Diarrhea, or as it is medically defined, diarrhea is a state of watery and loose stools more than three times a day. It is a fairly common problem.
It usually goes away on its own within one or a few days without special care or treatment. However, prolonged diarrhea may be an indication of other problems.
Diarrhea can lead to dehydration, which means the body’s lack of fluids needed to function normally. Dehydration is a dangerous condition that can cause serious health problems, especially in children and the elderly, and requires urgent treatment.
Diarrhea can occur at any age. The average adult has diarrhea about 4 times a year.
What are the conditions that cause diarrhea?
Diarrhea may occur due to a temporary condition such as a bacterial infection or a chronic disease such as intestinal disease. The most common causes of diarrhea are as follows:
” Microbial diseases of the intestine ingested with water and food,
” Intolerance to foods such as milk and dairy products,
” Parasites,
” Use of laxatives,
” Drug-related side effects,
” Diseases that disrupt the bowel structure such as inflammatory bowel disease,
” Diseases that disrupt bowel function such as irritable bowel disease.
What are the signs of diarrhea?
Abdominal pains and cramps, gas, nausea and constant urgency are the symptoms that often accompany diarrhea. Depending on the cause, fever and bloody stools can be added to these.
Diarrhea can be observed as acute or chronic. Acute type lasts less than 3 weeks and the cause
is usually microbial The chronic condition begins with diarrhea lasting more than 3 weeks and is usually caused by diseases of the gut itself
Although usually harmless, diarrhea can sometimes lead to dangerous situations. It can be a symptom of some serious diseases. You should consult a doctor if:
” Your diarrhea has lasted more than three days,
” If you have severe pain in your abdomen or anus,
” If you have a fever of 38.8oC or higher,
” If you have blood or tarry stools ,
” If you have signs of dehydration.
Diagnosis:
First of all, after taking your medical history and physical examination, your physician may ask you to have one or more of the following tests done, depending on your condition:
” Stool culture
“Blood tests to rule out certain diseases,
” hunger test to reveal food intolerance,
“Endoscopic examinations such as sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy to directly visualize part of your intestines.
Treatment of diarrhea:
It is sufficient to replace the lost fluid in most patients. is david. In some cases, it may be necessary to use anti-diarrheal medications. However, in cases of diarrhea due to an infection or parasite, using anti-diarrheal drugs will only deepen the problem by causing organisms to remain in the intestine. In these cases, physicians usually prescribe antibiotics that are effective against these organisms. Diarrhea due to viral causes is usually left to its own course or supportive drugs are used, depending on the type of virus and the severity of the clinical picture.
