Diarrhoea is a common digestive problem that is characterised by loose, watery faeces. This condition can be acute or persistent and can last a few days to several weeks or months. The patient will feel the urge for urgent bowel movements multiple times a day. Commonly, it is caused by infections, other chronic or diseased conditions or any food intolerances. In order to learn about diarrhoea treatment, it's essential to learn about the causes, symptoms and various forms of loose bowel motions.
Even though it is often regarded as a temporary condition, if the condition is not managed properly, multiple health complications might arise. While stool looseness and the changes in bowel motions occur separately, they often happen together. That's why it's important to separate diarrhoea from other conditions that may co-exist with it but have distinct origins and management strategies.
Various conditions that cause loose stool and frequent bowel movement
- Incontinence of stool causes the inability to regulate or wait the bowel movements until using the restroom is feasible
- Rectal Urgency is the term for an abrupt, strong urge to use the toilet. But if left unattended, it might result in incontinence.
- The incomplete evacuation condition involves the sensation of having another bowel movement right after one. But it's hard to pass more stool.
- You may also feel the bowel movements right after having meals.
The diarrhoea condition involves:
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Frequent bowel movements in diarrhoea
When a healthy person experiences more than three to five bowel motions each day, it can be referred to as absolute diarrhoea. The relative diarrhoea condition involves having more bowel motions than normal, that is, for an individual to have two bowel movements when they typically have one.
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Stool consistency
The stool consistency in absolute diarrhoea can vary in healthy persons according to their food consumption. If people eat more fruits and vegetables, they can have loose stools, but people who eat fewer fruits and vegetables might have watery stools. Hence, the stool consistency is difficult to understand in absolute diarrhoea. However, relative diarrhoea is easy to explain as looser faeces that are still within normal range.
The reasons for different types of diarrhoea
During the diarrhoea condition, there is more water in the stool, which can range in consistency from somewhat soft to watery. In the regular digestion period, the digestive system organs from the stomach and small intestine to the gallbladder and pancreas produce a lot of water to keep the food liquid.
The undigested food comes to the colon to solidify and turn to faeces. If the stomach and small intestine produce excessive fluid, the stool will be watery. During the diarrhoea condition, the colon will absorb water inadequately. It can be due to undigested food travelling too fast through the gut and colon. Some diarrhoea causes different types and conditions:
- Secretory diarrhoea can be caused due to too much fluid intake into the intestine.
- Osmotic diarrhoea can be caused by small molecules that pass into the colon without digestion and release water and electrolytes into the colon, forming a watery stool.
- In Motility diarrhoea, the intestinal muscles overwork and over transport the gut content without giving the body enough time to absorb water and electrolytes.
The common types of diarrhoea
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Acute Diarrhoea
The acute diarrhoea condition lasts for a few days and can last up to a week. It is mostly caused by bacterial, viral or parasitic infections. The bacterial infection can cause food poisoning, and the immune system introduces bowel movement in an effort to eject any gut content. Diarrhoea can also happen due to new medication, as various medications cause loose stool.
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Chronic Diarrhoea
When the diarrhoea condition lasts more than three weeks, it can cause chronic diarrhoea. Chronic conditions can happen for many reasons. Irritable bowel syndrome can be one of the reasons that causes the fast passing of intestinal content into the colon. Moreover, any chronic infections in the intestines and endocrine diseases can cause diarrhoea. Bacterial abundance in the small intestine can cause diarrhoea. Apart from that, in rare conditions, colon cancer or carbohydrate or fat malabsorption can cause diarrhoea.
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Inflammatory Diarrhoea
There can be various factors that can cause inflammation in the small intestine lining or toxin production that leads to inflammatory diarrhoea. The bacterial or parasitic infection may also secrete fluid into stool without any inflammation. However, any inflammation in the colon due to bacteria or colitis can increase the pace of food passing without much water absorption. The key inflammatory bowel disease symptoms are rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, fever and anaemia.
Signs of diarrhoea to keep note of:
- The major sign of diarrhoea is frequent bowel movements that are more than usual on a daily basis.
- The stool is loose and watery, which can vary from person to person according to dietary habits.
- Abdominal pain and discomfort can happen during diarrhoea from mild to severe.
- Some diarrhoea conditions can show nausea and vomiting signs that are caused due to infection or food poisoning.
- People may also feel feverish during diarrhoea that is caused by infections.
- Blood in the stool can be a sign of inflammatory diarrhoea.
Diarrhoea issues you must know about
The major issue with diarrhoea is that the patient gets dehydrated. The body can also get:
- Malnourished due to less or no nutrient absorption in the intestine
- It can cause sodium and potassium loss to cause electrolyte imbalance.
- Patients can suffer from toxic megacolon conditions where the colon enlarges and inflates.
All these conditions require immediate treatment to prevent any fatal scenarios.
Also Read: Stomach Ulcer : Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
Treatments for Diarrhoea
For mild diarrhoea conditions, it's helpful to use an over-the-counter medicine to stop diarrhoea in adults, which includes loperamide or bismuth subsalicylate. They are available in tablet and liquid condition. Keep the body hydrated and drink about eight glasses of fluids and electrolytes. Use prescribed antibiotics if the diarrhoea is due to bacterial infection. If no over-the-counter medicine works, consult with a doctor to perform a diagnosis to suggest treatment.
Final Words:
There could be various causes and implications for diarrhoea conditions due to varied factors. It's helpful to recognize the signs and symptoms according to the type of diagnosis treatment. With appropriate care and effective health management, diarrhoea conditions can be prevented from becoming chronic. Agilus Diagnostics can perform diagnostic tests, work with trusted pathology labs, and prescribe treatment to restore health quickly.
Agilus Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Fortis Healthcare Limited
