In medicine, the term diarrhea, or as it is called in everyday life, diarrhea, means frequent or single bowel movements with the release of liquid feces.
The causes of this disorder are so varied that almost everyone can suffer from it at least once. In medicine, there are 4 types of diarrhea, differing in the mechanism of development of this disease. Depending on the causes of diarrhea, diarrhea can be acute or chronic.
Read about diarrhea during pregnancy in this article .
Content
Acute form
Diarrhea (diarrhea) is called acute when bowel movements occur more than twice a day, the stool is liquid and it lasts no more than 2-3 weeks. At the same time, there is no recurrence of such phenomena in the medical history.
Causes of acute diarrhea
There are a huge number of factors that cause diarrhea. The main ones are the following:
- infections
- inflammatory processes in the intestines
- intestinal diseases
- poisoning , eating poor quality food
- food allergy
- alcohol
- taking medications
- travel (tourist diarrhea).
Infectious diarrhea
Acute infectious diarrhea is characterized by the following symptoms:
- general malaise
- fever
- lack of appetite
- vomit.
Among the intestinal diseases in which the dominant symptom is acute diarrhea are dysentery , cholera , salmonellosis , and yersiniosis .
Vomiting mainly occurs with foodborne infections caused by staphylococci. For patients with salmonellosis and dysentery, its appearance is not typical.
The most common causes of acute diarrhea are norovirus and rotavirus . They are contagious and are transmitted both from person to person and through household items and dirty products.
Single-celled and multicellular intestinal parasites can also cause diarrhea. Single-celled living creatures are called protozoa in zoology. These include, for example, amoebas or lamblia . Other intestinal parasites that cause diarrhea are worms.
If blood appears in loose stools, this may indicate damage to the intestinal mucosa by pathogenic microbes such as Shigella, Campylobacter jejuni , Escherichia coli with enteropathogenic properties. The possibility of venereal disease of the rectum should be kept in mind.
Acute bloody diarrhea may be the first manifestation of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease . In this case, severe abdominal pain and a serious clinical condition occur.
Diarrhea from antibiotics
Diarrhea when taking antibiotics is caused by a disturbance in the bacterial flora of the intestines. As a rule, it does not worsen a person’s general condition and stops after stopping the medication. pseudomembranous colitis may develop , which is characterized by sudden severe watery diarrhea with high fever, and possibly blood in the stool.
Traveler's diarrhea
Most often, travelers' diarrhea is detected in people visiting countries with unfavorable epidemiological conditions.
The disease is caused by consuming food and water contaminated with feces. The causative agents are most often Escherichia coli, enteroviruses, and less often - Shigella, amoeba and Giardia.
The disease is not transmitted directly from one person to another. Sources of infection are meat, eggs, milk, culinary products, and water.
Traveler's diarrhea begins acutely. Symptoms such as:
- nausea
- vomit
- rumbling
- transfusion
- stomach ache
- diarrhea.
In the case of a viral infection, the disease is accompanied by headache and muscle pain.
Treatment requires a gentle diet with the exception, first of all, of raw vegetables and fruits. Intestinal antiseptics should be taken. It is important to skillfully determine the dose of drugs so as not to cause irritable bowel syndrome.
As a preventive measure, it is necessary to strictly observe the rules of personal hygiene, wash food thoroughly, do not buy food from hand, and do not drink raw water.
What to do if you have stomach pain and diarrhea?
If diarrhea is not accompanied by fever and a noticeable deterioration in condition, then it is often enough to change your diet, drink herbal astringent decoctions or take an antidiarrheal drug. Nutrition and home remedies for diarrhea will be discussed later in the article.
But it is important not to miss the onset of a serious illness, therefore, in case of diarrhea with high fever or the presence of blood in the stool, bacteriological examinations of the stool and sigmoidoscopy .
This will determine whether the cause of diarrhea is dysentery, ulcerative colitis, or pseudomembranous colitis, which is a complication when taking antibacterial drugs.
Chronic form
Diarrhea is chronic if it lasts more than 3 weeks. They talk about the chronic form and in the case of too much stool, more than 300 g per day. Although if a person consumes a lot of plant fiber, then this weight may be normal.
With chronic diarrhea, the body constantly loses fluids, electrolytes and other nutrients. Therefore, at the same time, many people suffer from insufficient weight, deficiency of vitamins and microelements and related complications. It is very important to quickly find the cause of diarrhea and begin treatment. It is especially important to make a quick diagnosis in children, since chronic diarrhea in children can cause developmental delays.
Causes
The main causes of chronic diarrhea are not only diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, but also a number of other factors.
Main reasons:
- laxative abuse
- systemic diseases
- surgical interventions
- chronic alcoholism
- worms and parasites
- gastrointestinal diseases
- tumors.
Systemic diseases and diarrhea
Diarrhea accompanies diseases such as diabetes, endocrine disorders, and scleroderma. It is associated with impaired motor function of the small intestine . Sometimes diarrhea is the first clearly visible sign of these diseases. Therefore, it is important to make an accurate diagnosis. For example, with hyperthyroidism, the main manifestation of the disease in the first stages can also be prolonged diarrhea, while the main signs of the disease (a constant feeling of heat, irritability or weight loss with a good appetite) may recede into the background and not be taken into account by the patient.
Surgical interventions
The cause of chronic diarrhea in patients who have undergone gastric or intestinal resection may be bacterial contamination of the small intestine and disruption of its motor function.
After removal of the pancreas, diarrhea occurs, as with chronic alcoholism and frequent exacerbations of chronic pancreatitis. This is due to a deficiency of all pancreatic enzymes.
Gastrointestinal diseases and diarrhea
Diarrhea accompanies Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Loose stools in such patients are usually profuse, foul-smelling, with floating fat. If there was previously a fissure of the rectum or paraproctitis , then it is possible to assume Crohn's disease. These diseases may have extraintestinal manifestations such as arthritis or skin lesions.
Diarrhea can also be accompanied by diseases such as chronic gastritis of the stomach, diseases of the pancreas, hepatobiliary system, endocrine glands, as well as allergic reactions and hypo- and avitaminosis. The cause may also be inflammation of the diverticula during diverticulosis .
Tumors and diarrhea
Tumors of the rectum and colon may also present with diarrhea. The absence of other causes of this disorder in older patients and the presence of blood in the stool support this assumption.
In patients with carcinoid syndrome, the disease may be accompanied by episodes of profuse watery diarrhea. If the tumor is large enough and there are no liver metastases, this may be the only symptom of the disease.
Survey
In case of chronic diarrhea, it is necessary to conduct an examination to determine the degree of dehydration of the body and identify the connection with systemic diseases. Moreover, both a comprehensive diagnosis of organs and macro- and microscopic examinations of feces are necessary. In modern medicine, there are clear diagnostic algorithms for acute and chronic diarrhea.
Functional diarrhea
There are also functional intestinal disorders, which are manifested by chronic diarrhea without organic and biochemical lesions. It is believed that heredity and psycho-emotional stress play a significant role in the occurrence of functional diarrhea.
The main signs to establish functional diarrhea:
- no diarrhea at night
- morning stool (usually after breakfast)
- strong uncontrollable urge to defecate.
So, the main distinguishing feature of this disorder is the clear dependence of the rhythm of bowel movements on the time of day. As a rule, this is repeated emptying in the morning or early afternoon. At the same time, during the first stool, feces may be more dense and voluminous, then its volume decreases and it becomes liquid. Often the act of defecation is accompanied by a feeling of incomplete bowel movement.
The diagnosis is made by excluding other causes of diarrhea. This type of diarrhea is characteristic of irritable bowel syndrome .
When should you see a doctor?
If diarrhea is not accompanied by a significant deterioration in the general condition of the body, then you can get by with home remedies. However, in some cases it is necessary to see a doctor:
- diarrhea in children under 12 years of age and elderly people over 75 years of age
- diarrhea during pregnancy
- diarrhea in people with weakened immune systems
- diarrhea as a side effect or drug intolerance
- fever
- bloody diarrhea
- complaints within three months after traveling abroad
- if diarrhea continues for more than three days.
Diet
For intestinal diseases accompanied by diarrhea, it is necessary to follow a diet that will help inhibit peristalsis and reduce the secretion of water and electrolytes into the intestinal lumen.
Peristalsis usually ensures that food entering the intestines moves forward and is digested as it goes. During the digestion process, more and more water is removed from food, and the stool takes on a normal, firm consistency. With diarrhea, the intestines are often “overactive”—they contract too much to quickly flush harmful bacteria, viruses, or toxins out of the body. At the same time, the food lump passes too quickly, the water does not have time to be absorbed, and too much water remains in the intestines. This is the cause of watery diarrhea. In addition, there is no time to absorb nutrients from food.
To restore peristalsis, mechanically and chemically gentle food is first necessary. Diet No. 4b meets these requirements . It is prescribed during periods of exacerbation.
When the acute period ends, diet No. 4c . This diet is similar to No. 4b, but all products are given in unground form. With this diet, baking foods in the oven is allowed. Additionally, ripe tomatoes, salad with sour cream, sweet berries and raw fruits are allowed.
How to get rid of diarrhea at home?
To restore peristalsis, you can take probiotics or medicinal charcoal. If there is a large loss of water, if there are no pharmaceutical means to retain fluid in the body, you can drink salted water.
Following simple rules will help normalize stool.
- Proven remedies for diarrhea include finely pureed, peeled, raw apples. The pectin they contain binds water and toxins in the intestines.
- Carrot soup: When carrots are cooked, cellular structures are destroyed and ingredients appear that prevent intestinal bacteria from entering the intestinal mucosa. In addition, the salt in the soup and the carrots contain important minerals. Carrot juice and grated raw carrots can also help.
- Bananas are a particularly valuable home remedy for diarrhea - like apples, they contain pectin. In addition, they provide the body with minerals such as potassium and magnesium. Bananas must be thoroughly mashed before eating.
- Black or green tea: When brewed for more than 3 minutes, the tea produces a sufficient amount of tannins, which have a calming effect on the intestines.
- Low-fat clear broth or decoction: returns energy and minerals to the body. You can cook a small amount of pasta, rice or potatoes in it until soft. You need to drink the broth in small sips.
- Decoctions of herbs and dried berries: pour 2 to 3 teaspoons of dried blueberries, chamomile, blackberry leaves or dill seeds into a quarter liter of boiling water and bring to a boil. They help protect the intestinal mucosa from pathogens.
- In addition, liquids even out the hydrobalance.
- Still water and herbal teas are best. Chilled drinks are poorly tolerated by the intestines. The liquid should be at least room temperature. But warm tea has a particularly beneficial effect on the stomach and intestines.
If you have diarrhea, it is very important to drink a lot
What should you not eat if you have diarrhea?
There is a list of foods that are not recommended to eat if you have diarrhea:
- raw vegetables (except carrots)
- Foods that cause gas, such as onions, beans, leeks, cabbage
- fatty sausages, such as salami
- fats, full-fat dairy products
- fried foods
- foods containing acids, such as citrus fruits, vinegar
- coffee
- alcohol.
Often after answering the question: “What do you eat when you have diarrhea?”, the question follows: “When can you eat normally?”
After eliminating the infection, you can gradually switch to your usual diet, as soon as the intestines no longer create any problems (diarrhea, nausea and vomiting).
For chronic diarrhea caused by nutritional diseases, the diet is followed in the long term. This applies, for example, to celiac disease , lactose or fructose intolerance.
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