Diarrhea is a common symptom of alimentary tract disease and a frequent occurrence during summer days. Nevertheless, this condition can happen anytime and there are several reasons why diarrhea occurs in some individuals.
Diarrhea is loose bowel movement or stool that is watery and can vary in consistency from semi-solid to watery stool. Diarrhea can be connected with other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, fever and weakness. Diarrhea can be caused by the foods being eaten such as stale food or those contaminated with germs as well as spicy foods. Diarrhea usually begins three to four hour after eating when the components of food reach the large intestines.
Spicy foods cause a burning sensation in the mouth due to the chemical compounds such as capsaicin in chili, peppers and cayenne peppers. The body does not break the compounds during digestion and can cause irritation to the lining of the stomach and intestines. Sometimes, food moves quickly through the digestive tract that results to loose stools. The compounds that are present in the stool and will irritate the anus as they come out along with a burning sensation that can be felt during bowel movement when eating spicy foods.
A person who experiences diarrhea after eating spicy food might be suffering from a condition called irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The nerves and intestinal muscles are highly sensitive to spicy and oily foods and cannot be tolerated by the intestine, thus the affected person will suffer diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Treatment and home remedies for diarrhea after eating spicy food
- Eat spicy food together with food that is alkaline such as whole fruits, vegetables and whole grains in order to neutralize the bad effects of spicy foods on the intestinal lining. Yogurt, butter, sour cream and milk can be eaten after eating spicy foods.
- Drink a glass of lemon juice after eating spicy meals. Lemon juice becomes alkaline when metabolized inside the body.
- Incorporate rice gruel and bread when eating spicy foods in order to neutralize the pH acidity of the spicy food.
- Avoid eating oily foods which increases the frequency of stools.
- Drink a glass of water before eating spicy foods since it helps in diluting the contents of the stomach and minimize intestinal lining irritation.
- Minimize eating spicy food. If possible, eat in limited amounts at least once in a week. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables either together with spicy foods or after eating spicy foods.
- Sometimes, a person is allergic to a few spices which cause diarrhea as its symptom, he/she has to find the exact spice which is causing the diarrhea and once the person knows the particular spice that causes gastric upset he/she should avoid eating it in any form.