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Celiac Disease
Intestinal protozoa such as Giardiasis[20]
[edit] Treatment
In many cases of diarrhea, replacing lost fluid and salts is the only treatment needed. This is usually by mouth – oral rehydration therapy – or, in very severe cases, intravenously.
Diet restriction, to known well-tolerated foods, and the BRAT diet and its extensions, may be used for 1-to-3 days[22]. However, limiting milk to children has no effect on the duration of diarrhea.[23]
Medicines such loperamide (Imodium), bismuth subsalicylate (as found in Pepto Bismol and Kaopectate) may be beneficial, however they may be contraindicated in certain situations.[24] Prescribed medications sometimes contain pain-killers, such as morphine or codeine, to counter the cramps that can accompany diarrhea.
[edit] Epidemiology
Disability-adjusted life year for diarrhea per 100,000 inhabitants.
no data
≤50
50-100
100-200
200-300
300-400
400-500
500-750
750-1000
1000-1250
1250-2500
2500-5000
≥5000[edit] Evolutionary medicine
According to two researchers into evolutionary medicine, Nesse and Williams,[25] diarrhea functions as an evolved expulsion defense mechanism. As a result, if it is stopped, there might be a delay in illness recovery. They cite in support of this argument research carried out by DuPont and Hornick that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)[26] showed that treating Shigella with the anti-diarrhea drug (Lomotil) caused people to stay feverish twice as long as those not so treated. The researchers indeed themselves observed that: "Lomotil may be contraindicated in shigellosis. Diarrhea may represent a defense mechanism".
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