One-third of the causes of diarrhea are due to "careless eating," with diarrhea caused by consuming hot and cold foods together accounting for the vast majority of summer diarrhea.
Sudden changes in temperature can cause varying degrees of damage to the gastrointestinal mucosa. In mild cases, it leads to gastrointestinal discomfort, while in severe cases, it can cause gastrointestinal bleeding. "Eating hot and cold together" excessively stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, impairing its ability to absorb food and resulting in watery diarrhea. Some people also enjoy iced coffee and cocktails in the summer, but both beverages contain strong stimulants—caffeine and alcohol. When chilled, they pose an even greater irritant to the gastrointestinal tract, acting as health hazards for vital organs and systems such as the liver, heart, arteries, and digestive system.
Some people immediately use anti-diarrheal medication when they have diarrhea. However, diarrhea caused by the non-bacterial infectious reasons mentioned above does not require medication. Non-bacterial infectious diarrhea is typically characterized by abdominal pain, sweating, watery stools, and no fever, with no bacteria detected in stool samples. At this point, using antibiotics is not only ineffective for prevention and treatment but can also damage the body's immune system, making an already weakened body even more frail. Therefore, aside from cases of severe abdominal pain where a doctor might prescribe antispasmodics or digestive enzyme tablets, medication is generally not recommended. The key to treating this type of diarrhea is dietary control to identify the improper food combinations causing the gastrointestinal absorption issue. Additionally, greater attention must be paid to food hygiene.