Dysentery is an infection of the intestine that causes watery diarrhea accompanied by blood or mucus. In contrast to ordinary diarrhea, dysentery can cause severe diarrhea that needs to be treated in a hospital.
Dysentery is caused by a bacterial or parasitic infection. This condition is highly contagious and can cause serious illness. In addition, complications that can arise due to dysentery are not limited to the digestive system, but can also have a broad impact.
Therefore, dysentery sufferers must get proper treatment early on. However, it would be even better if the causes and risk factors for dysentery can be identified so that this disease can be prevented.
Causes of Dysentery
Based on the cause, dysentery can be divided into two types, namely:
- Bacterial dysentery, which is dysentery caused by a bacterial infection
- Amoebic dysentery, which is dysentery due to infection with amoebic parasites
Dysentery generally occurs in environments with poor sanitation, for example areas that lack clean water and areas with inadequate household waste disposal systems.
The spread of dysentery occurs due to a lack of public awareness to maintain personal hygiene, for example not washing hands after going to the toilet or before eating.
Symptoms of Dysentery
Dysentery generally lasts 3–7 days and is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Diarrhea filled with water, which may be accompanied by blood or mucus
- stomach cramps
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever
Dysentery Treatment
Not all cases of dysentery require treatment from a doctor. Mild bacterial dysentery generally gets better without treatment in 3–7 days. Handling is enough to rest and maintain body fluid intake.
Meanwhile, severe dysentery can be treated with drugs to relieve symptoms and kill germs that cause infection. The patient may also need to be hospitalized to get enough fluids.
Several types of drugs used to relieve symptoms are bismuth subsalicylate and paracetamol . Meanwhile, drugs to kill the cause of infection are antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin and metronidazole