Diarrhea — loose, watery and probably more-frequent bowel movements — is a common problem.
Luckily, diarrhea is typically short-lived, lasting for longer than a few days. However, when diarrhoea lasts for weeks, it typically means that there is another problem. You may have a condition such as irritable bowel disorder, or a more severe disorder such as chronic infection or inflammatory bowel disease if you have diarrhoea for weeks or longer.
When the condition lasts for one to two days, acute diarrhoea occurs. As a result of a viral or bacterial infection, you might experience diarrhoea. It could be due to food poisoning at other times.
There is even a condition known as traveller’s diarrhoea, which occurs when you have diarrhoea while on vacation in a developing nation after being exposed to bacteria or parasites. It is fairly common to have acute diarrhoea.
Chronic diarrhoea refers to a period of at least four weeks of diarrhoea. It is usually caused by a disease or disorder of the intestines, such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease.
Symptoms
Diarrhea has many different symptoms. Only one of these or any combination of all of them may be experienced. The symptoms are dependent upon the cause. It’s common to feel one of the following or more:
Diarrhea and Dehydration
Diarrhea will easily cause you to lose fluids and put you in danger of dehydration. It can have some dangerous consequences if you don’t get treatment for diarrhoea. Dehydration signs include:
If you think your diarrhoea is causing you to become dehydrated, contact your doctor as soon as possible.
From viruses. The Norwalk virus, cytomegalovirus and viral hepatitis are viruses that can cause diarrhoea. The frequent cause of acute childhood diarrhoea is rotavirus. Gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea , vomiting and diarrhoea, have also been associated with the virus that causes Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Parasites and bacteria. Bacteria and parasites may be spread to your body through infected food or water. Diarrhea caused by bacteria and parasites is also called traveller’s diarrhoea while travelling in developed countries. Another form of bacteria that can cause severe infections that cause diarrhoea is Clostridium difficile, and it can occur after an antibiotic course or during hospitalisation.
Medicinal goods. Diarrhea can be caused by many drugs, including antibiotics. Antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria, which can interrupt the bacteria’s normal balance in your bowels. Cancer medications and antacids with magnesium are other drugs that induce diarrhoea.
Intolerance to lactose. Lactose is a sugar that is present in milk and other milk products. Since consuming dairy products, people who have trouble digesting lactose have diarrhoea. Since levels of the enzyme that helps digest lactose drop after childhood, lactose intolerance can rise with age.
With fructose. Fructose is a naturally occurring sugar found in fruits and honey. Often it’s added to some drinks as a sweetener. It can result in diarrhoea in individuals that have difficulty digesting fructose.
Sweeteners in artificial form. In some otherwise safe individuals, sorbitol and mannitol — artificial sweeteners used in chewing gum and other sugar-free goods — may cause diarrhoea.
Surgey. Diarrhea may also be caused by abdominal or gallbladder removal operations.Other diseases of digestion. There are a variety of other causes of persistent diarrhoea, such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, microscopic colitis and syndrome of the irritable bowel.
What are the choices for diarrhoea treatment?
Diarrhea treatment normally includes the replacement of missing fluids. This basically means that you need to drink more water or substitute electrolyte drinks, such as sports drinks.
You can get fluids via intravenous therapy in more severe cases. Your doctor can prescribe antibiotics if a bacterial infection is the cause of your diarrhoea.
Your doctor will decide on your therapy based on:
When determining the cause of your diarrhoea, your doctor will complete a physical examination and consider your medical history. In order to analyse urine and blood samples, they can also request laboratory tests.
Additional tests to assess the cause of diarrhoea can be prescribed by your doctor and other associated conditions may include:
Fasting checks to determine whether the cause is food sensitivity or allergy
Imaging scans to scan for inflammation and systemic intestinal anomalies
To scan for bacteria , parasites, or symptoms of disease, a stool culture
A colonoscopy to scan for symptoms of intestinal disease in the whole colon
Sigmoidoscopy to check for signs of intestinal illness in the rectum and lower colon
If you have serious or chronic diarrhoea, a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy is particularly beneficial for deciding if you have an intestinal disorder.
When to see a physician
If you’re a grown-up, see the doctor if:
Diarrhea can quickly lead to dehydration in children , especially young kids. If your child’s diarrhoea does not improve within 24 hours,
Call your doctor or if your baby is:
If the Problem is more worse then immediately book an appointment for Best treatment from QuickMDCare.
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