A handful of hair falls out every time I wash it. Is there an effective treatment for acute hair loss?

Over the past few months, the amount of hair falling out has increased tremendously after washing my hair; it gets so tangled in clumps in the drain that the water won't drain. Even when I dry my hair with a hairdryer, hair falls in clumps like a carpet on the floor, bringing me to tears every time I clean my room. Just a light touch of my hand causes five or six strands to pull out limply, so even combing my hair has become a nightmare. Thinking it might be due to stress or poor health, I tried resting, but the shedding shows no signs of decreasing. I feel I urgently need a professional treatment to quickly strengthen the bonds between my hair roots. Is there anyone out there who, like me, was devastated by a sudden, uncontrollable hair loss, and could you please tell me what kind of treatment you had?