Diarrhea in pregnancy treatment

Every woman should know that when she gets pregnant, there are various intestinal problems that she will have to face. However, the good thing is that diarrhea is one of the problems that occurs not that often. Every person knows that diarrhea is a loose and watery stool and a person is diagnosed with diarrhea if these stools occur more than three times in a single day. People should not mix diarrhea with occasional loose stool or frequent passing of formed stools.

Reasons behind diarrhea in pregnancy

Women should know that there are several reasons why diarrhea is not one of the common problems when a woman is not pregnant. One of the main reasons why that is so are the prenatal vitamins that a woman is taking during pregnancy. These vitamins are more likely to cause constipation. Another important reason is the fact that as woman progresses in her pregnancy, the intestines work slower and that also leads to constipation.

However, there are lots of bacteria and viruses that a woman can get infected with and most of them cause diarrhea.

Causes of pregnancy-related diarrhea

Women should know that there are lots of causes that lead to diarrhea in both pregnant women and those who are not. A virus that causes stomach flu is the most common reason that leads to diarrhea. However, it is not the stomach that is affected by these viruses, but the small intestine. Apart from the viruses, there are some other possible causes like parasites, bacteria, medications or certain medical conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, for instance.

Diarrhea and other symptoms

People should know that diarrhea is not an illness but a symptom. In most cases diarrhea does not occur alone. It is rather accompanied by other symptoms as well. Some of the most common symptoms that accompany diarrhea are nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping and pain, fever, dehydration, chills, headache, muscle aches and overall tiredness. In most cases of diarrhea in pregnant women, it lasts from one to ten days. Lots of women wonder whether the virus or bacteria that caused diarrhea can harm the baby and they need to know that it cannot. However, if a woman becomes dehydrated, that can be potentially dangerous for the baby.

Prevention of dehydration

In most cases the diarrhea will improve on its own and women should pay more attention on treating the symptoms, like dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration are extreme thirst, dry mouth, little or no urine, weakness and dizziness. A pregnant woman who experiences diarrhea should go to the hospital and talk to a doctor about what to do. Drinking lots of fluids and getting enough rest helps a lot.