Causes and treatment of diarrhea

Causes and treatment of diarrhea

Diarrhea This term is used to refer to a product of bowel action (faeces) that is watery and loose. This phenomenon is very common, but it does not pose a threat to life.

Most people suffer from diarrhea, at the rate of one or two times a year.

In most cases, diarrhea lasts for two or three days, and diarrhea is generally treated with over-the-counter medicines.

Some people suffer from diarrhea caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS - Irritable bowel syndrome) or as a result of another group of chronic intestinal diseases.

Various cases of diarrhea

Doctors usually divide diarrhea into three groups:

Osmotic diarrhea:

It means that there is something / factor that attracts fluids from the body to the intestine. A common example of this is diarrhea resulting from eating diet sweets or chewing gum, which contain sugar substitutes, such as Sorbitol, which is not absorbed by the body and causes the body to secrete fluid into the intestine, so diarrhea will result.

Secretory diarrhea:

It occurs when the body excretes fluid into the intestine when it is not needed. There are many types of infections (infections), medicines and various diseases that can cause this type of diarrhea.

Exudative diarrhea (exudative diarrhea):

It occurs when there is blood and pus in the stool. This type of diarrhea appears in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, such as: Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and various intestinal infections.

Symptoms of diarrhea

The symptoms associated with diarrhea can be divided into two parts: mild (not severe) and acute diarrhea.

The onset of acute diarrhea may be an indication / evidence of another, more severe and serious illness.

Signs of severe diarrhea can include:

Swelling in the abdominal cavity or intestinal cramps (cramps)

Loose stools

Watery stool

An urgent feeling that the intestine has to function

Feeling sick and vomiting

In addition to the above, symptoms of acute diarrhea may also include the following effects and side effects:

Blood, saliva, or food that has not been (incompletely) digested properly in the stool

Weight loss

fever

Causes and risk factors of diarrhea

The most common cause of diarrhea is a virus (virus).

 Affects the intestine. This inflammation usually clears up, in general, after two or three days and is called, sometimes, "cold (influenza) intestine" or "cold" (or: gastroenteritis).

The causes of diarrhea may also be caused by:

Infections (infections) caused by a germ (which is the main cause of most cases of food poisoning)

Infections caused by other organisms

Eating foods that cause an allergy (allergic) to the digestive system (the digestive system is sensitive to it)

Allergy to certain foods

some medicine

Radiation Treatments (Radiotherapy)

Intestinal disease, Crohn's disease or Ulcerative colitis

Intestinal failure (when the body is unable to absorb certain foods effectively)

Hyperthyroidism

Certain types of cancer

Misuse of some substances that cause diarrhea

Gastrointestinal surgeries

Diabetes

Competitive running

Diarrhea can also occur following constipation, especially in people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, which is one of the causes of diarrhea that is important to know.

Diarrhea complications

Constant diarrhea causes the loss of large amounts of fluids and nutrients necessary for the body.

If a person suffers from loose and watery stools more than three times a day and does not drink enough fluids, they may develop dehydration, which leads to severe complications that are life-threatening, if not treated properly.

The attending physician should be informed in case of persistent cases of diarrhea accompanied by any of the following signs and symptoms:

Dark colored urine

Small amounts of urine when urinating

Accelerated heart rate

Headache

Dry skin

Feeling restless and not calm

Confusion and confusion

Diarrhea in children

In children, diarrhea that has led to dehydration may be accompanied by one or more of the following signs and symptoms:

Dryness in the mouth or tongue

Two eyes, or two cheeks, sunken

Interruption or decrease in the amount of tears

A decrease in the amount of wet diapers

Lack of calm or indifference

The skin remains wrinkled after pinching, rather than returning to its smooth texture.

Diarrhea treatment

Treating or reducing diarrhea When someone suffers from mild to moderate diarrhea, he can wait for it to cure on his own and not try to treat the diarrhea by other means, or the diarrhea can be treated with over-the-counter medicines.

pharmaceutical

There are a number of medicines known to treat diarrhea, such as:

Pepto Bismol

Imodium (Imodium A - D)

Kaopectate

They can be obtained, combined, in liquid or tablet (pill) form. It is important to read the instructions included in the medicine box.

Tips for treating diarrhea

Some of the methods that may help treat diarrhea include:

You should drink at least six 250ml glasses of fluid per day

You can drink juice without cutting pulp, meat sauce, soft drinks (without caffeine), chicken soup (without fat), tea with honey and energy drinks.

Instead of drinking drinks together with eating, you should get in the habit of drinking them between meals

Drinking small amounts of fluids on a consistent daily basis.