honey and a glass of tender coconut water, can be given two to three times as a herbal medicine in the treatment of diarrhea.

9. Pomegranate

The pomegranate has proved beneficial in the treatment of diarrhea on account of its astringent properties. If the patient develops weakness due to profuse and continuous purging, he should repeatedly be given about 50 ml of pomegranate juice to drink. This will control the diarrhea.

10. Mango Seeds

Mango seeds are valuable in diarrhea. The seeds should be collected during the mango season, dried in the shade and powdered, and kept stored for use as a medicine when required. A dose of about one and a half to two grams with or without honey, should be administered twice daily.

11. Unripe Banana

Boil an unripe banana with the skin on. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes on a low fire. Remove the skin of the banana and slice it. Heat two teaspoons of ghee in a vessel, splutter 2-3 cloves and add the sliced banana. Add one-fourth of a teaspoon of turmeric, one-fourth to half a teaspoon of rock salt, half a teaspoon of ground coriander seeds, and a tablespoon of yoghurt, or a cup of buttermilk. Cover and cook for a while. The unripe plantain or banana is astringent and antibilious.

12. Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds are helpful in the treatment of this condition. Two tablespoons of the seeds should be lightly roasted in a frying pan. They should then be ground into a fine powder and mixed with one tablespoon of cow’s ghee. The mass should be divided into three parts and each part should be taken with half a cup of boiled goat’s milk thrice daily for six days by the patients. It acts as an excellent medicine in this condition.

13. Turmeric

Turmeric has proved to be another valuable home remedy for diarrhea. It is a very useful intestinal antiseptic. It is also a gastric stimulant and tonic. One teaspoon of fresh turmeric rhizome juice or one teaspoon of dry rhizome powder may be taken in one cup of buttermilk or plain water.

14. Banyan Tree Bark

Take a teaspoon of the dry powdered bark of the banyan tree. Make an infusion using a glass of hot water. Let it steep for a while. This water is ‘cooling’ and helps control diarrhea. Take half a glass of this infusion twice a day.

15. Curry Leaves

Crush a handful of fresh curry leaves. Grind them to a paste. Add one-fourth of a cup of water. Strain and have this curry-leaf juice with a teaspoon of honey once or twice a day. Chewing a few curry leaves twice a day will also help.

Summer diarrhea are usually self-limiting and need fluid replacement more than medicine. Drinking ORS (oral rehydrating solution) and eating the fresh, tender kernels of water chestnuts, known as shinghara, either fresh, boiled or roasted, with buttermilk, provides nourishment as well as fluid and minerals. This too has a binding action.

Video

Cholera is a serious infection, involving the lower part of the small bowel. It is one of the most severe diseases of the intestines. It is a waterborne disease and is common during monsoon. The disease is predominant in children in endemic areas like India and other countries of South East and Mid East Asia. Its incidence is much higher in the age group between one and three years than in other age groups of children.

Cholera strikes suddenly and tills the intestinal canal with bacilli which die rapidly and leave the person alive or dead. It comes as an epidemic and creates havoc but subsides quickly in the locality. Those who are susceptible to it are carried away and those who are left alive become immune to it. Thus after an epidemic in a non-endemic area, there is no revrsitation by cholera in the locality for two or three-years. Cholera is a life threatening disease and fluid loss is so rapid that no chances can or should be taken. It is best to take the patient to a hospital for intravenous fluids and antibiotics. However, when that is not possible, here are the best remedies could help for the treatment of cholera disease.

Cholera Symptoms

Cholera appears in three stages. In the first stage, the patient suffers from mild diarrhea and vomiting, which worsens rapidly. The motions become watery, containing no fecal matter. The patient gets severe cramps in the muscles of the abdomen and limbs, resulting from lack of salts. The temperature rises but the skin is generally cold. Taking water to quench the thirst makes the cramps worse by diluting the body salts still further.

In the second stage, known as the stage of collapse, the body becomes colder, the skin dry, wrinkled and purple. Voice becomes weak and husky and the urine becomes dark and scanty or altogether absent. It is in this ‘algid’ stage that the patient may die, as early as 24 hours after the onset of symptoms.

In the third stage, recovery follows in favorable cases. All the changes seem to reverse themselves. The fluid loss decreases and there is a slight improvement in general condition. Even at this stage, the relapse may occur or the patient may sink into a condition resembling typhoid fever. The condition may deteriorate over a period of two or three weeks. During this stage of reaction, the temperature may rise, and the patient may be in danger from pneumonia. Some common symptoms of cholera are.

• a profuse secretory-type watery diarrhea, with flecks of mucous material (rice water).
• leg cramps
• vomiting (often).
• abdominal pains.
• a rapid onset of dehydration.

Causes of Cholera

Cholera is caused by a short curved, rod-shaped germ known as vibrio chlorate. This germ produces a powerful poison or endotoxin. It is spread by flies and water contaminated by the germs. The real cause of the disease, however, is the toxic and devita1ised condition of the system brought about by incorrect feeding habits and faulty style of living. This condition facilitates invasion of cholera germs.

Cholera Treatment – Natural home remedies for cholera disease

1. Onion Juice

Onion juice is considered especially useful in folk medicine. A teaspoon of onion juice added to a teaspoon of neem ­fruit pulp (neem fruit grows during the cholera-prone months) should be licked from the spoon every 30 minutes or so. Two spoonful last about two hours. The combination is very bitter, but it is not possible to mix it with water as that will cause the patient to vomit. However, just taking a lick and sipping water makes the patient feel better and changes the taste in the mouth. Besides, both these have antiseptic and anti-microbial properties that annihilate the cholera bacteria and also neutralize the toxin it liberates. Best treatment for cholera.

2. Neem Leaves

Grind 2-4 neem leaves with 3-4 black peppercorns and give the patient this mixture in a cupful of water, to sip slowly. Both these have anti-microbial properties.

3. Celery-leaf Infusion

Take a handful of celery leaves and grind them to a paste. Boil them in one-and-a half litres of water till only half remains. Give a spoonful of this cooled decoction every 15-20 minutes, till the patient’s stool begins to thicken. Once that happens, stop this treatment. The natural restorative process would have begun. However, continue to give oral re hydration fluids.

4. Clove-water Decoction

Grind half a tablespoon of cloves. Boil it in two liters of water till it is reduced to a liter. Filter, cool and have this many times a day.

5. Nutmeg

One-eight of a teaspoon of nutmeg powder, infused in a glass of water, cooled, mixed with the same amount of coconut water, and half a cupful of this drink taken every half an hour, will reduce the severity of the symptoms.

6. Coconut Water

Tender coconut water is an ideal re hydrating and nourishing drink with a teaspoon of fresh drumstick-leaf juice and a spoonful of honey added to it.

7. Cloves

Grind 4-5 cloves and mix with a pinch of asafoetida and jaggery. Have it 2-3 times with water. Helps in treating cholera.

8. Holy basil and Neem Leaves

Grind 6-8 holy basil and 6-8 neem leaves with a pinch of asafoetida powder. Roll it into a small pill with jaggery. This should be given 3-4 times a day.

Alternative name :: Celiac sprue

What is celiac disease?

Celiac disease (also called celiac sprue) is a chronic digestive disorder that is caused by a hereditary intolerance to gluten. Gluten is a component of wheat (including durum, semolina, and spelt), rye, oats, barley, and related grain hybrids such as triticale and kamut. The cause of celiac disease is unknown, although it is known to affect mostly Caucasians of European descent.

When a person with celiac disease consumes gluten, damage to the small intestine results. It is believed that the body responds to gluten as if it were an antigen, and launches an immune-system attack when it is absorbed by the intestine. This, in turn, causes the lining of the small intestine to swell. As a result, tiny hairlike projections called villi suffer damage and destruction, which impairs the body’s ability to absorb vital nutrients. Malabsorption becomes a serious problem, and the loss of vitamins, minerals, and calories results in malnutrition despite an adequate diet. Diarrhea compounds the problem. Because celiac disease impairs digestion, food allergies may also appear.

Celiac disease is much more prevalent than was once believed. Recent studies suggest that as many as 1 in 500 persons in the United States is affected. The incidence may be even higher in many areas of Europe. There is no known cure for celiac disease, but it can be controlled by lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet.

Causes of celiac disease

The exact cause of celiac disease is not known; however, inheriting or developing certain irregular genes increases your susceptibility. You are more likely to have these abnormal genes and develop celiac disease if you have a first-degree relative (mother, father, brother, sister, son, or daughter) with the condition. If an immediate family member, such as a parent, brother, or sister, has celiac disease, there’s about a 5% to 10% chance that you could have it, too. In some genetically predisposed people,environmental factors, such as bacteria, viruses, or surgery, may cause changes in the small intestine; then, eating gluten can trigger an irregular immune system response, resulting in celiac disease.

Celiac disease symptoms

Celiac disease affects both adults and children; and it can appear at any age. It often appears when a child is first introduced to cereal foods, at around three or four months of age. In others, the disease can be triggered by emotional stress or physical trauma, such as a surgery or pregnancy. The first signs are usually diarrhea, weight loss, and nutritional deficiencies. Other symptoms include nausea; abdominal swelling; large, and, frequently, pale and/or light-yellow-colored, foul-smelling stools that float; depression; fatigue; irritability; muscle cramps and wasting; and joint and/or bone pain. Infants and children may exhibit stunted growth, vomiting, an intense burning sensation in the skin, and a red, itchy skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis. A baby with celiac disease may gain weight more slowly than normal or may lose weight. The infant may have a poor appetite, gas, and offensive-smelling bowel movements. The child is likely to have an anemic, undernourished appearance. Ulcers may develop in the mouth.

How can celiac disease diagnosed

Celiac disease is often difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are similar to those of other diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome, gastric ulcers, and anemia. Advances in blood testing have made it easier to detect celiac disease. A diagnosis based on a blood test should be followed up with a biopsy of intestinal tissue, which is usually an outpatient procedure. However, due to the fact that symptoms are so diverse, and that some people with celiac disease do not show obvious symptoms, many people go a long time before being diagnosed correctly. Because celiac disease is hereditary, if one family member is diagnosed with it, other family members should also be tested.

Home remedies for celiac disease

1. Alfalfa

Alfalfa supplies vitamin K, which is often deficient in those with celiac disease. Take 2,000 to 3,000 milligrams in tablet form daily.

2. Olive Leaf

Olive leaf extract and/ or goldenseal is helpful for keeping infection down.
Caution: Do not take goldenseal on a daily basis for more than one week at a time, and do not use it during pregnancy. If you have a history of heart disease, diabetes, or glaucoma, use it only under a doctor’s supervision.

3. Be sure to chew your foods thoroughly before swallowing. This will improve the intake of nutrients.

4. Current evidence suggests up to 2 ounces of oats each day may be tolerated well by people with celiac disease.

5. Do not eat sugary products, processed foods, dairy products, bouillon cubes, chocolate, and bottled salad dressings.

6. Vitamin K

Vitamin K deficiency caused by celiac disease may lead to a hypoprothrombinemia (a lack of clotting factors in the blood). One form of vitamin K is manufactured by “friendly” bacteria in the intestines; another is present in certain foods, especially leafy greens, alfalfa, tomatoes, strawberries, whole grains, and yogurt. Bacteria such as those found in yogurt and acidophilus can also help to restore the intestinal flora necessary for vitamin K production.

If celiac disease left untreated, it can be quite serious, even life-threatening. Bone disease, such as osteoporosis, central and peripheral nervous system impairment, seizures caused by inadequate absorption of folic acid, internal hemorrhaging, pancreatic disease, infertility, miscarriages and birth defects, and gynecological disorders are just some of the long-term maladies that can affect those with celiac disease. There is also a risk of developing intestinal lymphoma and other intestinal malignancies. Certain autoimmune disorders also can be associated with celiac disease, including kidney disease (nephrosis), sarcoidosis (the formation of lesions in the lungs, bones, skin, and other places), insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, systemic lupus erythematosus, thyroid disease, and, rarely, chronic active hepatitis, scleroderma, myasthenia gravis, Addison’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren’s syndrome.

Celiac disease diet

1. Eat fresh vegetables, legumes (such as lentils, beans, and peas), rice bran, nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, figs, and “seedy” fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, and black­berries. Include in the diet blackstrap molasses, which is high in iron and the B vitamins. People with celiac disease need fiber and foods rich in iron and the B vitamins.
2. Avoid any and all foods that contain gluten. Do not eat any products that contain barley, oats, rye, or wheat. Rice and corn can be eaten. Substitute rice, potato, cornmeal, and soy flour for wheat flour. Read all labels carefully. Watch for “hidden” sources of gluten, such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, textured vegetable protein, hydrolyzed plant protein, and all derivatives of wheat, rye, oats, and barley, including malt, modified food starch, some soy sauces, grain vinegars, binders, fillers, excipients, and “natural flavorings.” Do not consume hot dogs, gravies, lunch­eon meat, beer, mustard, catsup, non-dairy creamer, white vinegar, curry powder, or seasonings. Gluten-free products are available at health food stores.
3. If a child develops any of the symptoms of celiac disease, omit all gluten-containing foods from the child’s diet and see if the problem clears up. Also eliminate milk, as lactose intolerance can occur with celiac disease. The disease can begin in the first few months of life, depending on the child’s diet.
4. Celiac disease causes malabsorption of the B vitamins and the fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, 0, E, and K), so take these nutrients. Note that gluten is found in many nutritional supplements. Read labels carefully, and use supplements that are hypoallergenic, wheat-free, and yeast­free.

Alternative names : Gas in abdomen, Flatulence, Burping, Eructation

Belching, gas in the abdomen and flatulence are embarrassing problems suffered by many people. They are linked to hyperacidity and heartburn. It is a bunch of gas that forms in your stomach and bringing up air from the stomach with a typical sound. In other words the act of expelling gas from the stomach out through the mouth.

What are the causes of belching?

Eating or drinking too fast, gulping or guzzling aerated soft drinks, nervous swallowing of air, or smoking, can result in a noisy return of air from the stomach to the mouth. This is called belching. Gas in the abdomen, known as wind, occurs due to fermentation of food in the intestines, giving a bloated feeling and the embarrassing passage of wind from the anus called flatulence. When there is ingestion of the wrong kinds of food and indigestion, the gas expelled is foul smelling. Common causes includes :

• Consumption of gas-producing foods or drinks, such as carbonated beverages.
• Swallowed air.
• Food allergy.
• Stomach acid deficiency.

What are the symptoms of belching?

• Nausea and vomiting.
• Indigestion.
• Heartburn.

Natural home remedies for the treatment of belching

1. ENO

The age-old remedy of taking Eno’s Fruit Salt for gas in the abdomen is still applicable. If you do not have it at home, make your own. Too much of it can cause rebound acidity-so do not make it a habit.

2. Baking Powder with Lime Juice

Mix together half a teaspoon of cooking soda or baking powder, a tablespoon of fresh lime juice, and a teaspoon of fresh ginger juice, in a glass of water and drink it. You can mix half a teaspoon of baking soda and dried ginger powder and have it with hot water before your meal, if you habitually have flatulence. (This has a high amount of sodium ions, hence is not good for those with hypertension.)

3. Garlic

Soak two cloves of crushed garlic in a glass of hot water for 2-3 minutes. Add a spoonful of ginger juice and drink it while it is still warm. Leave the dregs of crushed garlic in the glass.

4. Turmeric

A teaspoon of turmeric in a glass of hot water, with a pinch of rock salt, drunk while still hot, gives immediate relief.

5. Omum Seeds

A teaspoon of crushed omum seeds with a few drops of lime juice, washed down with warm water, gives relief.

6. Omum

Grind together and store 100 gm’s omum, 100 gm’s dry ginger and 25 gm rock salt. This can be taken when needed-a level teaspoon of the mixture with warm water. It can be made into a soothing drink by adding a tablespoon of fresh lime juice.

7. Omum and Dried Ginger

Take 100 gm’s omum and 100 gm’s dried-ginger. Soak in 250 ml of fresh lime juice. Let it dry. Powder fine. Add 25 gm’s of rock salt, mix and take a pinch when needed, on the tongue with a little water.

8 . Fenugreek Tea

Make herbal tea with a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, 4-6 crushed cloves and a glass of water. Boil to make a tea. Strain. The softened cloves can also be eaten with the tea.

9. Bay Leaves

Take 2-3 bay leaves and the peel of half an orange. Allow them to simmer in a glass of boiling water for 4-5 minutes. Strain/ filter and drink.

10. Cardamom

Chewing a cardamom pod after a meal, or making tea with the seeds of 3-4 crushed pods, a pinch of dried ground ginger, and a small pinch of grated nutmeg, will settle a flatulent, rumbling stomach. Do not make having nutmeg a habit. It is addictive and constipating and has cumulative toxic effects.

11. Fennel

An infusion of fennel or chewing a teaspoon of roasted fennel is a good digestive.

12. Asafoetida

The use of asafoetida while cooking gas-producing vegetables or pulses has a purpose. Gas-producing vegetables are onion, cabbage, broccoli, turnips and beans, and fruits like melons and raw apples. Soak pulses in water 2-3 hours before cooking. This eliminates gas-producing toxins and also decreases overall cooking time.

13. Mint Tea

To make mint tea, add a teaspoon of dried herbs, or a tablespoon of fresh crushed herb to a cup of boiling water. Simmer for a few minutes. Filter and drink it at a temperature you like. This relieves flatulence and pain.

14. Betel Leaf

Chewing on a small crushed betel leaf with a few drops of honey relieves gas.

Belching Prevention Tips

• Eat slowly.
• Dietary changes, such as reducing intake of fatty foods, tea, coffee and alcohol, and eating small regular meals.
• Stop smoking.

Video

Appendicitis is the most common of all serious intestinal disorders. It refers to an inflammation of the vermiform appendix. It presents itself in acute and chronic forms and affects both the sexes equally. The appendix is a small tube located at the end of the caecum, the first part of the large intestine. It is called vermiform appendix as it resembles a worm. It is usually eight to ten cm. long. Its structure is made of tough fibrous outer covering which protects the entire alimentary canal. There is a layer of muscular tissue under the outer covering and further a layer of lymphoid tissue.

Appendicitis Symptoms

Diagnosis may be specially difficult in young children, because it may not be possible to obtain accurate history. The sequence of symptoms is less characteristic than in adults. The child always loses his appetite and he may vomit. He becomes irritable and cries with pain. The pain usually begins at the centre of the abdomen, which gradually shifts to the lower right side. The pain may be preceded by general discomfort in the abdomen, like indigestion, diarrhea or constipation. The muscles of the right side of the abdomen become tense and rigid. The pain increases on the right side on pressing of the left side of the abdomen. Coughing and sneezing makes the pain worse. Perforation is much more common in infancy, during which period mortality rates are highest.

If the inflammation continues to increase, the appendix may rupture and discharge its pus into the abdominal cavity. This may result in a serious state known as peritonitis. The temperature rises and the patient becomes pale and clammy. This condition may call for urgent operation. In the chronic state of appendicitis, the patient may suffer from recurrent pain in the right lower abdomen with constipation, loss of appetite and mild nausea.

Causes of Appendicitis

The passage of the appendix can be blocked by hard piece of foecal material or worms causing inflammation of appendix. The other view is that appendicitis is caused by a toxic bowel condition. An excessive amount of poisonous waste material is accumulated in the caecum. As a result, the appendix is irritated and over­worked and becomes inflamed. It is an attempt on the part of nature to localise and ‘bum up’ the toxins. This condition is intiated by wrong feeding habits and enervation of the system. The inflammation of the bowel lining, due to the habitual use of aperient drugs, is a potent predisposing factor in the development of appendicitis. Further inflammation and infection comes from certain germs which are usually present in the intestinal tract.

Home Remedies For the Treatment of Appendicitis

1. Green Gram

Green gram (mung) has proved effective in the acute phase of the disease. A handful of this pulse should be soaked overnight in water. This water is used as a medicine for treating this condition. It may be given in small quantities of one teaspoon to the child two or three times daily.

2. Fenugreek Tea

Regular use of tea made from fenugreek (methi) seeds has proved helpful in preventing the appendix from becoming a dumping ground for excess mucus and intestinal waste. This tea is prepared by putting half a tablespoon of the seeds in 250ml. of cold water and allowing it to simmer for half an hour over a low flame. It should be allowed to cool to a bearable temperature and the strained. It can be given to the child once daily.

3. Carrot Juice

Certain vegetable juices, especially carrot juice, in combination with the juices of beet roots and cucumbers, have been found valuable in appendicitis. In this combination. 5oml. each of beet root and cucumber juices should be mixed with 150 ml. of Carrot juice. It may be given to the child-patient twice daily. The use of buttermilk is beneficial in the treatment of chronic form of appendicitis. About 250ml. of buttermilk may be used for this purpose.

When all the measures have failed and infection is so severe that there are chances of perforation or formation of appendicular abcess then only surgical removal of appendix is necessary. In this matter you should consult your doctor.

Video

Useful References

• https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/appendicitis
• http://www.jclinepi.com/article/S0895-4356(12)00276-4/fulltext
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4251237/
• https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000256.htm

Amoebiasis is a parasitic infection of the large intestine. It is a difficult infection to treat with allopathic drugs, and repeated courses of specific medication are needed. Amoebiasis can affect anyone, however, the disease mostly occurs in young to middle aged adults.

Causes and Symptoms of Amoebiasis

It is characterized by non-specific diarrhea with loose, semi-formed, foul-smelling stools, or dysentery with mucous, traces of blood, and small quantities of stools passed repeatedly. Often there is an ineffectual urge to defecate again and again, with very little stool actually being passed. There is much flatulence, with abdominal cramps. In severe cases, the liver and other organs may get affected, causing specific conditions related to the organ, e.g., hepatitis, cysts, abscess, etc.

How the Amoebiasis spread

Amoebiasis occurs when Entamoeba histolytica parasites are taken in by mouth and the most common way this happens is by person-to-person spread. Amoebiasis can also be spread by:

• Drinking contaminated water .
• Eating contaminated raw vegetables and fruit.
• Unprotected oral-anal sexual contact.

Home remedies for Amoebiasis

1. Bael and Mango Seeds

Remove the kernel from the dried seeds of the bael fruit, and also the mango seed kernel. Take equal quantities of these two kernels. A teaspoonful of each kernel should be ground together. One-fourth of the mixture should be taken with a cup of rice gruel once a day for 3-4 days.

2. Wood Apple (Bael Sharbat)

A once a week intake of ripe bael sharbat keeps the bowels in a healthy condition.

3. Wood Apple

Roast unripe bael fruit on an open fire and remove its pulp. This should be eaten with a little jaggery or sugar-a teaspoonful daily is especially beneficial for blood diarrhea with mucus .

4. Wood Apple Jam

Jam made with the semi-ripe or unripe bael fruit-a teaspoonful on an empty stomach every morning keeps the digestive system healthy.

Useful References

• http://www.who.int/ith/diseases/amoebiasis/en/
• https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/amebiasis/index.html