Cholera

Cholera is an acute infectious disease caused by a bacterium, Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae), which results in a painless, watery diarrhea in humans. Some affected individuals have copious amounts of diarrhea and develop dehydration so severe it can lead to death. Most people who get the disease ingest the organisms through food or water sources contaminated with V. cholerae. Although symptoms may be mild, approximately 5%-10% of previously healthy people will develop a copious diarrhea within about one to five days after ingesting the bacteria. Severe disease requires prompt medical care. Hydration (usually by IV for the very ill) of the patient is the key to surviving the disease.

The signs of cholera are a watery diarrhea that often contains flecks of whitish material (mucus and some epithelial cells) that are about the size of pieces of rice. The diarrhea is termed "rice-water stool" and smells "fishy". The volume of diarrhea can be enormous; high levels of diarrheal fluid such as 250 cc per kg or about 10 to 18 liters over 24 hours for a 70 kg adult can occur. 

Symptoms

People may go on to develop one or more of the following symptoms and signs:

• Vomiting
• Rapid heart rate
• Loss of skin elasticity 
• Dry mucous membranes
• Low blood pressure
• Thirst
• Muscle cramps
• Restlessness or irritability (especially in children)

People require immediate hydration to prevent these symptoms from continuing because these signs and symptoms indicate that the person is becoming or is dehydrated and may go on to develop severe cholera. People with severe cholera (about 5%-10% of previously healthy people; higher if a population is compromised by poor nutrition or has a high percentage of very young or elderly people) can develop severe dehydration, leading to acute renal failure, severe electrolyte imbalances (especially potassium an sodium), and coma. If untreated, this severe dehydration can rapidly lead to shock and death. Severe dehydration can often occur four to eight hours after the first liquid stool with death in about 18 hours to a few days in undertreated or untreated people. In epidemic outbreaks in underdeveloped countries where little or no treatment is available, the mortality (death) rate can be as high as 50%-60%.

Popular treatments and recommendations

• Lime juice should be given to the patient daily. The limejuice will keep the body well hydrated and also kill the cholera bacteria, which is the root cause of cholera.
• Add half glass of onion juice to half glass of bitter gourd juice and put a few drops of lemon juice in it. Drinking this mixture of juices is also an effective way to treat the cholera.
• Drinking mint juice on a daily basis will provide relief from the symptoms of cholera, like vomiting and nausea.
• Grind some onions with seven black peppers and prepare an infusion form it. Consume it two to three times a day.
• Boil drinking water by putting some cloves in it. Always drink this boiled water and follow this remedy during the rainy season every year.
• Cholera patients always feel thirsty and for this reason it is best to give them coconut water whenever they want water. You can also mix coconut water with juice prepared from cucumber leaves.
• Both onion and lemon are good for cholera patients and hence you can either include these two while preparing food or make a juice of these two and give it to the patient.
• Add powder of asfoetida to a cup of onion juice and take this drink on a daily basis.
• To improve the poor conditions of the immune system, add some sugar in clove oil and have it at least once a day.
• In case of diarrhea, which is the most common thing to happen during cholera, drinking one bowl of rice water is very good.
• The food of the cholera patient should be very light so that it doesn't put extra pressure on the already infected intestine.

Prevention

• During the rainy season, at least, take care not to take outside food. Advise your kids not to eat any outside oily stuff or not to drink outside water. This will prevent the cholera disease form happening.
• Drink only water that you have boiled or treated with chlorine or iodine. Other safe beverages include tea and coffee made with boiled water and carbonated, bottled beverages with no ice.
• Eat only foods that have been thoroughly cooked and are still hot, or fruit that you have peeled yourself.
• Make sure all vegetables are cooked; avoid salads.
• Avoid foods and beverages from street vendors.

References

• http://wonder.cdc.gov/wonder/prevguid/p0000002/p0000002.asp
• http://www.herbalcureindia.com/home-remedies/cholera.htm
• http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/travel/diseases/cholera.htm
• http://www.medicinenet.com/cholera/article.htm