Diarrhea is the ailment of passing loose stools at an uncontrollable rate. This immediately causes discomfort within the abdomen and can be associated with some nausea and headache. Diarrhea may last for a few hours or, in much more severe cases, a few weeks.

The constant passing of loose stools will make the person experiencing this ailment dehydrated, which can be dangerous over a prolonged time.

Depending on the type of infection, the stools can be watery or contain blood.

Unfiltered water that has been in contact with human feces may be the source of infection. Poor sanitation that is connected to a water source is a breeding ground for such contamination, which may result in widespread accounts of diarrhea. Diarrhea is actually a symptom of the viral or bacterial disease that has become waterborne.

Prevention is the key to eliminating the chances of this happening. People must have access to clean drinking water. If the area does not provide for pure drinking water then a filtration system must be implemented. Proper filtration may be achieved by using a chlorination filtration system. A chlorinated filtration system actually distributes a particular amount of chlorinated bleach into the contaminated water. This process should eliminate any great threats to the water supply. You need to be careful to put the correct amount of bleach to water. The amount usually equates to a few drops per gallon of unfiltered water. However, you should contact your local healthcare officials, who should an authority on this issue, for particular amounts of chlorinated bleach to use per unit of unfiltered water.

Persons that already have diarrhea should be given lots of fluids to rehydrate the body, as well as proper food. This is an essential part to recovery from diarrhea. Taking the right actions in a timely manner could save a life. In case of a pending disaster be prepared with enough clean drinking water to help with recovery from a possible diarrhea ailment outbreak. A berkey water filter will help you get rid of all the contaminants and provide you with clean drinking water.

In cases of severe diarrhea a healthcare worker should be consulted.

Berkey water filters have known to be one of the most efficient water filters on this planet. These filters have been used by the American red cross and other disaster relief organization during earthquakes, floods and other natural catastrophe. The berkey system is a purely gravity fed system ie it uses gravity for pushing water through the filter element. Here is a diagram that demonstrates this principle.

( Click on the image to enlarge )

This method has been used since ancient times to provide people with safe drinking water. Ancient Romans used a sand + gravel mix system for filtration. Nowadays almost all the water filters that are available have fiber mesh filtration system.

The berkey water filtration system
The berkey water filter is particularly a choice with many people because it removes almost 99.9% of all harmful agents from water. Many people don’t know that the regular tap water contains pathogens and heavy metals. Heavy metals can wreak havoc with the normal functioning of the body. Here is a small list of some commonly found heavy metals in tap drinking water

Lead
Lead in particularly is found in almost all the water samples tested all across the country. Lead is used in making batteries and is a product of radioactive decay. White lead, lead sulphate and lead chromate are used in glazing of tiles and industrial polishing. So lead invariably seeps into the water cycle and which ends up in our bodies. Lead causes Nervous system damage, Decreased bone and muscle growth and Fertility problems in both men and women.

Arsenic
Amongst all metals, arsenic is the most easily absorbed of all. Long term exposure to arsenic or its compounds can cause skin & li9ver cancer. Scientific studies have reported that even 50 micro grams or less per liter of drinking water can cause an increased risk of cancer in humans.

Mercury
Mercury is a natural byproduct of degassing of the earths crust. Mercury is used in batteries, polishing industry, as a biocide and semiconductor industry. Mercury is normally found in small quantities but its lethal in very small doses.According to a spot check on some sushi restaurants by the USFDA high levels of mercury were found in tuna sushi and brown trout. The levels were so high that the FDA even proposed a new bill to ban the sale of tuna and trouts.The study also concluded that mercury levels in bluefin will always be high regardless of the location.

Aluminum
Aluminum cannot be considered as a heavy metal but it is present in large quantities in tap drinking water. A research by the Rutgers university demonstrated a direct link between aluminum overdose and Alzheimer’s disease. Aluminum is also an active component in antacids, astringents, nasal sprays, and deodorants. While many people dispute the harmful effects of aluminum but the World health organization
clearly advises against overdose of aluminum.

Cadmium
cadmium is used in mobile phone industry, Rechargeable batteries and smelting plants. cadmium is an extremely toxic metal and even small doses can cause visible symptoms over an extended period. Cadmium directly affects the kidneys, heart tissues and the brain. Long term exposure to cadmium can cause nervous disabilities.Cadmium does not have a taste or odor and that makes it hard to detect. many people do not even realize the cadmium exposure unless the poisoning symptoms start to show up.

Here are some of the most common heavy metals found in our regular drinking water. Most of the water purification products that we use do not even detect such toxic metals, leave alone removing them. It is always wise to invest in a water filter system that actually removes pathogens and heavy metals such as the berkey water filter system.