Diarrhea: what happens and how it manifests itself

Frequent bowel movements with liquid feces are defined as diarrhea. This pathological condition is dangerous for humans because, in the absence of drug exposure, it can lead to dehydration. A variety of reasons can provoke diarrhea. First of all, these are infections of the digestive system. Further, among the provoking factors, one can single out the side effects of the drug, constant stress, the consequence of malnutrition.

Often, diarrhea can occur due to intestinal dysbiosis or in the presence of worms. It is very important to pay attention to the characteristics of the stool, that is, what color it is, the peculiarities of its smell (for example, putrid), whether there is an admixture of blood.

What does diarrhea indicate?

Stool disorders are defined by several specific criteria. Thanks to these characteristics, diarrhea can be distinguished as a symptom and a norm.

Table. What does normal stool look like during diarrhea?

Feces indicator	Normal condition	Diarrhea
Number of bowel movements	Up to twice a day.	More than three to four times a day.
Color characteristic	It can be dark yellow, light brown, dark brown.	Yellowish, cherry-colored, bloody, grayish, white, black.
The nature of the feces	Differs in uniformity and formation.	Foamy or watery in character, very runny.
Smell features	Typical unpleasant feces odor.	Sour, putrid, sometimes a complete lack of smell.
Possible impurities	There are no impurities, perhaps sometimes a small amount of mucus.	A large amount of mucus in the stool, blood or pieces of undigested food.

Attention! If there are several pathological indicators, it is recommended to contact a specialist to find out the exact cause of diarrhea.

Do not forget that the indicators in the table are generally accepted, however, they may differ from the individual characteristics of each person. For example, the norm for one will be one bowel movement per day, on the contrary, the norm for another - four bowel movements per day. Similarly, with the consistency of feces - depending on individual indicators, both mushy and hard-shaped stools can be equated to the norm.

Experts advise paying attention to the duration of mushy loose stools. If a similar phenomenon is observed over a long period, these are the individual characteristics of the organism. In this case, the person should not be bothered by any additional symptoms.

The situation is different when the clinical picture of diarrhea includes bloody impurities or an atypical stool odor. Such changes warn of diarrhea.

It is important! It is necessary to pay attention from time to time to the indicators of feces, since they inform about the state of the digestive system. After all, pathologies may not be accompanied by any symptoms, except for diarrhea.

Why does diarrhea occur?

Various viruses and bacteria can provoke a pathological condition. Such a reaction of the body is observed with food poisoning. Bacteria enter the body through food and water.

Reference! In medicine, there is the concept of "tourist diarrhea". This is the reaction of a healthy body to infections in exotic countries.

What can provoke diarrhea

1. Herpes virus.
2. Long-term use of antibiotics and other medicines.
   

   Long-term use of antibiotics leads to a violation of the intestinal microflora and diarrhea

3. Hepatitis virus, ulcerative colitis.
4. Viral infections (enterovirus).
   

   What are enteroviruses

5. Bacterial infections (salmonellosis, cholera, escherichiosis).
6. Bowel ailments (enteritis, ulcerative colitis).
   

   Colitis of the intestine

7. Enzymatic deficiency (fermentopathy, pancreatitis).
8. Tumor neoplasms (polyps, diverticula).
   

   Diverticula are small sacs in the intestine where food accumulates and microbes multiply

9. Autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis).
10. The onset of intoxication (exposure to nitrates, household chemicals, poisons).
    

    Poisoning and toxins leading to diarrhea

11. Side effect of medications (cytostatics, ostetics, anticholinesterase drugs).
12. Bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract (with peptic ulcer of the duodenum or stomach, bleeding in the large or small intestine).
    

    Intestinal bleeding always provokes diarrhea.

The mechanism of development of diarrhea

When taking antibiotics, diarrhea is most often observed in patients. They are attributed to the effects of medications. Under the influence of antibiotic therapy, a serious illness can occur with complications up to a lethal outcome. A dangerous condition of the patient is diagnosed with dysbiosis, the consequence of which is pseudomembranous colitis. As a result, the body is completely depleted with diarrhea.

A better outcome for diarrhea caused by a bacterial or viral infection. The human body is able to defeat aggressive pathogens of the disease, since the latter are part of the natural environment.

It is impossible to talk about the protective function of the body if diarrhea is caused by toxic effects. Such provocateurs are unnatural, therefore, only drugs can eliminate them.

Pathogenic mechanisms of diarrhea development and their causes

Table. Pathogenic causes of diarrhea

Type of diarrhea	In what cases is observed
Secretory (characterized by an increase in mucus in the feces)	With tumor-like neoplasms and an inflammatory process of the intestine.
Hyperkinetic (occurs as a result of the rapid contraction of the intestines)	With intoxication.
Osmotic (fluid is retained in the intestine but is not absorbed)	With enzymatic deficiency.
Invasive (impact on the intestinal wall of pathogenic microorganisms)	With dysbiosis caused by taking antibiotics.

Types of diarrhea

Table. Types of diarrhea

View	Cause
Infectious	It occurs against the background of food poisoning, viral ailments, dysentery.
Alimentary	It develops with inappropriate nutrition or as a result of an allergic reaction of the body to a certain product.
Dyspeptic	If secretory insufficiency of the stomach or other digestive organs is diagnosed, then the process of food digestion is disrupted. The consequence of this is diarrhea.
Toxic	After poisoning with certain toxic substances (arsenic, mercury).
Medication	In the case when drugs suppress the physiological intestinal microflora, dysbiosis begins to develop actively.
Neurogenic	Under the influence of a nervous disorder, intestinal motility malfunctions, which leads to diarrhea.

For reference! Short-term diarrhea is not able to affect the state of health, however, diarrhea for a long period leads to a complete depletion of the body, as well as to pathological changes in some organs.

Symptoms

The clinical manifestations of diarrhea are often characterized by typical complaints. With some types of diarrhea, specific symptoms are noted, according to which the nature of the disease is determined. It is worth noting that sometimes laboratory tests are not able to reliably determine the diagnosis; anamnesis is required, which includes the symptoms that have manifested itself. Therefore, it is very important to observe any changes in the body with diarrhea.

Symptom 1. Diarrhea and high fever

A rise in temperature is not excluded in most cases of diarrhea. Basically, high temperature is observed with the bacterial and viral nature of diarrhea. When a patient has one of the previously indicated types of diarrhea, the temperature of 38 ° C should be considered the norm. Worse, when this symptom is absent, it is evidence of immunodeficiency. The temperature rise depends directly on the types of pathogenic microbes (up to 39 ° C).

Symptom 2. Diarrhea and vomiting

Nausea is the first common symptom of diarrhea. Indeed, with this pathological condition, the typical movement of feces and food through the intestines is disrupted, and a throw in the wrong direction can occur.

Against the background of intestinal damage and intoxication, toxic substances are absorbed. Therefore, the first thing that occurs is a reaction in the form of a gag reflex. Thus, the body cleans itself of toxins that have entered it.

Symptom 3. Diarrhea and abdominal pain

With enzymatic deficiency, pain will be the primary symptom, followed by diarrhea. Food is not digested, but the process of its decay is started. Gases are sequentially formed that pass out of the body in the form of frequent belching. And undigested food particles come out along with mucus during diarrhea.

Note! Rotten eructations indicate problems with the digestive process, as well as the progression of the disease that caused them.

Pain is characteristic of poisoning and the bacterial nature of diarrhea. Other types of diarrhea are accompanied only by a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen.

If diarrhea appears and lasts more than two days, you urgently need to seek help from a specialist. Otherwise, complete exhaustion and dehydration of the body can occur.

Video - diarrhea from what happens