Diarrhea

Diarrhea is the condition in which a person gets loose, watery bowels. It is the discharge of excess fluids and electrolytes accompanying loose feces from the excretory pore. Diarrhea is often referred to when there are 3-4 loose stools daily. It usually lasts for some 3-4 days.  Moreover, according to WHO (World Health Organization) diarrhea is having 3 or more loose liquid stools per day, which is more than the normal for that particular person. As in it, there is too much loss of fluids which consequently leads to dehydration.

What Causes Diarrhea

It may be due to many underlying causes. This includes bacterial infections, viral infections, or parasites.

1. Bacterial Infections

Examples of bacteria that can cause bacterial infections are- E. coli, Campylobacter link, Salmonella link, and Shigella link. Contaminated food may be the cause of bacterial infections.

2. Viral Infection

Viruses, for example; Rotavirus, Norwalk virus, adenovirus, astrovirus, and viral hepatitis can cause it. Rotavirus is the most common cause in children (under 5 years). On the other hand, Norovirus is a common cause in adults. Moreover, some antibiotics for other infections can also cause diarrhea.

3. Poor Sanitation

People with bad hygiene and living in poor sanitation have a higher risk of getting frequent diarrheas. Countries with higher rates of poverty have more cases of it. Meanwhile, open defecation can cause a severe form of it which can cause deaths.

4. Nutritional Deficiencies

Nutritional deficiencies can lead to it. For instance, deficiencies of vitamin A and zinc can be a cause among children. Countries with high poverty rates have higher malnutrition. This increases the chances of infection.

5. Malabsorption

The large intestine is responsible for absorbing extra fluid from the undigested food. This food will be soon excreted out of the body. However, due to some complications, the large intestine fails in absorbing the fluid. This failure leads to loose and watery liquids.

Malabsorption means the inability of the large intestine of absorbing fluids. This can be due to the failure of the pancreas in fulfilling all its functions. In addition, intake of any drug like orlistat will inhibit fat absorption.

Diarrhea Symptoms

The general symptoms include-

• Watery, loose stools
• Abdominal pain and cramps
• Body weakness
• Fever
• Weight loss
• Nausea
• Feeling of bowel at frequent time

Types of Diarrhea

1. Acute

This is the most common form. It includes 3 to 4 loose stools per day but lasts only for 2 to 3 days. This is of minor type; therefore it doesn’t need any medical treatments.

2. Persistent

This type usually lasts for 2 or 3 weeks. If it lasts for more than a week then this may be due to some other problems. For example; IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) or IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) may be the underlying cause of it.

3. Chronic

This lasts for more than 4 weeks. In addition, this includes frequent diarrhea at regular intervals of time. This type can be a life threat for the person suffering. However, this type is not caused by any bacterial or viral infection but by other disorders. For instance, it includes disorders of intestines, pancreas, or side effects of any antibiotics.

4.Stools with Blood

Stools with blood can be a very serious issue. It might be a symptom of some other diseases, for example; bacterial infection or ulcerative colitis. Moreover, this can also be due to gastrointestinal bleeding or hemorrhoids.

Diarrhea in Children

Infants can have normally 3 to 10 stools per day which certainly depends upon their diet. The diet might be either breast milk or formula milk. Children who are on breast milk have a higher rate of stools per day as compared to those of formula.

Stools that are more liquid, runny or, contains mucus must be observed.

Causes of this in children include malnutrition, lack of breastfeeding, and deficiency of the immune system, poor care, measles, and bad sanitation.

Diarrhea is a Life Threat

Most importantly, the second leading cause of death among children is diarrhea. In 2017, about 1.6 million people died due to it. And it turns out that in 2019; approximately 370,000 children had died due to it.

Moreover, diarrhea can cause fluid and electrolytes deficiencies. Due to this person becomes prominent towards other diseases.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis includes the following practices-

• Stool Test– A sample of stool is taken for enquiring of any bacteria or parasite. The eggs of the bacterium or parasite might be present in the stool sample.
• Blood Test- Blood tests with electrolytes counts and tests for kidneys however helps in determining the underlying cause of the disease.
• Hydrogen Breath Test- This test is for determining lactose intolerance of the body. In this test, the person drinks a drink that has high lactose content.

Meanwhile, the doctor estimates the amount of hydrogen in your breath. If the amount of hydrogen is higher then certainly the body is lactose intolerant. As a result, the body is not able to digest lactose properly.

• Upper Endoscopy- The doctors use a long tube with a camera on the other end for the examination of the stomach and intestine. They can also take a little piece of tissue for examining.
• Colonoscopy- In this, the tube is used to look inside the rectum. The doctor may take a small fragment of colon tissue.

Diarrhea Treatment

Prevention includes-

• Safe drinking water
• Proper sanitation
• Food hygiene
• Personal hygiene
• Breastfeeding for six months
• Rotavirus vaccination

Mild cases can be treated at home. Bismuth subsalicylate can give great relief in cases of mild cases. However, if it is due to some bacterial infection, it needs urgent consultation from the doctor. The doctor gives antibiotics. The intake of ORS will help in treating dehydration.

However, if the underlying cause of it is other diseases like IBS, IBD, or ulcerative colitis then the doctor will get the treatments for those.

FAQs on Diarrhea

Question 1- What is the main cause of diarrhea?

Answer 1- The main cause of this disease is any viral or bacterial infections. However, in other cases, it can be because of malabsorption. It is certainly the inability of the intestine to absorb fluids from the undigested food.

It usually lasts for 2 to 3 days but in severe conditions might last for several weeks.

Question 2- What are the main symptoms of diarrhea?

Answer 2- The symptoms are-

• Watery stools
• Abdominal pain
• Abdominal cramps
• Weight loss
• Bloating

Question 3- What are the main types of diarrhea?

Answer 3- The main types of this disease include-

• Acute

This is the most common form. It includes 3 to 4 loose stools per day but lasts only for 2 to 3 days. This doesn’t need any medical treatments.

• Persistent

This type of diarrhea usually lasts for 2 or 3 weeks. It may be because of other issues, for example; IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) or IBD (inflammatory bowel disease).

• Chronic

Chronic form lasts for more than 4 weeks. In addition, this includes frequent diarrhea at regular intervals of time. This type of diarrhea can be a life threat for the person suffering.