Diarrhea
What to take for diarrhea? Find all the information on possible treatments, causes, and symptoms.
Symptoms and Causes
Diarrhea is a clinical symptom characterized by an increased frequency of bowel movements (more than three per day) combined with decreased stool consistency, due to insufficient water absorption by the intestines. It is sometimes accompanied by other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or weight loss. It usually lasts only a few days, but if it persists for weeks, it may indicate an underlying condition, such as an infection, food intolerance, or a digestive disorder.
Diarrhea is classified based on its duration and underlying causes:
- Acute diarrhea: Lasts up to 14 days. It is usually caused by gastrointestinal infections or ingestion of bacterial toxins.
- Persistent diarrhea: Lasts between 14 and 30 days.
- Chronic diarrhea: Lasts longer than 30 days and is generally caused by underlying digestive disorders:
- Osmotic diarrhea: Occurs when the colon lining is unable to absorb certain substances, causing them to remain in the intestine, leading to excessive water content in the stool.
- Secretory diarrhea: The small and large intestines secrete salts and water into the stool.
- Inflammatory diarrhea: The mucosa of the large intestine becomes inflamed, dilated, or ulcerated, releasing proteins, blood, mucus, and other fluids, increasing stool volume and liquid content.
- Steatorrhea: Diarrhea caused by bile salt malabsorption. Stools have an oily appearance and a green or orange color.
- Diarrhea due to accelerated intestinal transit: Stools spend less time than usual in the large intestine, making them more watery.
Symptoms
Diarrhea symptoms vary depending on its severity and cause. The most common symptoms include:
- Liquid or soft stools.
- Abdominal bloating.
- Abdominal pain.
- Urgent need to defecate.
- Nausea.
- Vomiting.
- Blood in stools.
- Mucus in stools.
- Fever.
- Dehydration if diarrhea is severe: fatigue, thirst, dry mouth, headache, muscle cramps, dizziness, or dark, concentrated urine.
Causes
Diarrhea can have multiple causes:
- The most common causes are viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections from contaminated food or water.
- Medications, such as antibiotics.
- Artificial sweeteners.
- Previous abdominal surgeries.
- Food intolerances.
- Other digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease.
- Stress or anxiety, which can trigger diarrhea in some individuals.
Risk Factors
The likelihood of experiencing diarrhea is higher in the following cases:
- Poor hygiene practices.
- Malnutrition.
- Weakened immune system.
- Age: Infants, children, and the elderly are more prone to infectious diarrhea.
- Travel to developing countries, where consuming contaminated food or water increases the risk. This is known as traveler’s diarrhea.
- Use of certain medications, such as antibiotics, antacids, or chemotherapy drugs.
Complications
The primary complication of persistent and severe diarrhea is dehydration, which can be life-threatening if untreated. It is especially dangerous for children, the elderly, and immunocompromised patients.
Prevention
Key preventive measures for diarrhea include:
- Practicing good hygiene, including frequent handwashing, to prevent infections.
- Preparing food safely and avoiding contaminated water or spoiled food.
- Rotavirus vaccination for infants.
- Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet and avoiding foods with laxative properties.
Which doctor treats diarrhea?
Diarrhea is evaluated and treated in internal medicine or family medicine consultations, as well as by specialists in gastroenterology.
Diagnosis
Acute infectious diarrhea usually does not require diagnostic testing, as it is mild and resolves within a few days. However, if diarrhea persists and symptoms such as high fever or blood in the stool appear, further evaluation is necessary. Along with reviewing the patient’s medical history, the following tests may be conducted to determine the cause:
- Physical examination: Abdominal assessment and rectal examination.
- Complete blood count (CBC): Blood tests to detect signs of diseases causing diarrhea.
- Stool analysis: Can reveal the presence of blood, inflammation markers, bacteria, or parasites.
- Hydrogen breath test: Helps confirm or rule out lactose, fructose, or sucrose intolerance.
- Endoscopic procedures: A probe inserted through the rectum allows for examination of the digestive tract. Common procedures include upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy.
Treatment
Treatment for diarrhea depends on its severity. Viral diarrhea typically resolves without medical intervention.
- Fluid intake to prevent dehydration, particularly juices, electrolyte drinks, and broths.
- Intravenous fluids may be necessary in cases of severe dehydration requiring hospitalization.
- Antidiarrheal medications to slow intestinal transit.
- Antibiotics or antiparasitic drugs if the diarrhea is caused by bacterial or parasitic infections.
- Astringent foods, such as rice or plain yogurt, can be beneficial.
- Avoiding high-fiber foods, fatty foods, caffeine, dairy, alcohol, spicy foods, and foods containing fructose or artificial sweeteners.
