Diarrhea (upset stomach, diarrhea) is a symptom of a particular type of digestive disorder. The term “diarrhea” is also used to indicate a person’s condition, when more than twice a day he has a problem with bowel movement ( loose stools). Clinically distinguish between acute and chronic form of diarrhea. We offer to understand the causes of this condition and how to treat it.
Causes
Patients often have diarrhea after eating. The causes may have a different origin, but most often this condition is caused by parasites, toxins, bacteria, viruses. Diarrhea caused by infections is also called acute intestinal infections. The range of diseases ranges from mild malaise during vacation to extremely severe conditions that cause severe dehydration and can lead to death. Acute intestinal infections are so common that they are second only to respiratory viral infections.
Diarrhea after eating in an adult occurs as a result of disorders in the gastrointestinal tract. Some diseases that do not have a direct connection with the digestive system can also be accompanied by diarrhea.
Digestion process
With normal functioning, the digestive organs digest the food that gets into them. This happens due to the action of enzymes that break down the components of food absorbed by a person into simple substances (fatty acids, amino acids, monosaccharides). When diarrhea occurs after eating, the reasons lie in digestive problems.
Factors affecting the quality of digestion can be divided into groups. Firstly, the quality and quantity of food. Indigestible food in large volumes threatens to increase the growth of bacteria and accelerate intestinal motility. Secondly, the state of the digestive tract, because the quality of the digestive processes depends on it. The latter are directly affected by the enzymes secreted by the liver, stomach and pancreas, as well as the state of the intestinal mucosa.
Diarrhea after eating in an adult occurs with lesions of the mucosa, with increased peristalsis or as a result of a violation of the intestinal microflora.
Development of diarrhea
Diarrhea in most cases develops according to this scenario: first, there is a violation of the release of water and salts into the intestinal cavity, then the dynamics of intestinal motility accelerates, accompanied by a violation of the absorption process from the intestinal cavity of the digested food. These factors provoke a violation of the process of digestion of food. In some cases , irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea may develop.
The most common causes of diarrhea include chronic diseases of the digestive tract, acute intestinal infections, intestinal dysbiosis.
Acute intestinal infections and diarrhea
Diarrhea after eating, the cause of which lies in the presence of acute intestinal infections, occurs due to disruption of the digestive tract caused by microorganisms. In winter, viruses help develop the infection, and in the summer, bacteria help. Microbes are capable of producing substances that paralyze the intestines, or penetrate into its mucous membrane (salmonellosis, E. coli), thereby disrupting the digestive processes. In some cases, diarrhea caused by the action of pathogenic microbes can pose a threat not only to health but also to human life.
Diarrhea in an adult can also occur against the background of normal intestinal microflora, when undigested food enters the large intestine in large quantities. Diarrhea will end in this case when the intestines are empty.
Types of diarrhea in intestinal infections
Diarrhea caused by acute intestinal infections is conventionally divided into two types: with watery stools and with bloody stools. The cause of diarrhea of the first type is infections, the appearance of which is associated with viruses and bacteria that secrete toxins. At the same time, the intestinal mucosa is also exposed to toxins and viruses, and the stool contains water and salts.
Bloody stools with diarrhea are found in salmonellosis and dysentery. Diarrhea of this type is caused by bacteria that penetrate the mucous membrane and destroy it. Acute intestinal infections are usually accompanied by acute diarrhea. Some diseases, such as dysentery, irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea, can lead to the development of a chronic form of the disease.
Watery diarrhea
Most often, it manifests itself in lesions of the intestine with bacterial toxins. They are accompanied by intestinal infections and food poisoning. The occurrence of watery diarrhea is sometimes associated with viruses.
In such situations, a logical question arises: how to cure diarrhea. In this case, it is not recommended to use antimicrobials and antibiotics. You can use them with severe diarrhea if you suspect cholera or salmonellosis. The patient needs to be hospitalized.
Treatment of watery diarrhea should be comprehensive, during which attention is paid to replenish the water-salt balance and prevent dehydration of the body. Doctors often prescribe Rehydron and Oralit solutions. They should be taken before cessation of diarrhea. It is worth remembering that some products can exacerbate the situation. So, with diarrhea, it is better to abandon dairy products, salty and sweet, fruit juices, as well as from eating raw fruits and vegetables. You can eat baked vegetables and fruits, crackers, drink tea (especially from St. John's wort).
Bloody diarrhea
If the patient has bloody diarrhea, then you need to hospitalize him. Different types of microbes can provoke a problem, so treatment should be aimed at eliminating it with the help of antimicrobials and antibiotics. At home, therapy can be carried out provided that there are no complications and associated symptoms. Given that many types of microbes are resistant to antibiotics, you can take drugs such as Metronizadol, Cotrimoxazole, Ofloxacin, Norfloxacin, Ciprofloxacin. Before use, be sure to carefully read the instructions or consult a specialist.
Hospitalization of the patient is necessary if bloody diarrhea is a sign of serous disease. For children and the elderly, diarrhea can lead to a number of serious complications.
Diarrhea with dysbiosis
Dysbacteriosis is characterized by a violation of the qualitative and quantitative composition of the intestinal microflora. The number of “beneficial” microorganisms that live in the intestine decreases (in some cases, they disappear completely). And the number of bacteria unusual for the normal state of microflora is increasing. Due to the appearance of an excess of harmful bacteria, the patient is worried about constant diarrhea.
Chronic gastrointestinal diseases and diarrhea
Chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract can also cause diarrhea. Diarrhea can accompany ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, inflammation of the large and small intestines. Diarrhea appears as a result of disturbances in the absorption of nutrients from the intestinal cavity. Diseases of the pancreas and liver can also cause diarrhea.
If the patient is disturbed by diarrhea after eating, the reasons in some cases are not related to the digestive tract. So, this symptom can accompany acute appendicitis, hepatitis, emotional stress or overstrain, poisoning or overheating in the sun.
A lack of vitamins in the body can also cause diarrhea attacks. In addition, indigestion may be a reaction to medication.
Pancreatitis diarrhea
Pancreatitis is a group of diseases associated with inflammatory processes in the pancreas. It is important for the patient to know what they eat with pancreatitis, because some dishes or products can only aggravate the situation. Among the symptoms associated with the disease, constipation and diarrhea are quite common, and the second symptom is characteristic of those patients who consume alcohol. In chronic pancreatitis, diarrhea is so pronounced that a person can lose weight. It is provoked by hypomotor dyskinesia of the bile ducts and colon. The lack of vitamins in pancreatitis causes the appearance of dry tongue and oral cavity, as well as skin, anemia.
Treatment of pancreatitis begins with the appointment of diets. Dishes that are eaten with pancreatitis should not be sweet, fatty, spicy. After eating junk food, the patient is disturbed by nausea, vomiting, bloating.
Diagnosis and treatment of diarrhea
Diarrhea, the reasons for which treatment and diagnosis are closely related, requires an immediate response from the patient in order to avoid possible consequences. The first thing to do is to establish the cause and take measures to prevent complications. During treatment, it is important to restore the body's resources after suffering an attack of diarrhea. If diarrhea does not stop within three weeks, then there is already chronic diarrhea, treatment should be carried out in a hospital.
To establish the cause in most cases is not easy enough, but this is a necessary step to prescribe adequate treatment with the elimination of the pathogen. For a more accurate diagnosis, you need to study the nature of diarrhea (bloody or watery stools). It is very good if it is possible to conduct stool microscopy, which will determine the presence of pathogenic bacteria. The culture method is used for epidemiological purposes. If mild diarrhea is caused by improper nutrition, then it is not necessary to go to the doctor, you can treat with drugs at home.
When to see a doctor
There are a number of cases where diarrhea can be a sign of serious illness, and qualified help is simply necessary. Among such cases, the most common gastric disorders are accompanied by a sharp increase in body temperature (up to 38 degrees), abdominal pain, severe vomiting and nausea. Acute diarrhea is also dangerous for children and the elderly. Feces of dark brown or black color with blood signs indicate internal bleeding associated with diseases of the stomach or duodenum.
Sometimes the patient may be impaired as a result of a sharp dehydration of the body. You should also consult a doctor if, despite treatment, diarrhea continues, or a number of side effects occur while taking medication.
Treatment of diarrhea with folk remedies
Traditional medicine has developed its own recipes for eliminating this unpleasant disease. So, powder from chicken stomachs helps with diarrhea. To do this, their inner films need to be dried and triturated. Rice broth or rice porridge is also effective in combating diarrhea. Simply boil the rice without adding salt. Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract will help cope with the infusion of dried chamomile flowers, which must be taken after a meal. With bloody diarrhea, hemorrhage, bloodroot, shepherd’s bag, snake highlander help. Treatment of diarrhea with folk remedies can sometimes be even more effective than medication.