Doc Fio

When you have diarrhea, your bowel movements (or stools) are loose and watery.

It’s very common and usually not serious.

People usually get diarrhea once or twice each year. It normally lasts 2 to 3 days, and you can treat it with over-the-counter medicines.

 

Symptoms

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You may have:

• Bloating in your belly

• Cramps

• Thin or loose stools

• Watery stools

• An urgent feeling that you need to have a bowel movement

• Nausea and throwing up

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More serious symptoms include:

• Blood or mucus in your stool

• Weight loss

• Fever

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If you have diarrhea, you  loose your body fluid, and if you fail to replace it by drinking enough amount of water then you could get dehydrated. Dehydration is a serious complication of diarrhea. 

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Causes

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A number of diseases and conditions can cause diarrhea, including

• Viruses. Viruses that can cause diarrhea include Norwalk virus, cytomegalovirus and viral hepatitis. Rotavirus is a common cause of acute childhood diarrhea.

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• Bacteria and parasites. Contaminated food or water can transmit bacteria and parasites to your body. Parasites such as Giardia lamblia and cryptosporidium can cause diarrhea.Common bacterial causes of diarrhea include campylobacter, salmonella, shigella and Escherichia coli. When traveling in developing countries, diarrhea caused by bacteria and parasites is often called traveler's diarrhea. Clostridium difficile infection can occur, especially after a course of antibiotics.

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• Medications. Many medications, such as antibiotics, can cause diarrhea. Antibiotics destroy both good and bad bacteria, which can disturb the natural balance of bacteria in your intestines. Other drugs that cause diarrhea are cancer drugs and antacids with magnesium.

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• Lactose intolerance. Lactose is a sugar found in milk and other dairy products. People who have difficulty digesting lactose have diarrhea after eating dairy products.

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• Fructose. Fructose, a sugar found naturally in fruits and honey and added as a sweetener to some beverages, can cause diarrhea in people who have trouble digesting it.

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• Artificial sweeteners. Sorbitol and mannitol, artificial sweeteners found in chewing gum and other sugar-free products, can cause diarrhea in some otherwise healthy people.

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• Surgery. Some people have diarrhea after undergoing abdominal surgery or gallbladder removal surgery.

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• Other digestive disorders. Chronic diarrhea has a number of other causes, such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, microscopic colitis and irritable bowel syndrome.

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Complications

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Diarrhea can cause dehydration, which can be life-threatening if untreated.

Dehydration is particularly dangerous in children, older adults and those with weakened immune systems.

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Indications of dehydration in adults

These include:

• Excessive thirst

• Dry mouth or skin

• Little or no urination

• Weakness, dizziness or lightheadedness

• Fatigue

• Dark-colored urine

Indications of dehydration in infants and young children

These include:

• Not having a wet diaper in three or more hours

• Dry mouth and tongue

• Fever above 102 F (39 C)

• Crying without tears

• Drowsiness, unresponsiveness or irritability

• Sunken appearance to the abdomen, eyes or cheeks

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Prevention

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1. Wash your hands to prevent the spread of viral diarrhea. Apply Hand hygiene procedure in daily life could prevent you getting infected by Virus causing diarrhea.

2. Vaccination

You can help protect your infant from rotavirus, the most common cause of viral diarrhea in children, Rotavirus vaccine is available for children.

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Diagnosis

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Besides conducting a physical exam and reviewing your medications, your doctor might order tests to determine what's causing your diarrhea. They include:

• Blood test. A complete blood count test can help determine what's causing your diarrhea.

• Stool test. Your doctor might recommend a stool test to determine whether a bacterium or parasite is causing your diarrhea.

• Flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. Your doctor might recommend one of these procedures to look at the lining of your colon and provide biopsies if no cause is evident for persistent diarrhea.

​       Both procedures involve using a thin, lighted tube with a lens on the end to look inside your colon.

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Treatment

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• Most cases of diarrhea clear on their own within a couple of days without treatment.

       However if there are unusual signs in your stool , such as blood, mucous, and you lose lots of watery stool, you should           have yourself examined by a doctor to determine more serious cause of your diarrhea.

• If you've tried lifestyle changes and home remedies for diarrhea without success, your doctor might recommend medications or other treatments.

• Antibiotics

       Antibiotics might help treat diarrhea caused only by bacteria or parasites. 

• Adjusting medications you're taking

       If your doctor determines that an antibiotic caused your diarrhea, your doctor might lower your dose or switch to                    another medication

• Treatment to replace fluids

       Your doctor likely will advise you to replace the fluids and salts.

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Water is a good way to replace fluids, but it doesn't contain the salts and electrolytes — minerals such as sodium and potassium — you need to maintain the electric currents that keep your heart beating. You can help maintain your electrolyte levels by drinking fruit juices for potassium or eating soups for sodium. Certain fruit juices, such as apple juice, might make diarrhea worse.

For children,  using an oral rehydration solution, such as Pedialyte, could prevent dehydration or replace lost fluids.

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