What is dysentery?
Inflammation in the colon, results in severe diarrhoea with blood or mucus in the faeces and mild or severe abdominal pain or stomach cramps with dehydration. If dysentery is not treated on time it can be life-threatening, especially if the lost fluids are not replaced fast enough in an infected person.
Dysentery spreads through contaminated food and water. Once a person gets an infection, the organism lives in the intestines and is passed into the stool of the infected person. Animals also get infected and spread the disease to humans.
What is the cause of dysentery?
The bacteria Shigella and E. coli and the amoeba Entamoeba histolytica are the causative organisms of dysentery.
The Entamoeba histolytica normally resides in the colon, in certain conditions it attacks the colon wall and it can cause dysentery.
People with weak immune systems are also more prone to amebic dysentery.
Another reason is not maintaining proper hygiene, e.g. not washing hands after going to the toilet.
What are the symptoms of dysentery?
• Bloody diarrhoea
• Abdominal bloating and pain
• Dry skin and mucous membranes
• Muscle cramps
• Muscle weakness
• Nausea with or without vomiting
• Decreased urine output
• Feeling very thirsty
• Fever and chills
• Weight loss
Life-threatening conditions arise if the symptoms progress:
• Confusion, delirium, lethargy, hallucinations, and delusions
• Change in level of consciousness or alertness
• Rapid heart rate
• High fever
• Severe dizziness
• Severe abdominal pain
Can dysentery kill you?
Dysentery is an intestinal inflammation that causes severe diarrhoea, usually characterized by mucus or blood in the stool. If left untreated, the disease can lead to rapid loss of fluids, dehydration, and eventually death.
What is the difference between diarrhoea and dysentery?
Fluid contents in the colon are smaller in proportion and if infection occurs at the colon it does not cause watery diarrhoea. The stool of diarrhoea is watery with or without cramps and pain but in dysentery, the patient complains of mucoid stool (presence of mucus in stool) which is characterized by blood in the stool.
How do you stop dysentery fast?
Drink plenty of water to overcome dehydration
• Milk should be avoided as it makes the symptoms worse
• In case of nausea, ice chips should be sucked until the nausea subsides.
Diet:
• Brat diet: banana, rice, applesauce, and toast.
• Drink hot water
• Ripe banana is good to eat
• Buttermilk with ginger, and black pepper is good for digestion
• Soup
• Avoid fatty food
How long does dysentery last?
Symptoms of dysentery usually occur one to seven days after infection. Common symptoms are dull stomach and bloody diarrhoea. These symptoms last for three to seven days and many people do not need to visit their physician.
What are the homoeopathic medicine indications for dysentery?
Arsenicum album
Carbo vegetabilis
Mercurius solubilis
Nux vomica
