Amebic dysentery is characterized by swelling and inflammation in the intestinal walls, and causes food and water to be incorrectly absorbed, consequently triggering diarrhea. By and large, amebic dysentery is not life-threatening, though it could result in serious complications.
Amebic dysentery manifests as diarrhea. There will also be accompanying cramps and abdominal pain.
What Causes Amoebic Dysentery?
- The infection occurs due to the consumption of contaminated food and / or water. It is a parasitic infection caused by entamoeba histolytica. The infection is rather common in tropical areas where hygiene and sanitation is poor, allowing food and water to be exposed to feces.
- Food may get contaminated due to poor hygiene during food preparation, wherein transmission occurs from unwashed hands or utensils. Food may get contaminated when made with water from an untreated source.
- Foods containing undercooked eggs or meat, when left at room temperature for protracted period encourage infection.
Home Remedies And Diet For Amoebic Dysentery
Dysentery is diagnosed by culturing bacteria from the stool. Physicians will look for an increase in the WBC count, which indicates an infection.
- Mild cases of dysentery generally do not require anti-biotic because the infection tends to resolve in a few days. Severe cases need to be treated with anti-biotic to expedite recovery. Your health care provider may advise anti-diarrhea medications for symptomatic relief and to prevent dehydration.
- Probiotic: Talk to your doctor and start a probiotic supplement; probiotics help increase as well as maintain the natural ‘friendly’ bacterial flora in the gut and thus help reinstate the normal bowel motility. Have 1 to 2 tablets a day for a week; however, do confer with your health care provider.
- Yogurt: This food is loaded with probiotics in the natural form. Have 2 bowls of fresh yogurt; it will help manage the loose motions almost instantly. Also, the tummy will settle and the crampy pains will stop.
- Lime: Limes are packed with abundant vitamin C; vitamin C helps battle infection quickly and effectively. You could have 3 to 5 limes a day. You may also opt for a vitamin C supplement.
- Carrot and tomato: It has been recommended that carrot and tomato soup had for meals for a week helps manage the case effectively without the need to consume anti-biotic and anti-diarrheals.
- Water: Ensure that you are consuming 3 liters of water per day. Diarrhea results in a lot of water loss and dehydration; thus it is very vital that you consume plenty of water and fluids.
- Electrolyte: Diarrhea also results in an electrolyte imbalance; thus talk to your physician and start an electrolyte supplement to reestablish the balance.
Complications are known to occur in case you neglect or leave the condition untreated for too long. The commonest complication is dehydration. Dysentery results in a dangerous amount of fluid loss.
In very severe cases the infection may spread to the blood stream, and may result in a serious infection known as sepsis. In rare cases kidney failure could occur.