How to Manage Cholera: Recognizing Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

hat’s the fifth motion you have had today, and you say you feel the urge to go again! It seems like you are suffering from diarrhoea. You say it must be something you ate. You could be right. Could it be that you are suffering from cholera? There is every probability of that. A doctor is the right person to make that diagnosis.

ARTICLE: While food is a must to nourish the body, beware of what you eat! What goes into your belly might not be what you think it is. You have to be careful about what you eat. Cholera begins where hygiene and caution end. Do not succumb to the allure of good taste, which might leave a bad aftertaste in your mouth in the form of cholera. Before discussing cholera symptoms, causes and prevention, let us first understand what cholera disease is.

WHAT IS CHOLERA DISEASE?

While knowing cholera symptoms causes and prevention is important, it is also necessary to understand cholera disease. Quite common in poverty-stricken folks, cholera, also known as ‘Haiza’ (हैज़ा) in Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi, is a deadly disease that can happen to anyone. It is caused by food and water infected with Vibrio cholerae bacteria. This bacterium is present in the intestines of the infected person.

According to health experts, a majority of people affected by cholera remain asymptomatic for days. This is even though the cholera-causing bacteria have been present in their faeces for at least one week to ten days. This infects other people. In most cases, symptoms of cholera disease take a few hours to nearly five days to manifest. Let us discuss this in Hindi as well for a better understanding.

हैज़ा क्या है?

आईए जानते हैं कि हैज़ा क्या है। गरीबी से त्रस्त लोगों में आम तौर पर होने वाला हैज़ा एक जानलेवा बीमारी है जो किसी को भी हो सकती है। यह वाइब्रियो कोलेरा बैक्टीरिया से संक्रमित भोजन और पानी के कारण होता है। स्वास्थ्य विशेषज्ञों के अनुसार, हैज़ा से प्रभावित बहुत से लोग कई दिनों तक लक्षणविहीन रहते हैं। जब कि हैज़ा उत्पन्न करने वाले बैक्टीरिया उनके मल में कम से कम एक सप्ताह से दस दिनों तक मौजूद रहते हैं। इससे अन्य लोग भी संक्रमित हो जाते हैं। बहुत से मरीज़ों में हैज़ा के लक्षण प्रकट होने में कुछ घंटों से लेकर लगभग पाँच दिन तक का समय लग सकता है।

IS CHOLERA CONTAGIOUS?

Yes. Cholera is contagious. It is transmitted from one person to another through food or water containing the bacteria found in the faeces of a cholera patient. This happens when the patient fails to maintain proper hygiene, thereby transmitting the virus to others.

HOW IS CHOLERA TRANSMITTED?

As already discussed, cholera is transmitted through contaminated food and water. Unhygienic surroundings and open defecation also contributed to the cholera transmission.

CHOLERA SYMPTOMS, CAUSES AND PREVENTION:

Cholera symptoms include:

1. Loose motions or Diarrhoea
2. Intense body aches
3. Nausea
4. Fever
5. Lethargy and listlessness
6. Low blood pressure

Irritability and extreme thirst are among the other cholera symptoms. However, instead of merely going by the cholera symptoms and being your own doctor, it is better to consult a qualified doctor for proper treatment, without which the cholera disease can prove to be fatal. Timely cholera treatment by a doctor can help save precious lives. However, before discussing cholera treatment, let’s answer a few more questions about the cholera disease.

CHOLERA IS CAUSED BY WHICH BACTERIA?

Cholera is caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacteria found in the faecal matter of an infected person.

CHOLERA OUTBREAK: Places with unsanitary conditions are the most conducive to cholera outbreaks. These mainly include the backward, utterly neglected areas of any city, state, or country that have little or no access to civic amenities, potable water, and sanitation. People living in these areas usually hail from economically backward sections of society and barely have access to a sanitary way of life or any knowledge thereof, which makes them susceptible to cholera outbreaks.

OPEN DEFECATION CAUSES CHOLERA?

Yes, open defecation is one of the prime reasons behind the cholera outbreak. By now, we are aware that Vibrio cholerae, the cholera-causing bacterium, is found in an infected person’s intestines and is excreted through human waste. As open defecation is still quite prevalent in most rural areas with no access to civic amenities or education, a majority of people inhabiting these places resort to it, which makes them vulnerable to contracting the cholera disease. The practice of open defecation also pollutes the groundwater, making it a carrier of Vibrio cholerae bacteria.

CHOLERA TREATMENT AND PREVENTION: Besides the medication prescribed by a qualified doctor, cholera treatment requires proper rest, adequate administration of hydration, and Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), and electrolytes to the patient until the loose motions stop. The patient should be fed a simple but healthy diet to help him recuperate, besides being monitored until his condition improves. Due care should also be taken to maintain proper personal hygiene and cleanliness of the surroundings to avoid further spread of the cholera disease.