Persistent diarrhea in an adult man for a long time

Diarrhea (medical name - diarrheal syndrome, diarrhea) is an acute or chronic disorder digestive tract, characterized by frequent and profuse bowel movements and stool thinning to watery consistency. In children, diarrhea can be triggered by the introduction of complementary foods, intestinal infections, the use of low-quality foods and raw water. In adults, diarrhea usually occurs as a result of foodborne infections, poisoning, the introduction of foods that are not typical for the region of residence into the diet (for example, while on vacation in southern countries). Acute diarrhea can last up to 2 weeks and be accompanied by painful cramps in the lower abdomen, fever, and vomiting.

Persistent diarrhea that lasts more than 14 days or occurs intermittently for a prolonged time period, is almost always a symptom of various disorders in the digestive systems. Chronic diarrhea is not very common: according to the WHO, no more than 14% of people suffer from prolonged diarrhea, with more than half of them being men. Persistent diarrhea in an adult man that lasts a long time is a dangerous sign that may indicate surgical pathologies requiring emergency hospitalization, for example, Crohn's disease. If the stool cannot be normalized within 5-7 days, it is necessary to consult a doctor, even if nothing else bothers the patient.

Diarrhea lasts more than two weeks

Chronic diarrhea is diagnosed if the patient's stool has a watery consistency for 14 days or more. All patients who go to the doctor with such complaints are sent to the study of feces for worm eggs, coprogram and analysis for enterobiasis. Coprogram is a universal chemical method for the study of feces, which allows you to identify signs of inflammatory and infectious processes, as well as symptoms of impaired absorption of various substances. The following are the main causes that can lead to long-term diarrhea in adult men, but based on these data and you cannot diagnose yourself on your own - this should be done by a specialist after studying the results of the primary diagnostics.

Infection with worms

One of the most common causes of long-term diarrhea in men is helminthiasis. Experts know more than 400 types of helminths that can parasitize in the intestinal lumen, as well as other organs of the digestive and hepatobiliary system: liver, pancreas, stomach. With chronic invasion, worms can enter the systemic circulation and, together with the blood, reach vital organs: the lung structures, the bronchial tree and even the heart. Helminthiasis of the heart muscle is often caused by ascaris (ascariasis) and can cause the development of acute heart failure and death of the patient.

Symptoms of acute helminthic invasion from the gastrointestinal tract are quite pronounced and can be manifested by prolonged diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. If the number of parasites increases rapidly, worms of various sizes can exit through the anal and oral opening along with feces and vomit. A man should also be alerted to constant headaches, skin rashes, and frequent colds.

Important! For the treatment of infectious diarrhea caused by worms, antiparasitic drugs of systemic action are used, for example, “Pirantel». The medicine is taken orally once in a dosage of 3 tablets (chew thoroughly, then drink water). For men weighing more than 75 kg, the dosage is 4 tablets.

Irritable bowel syndrome

IBS, according to most experts, is of a psychosomatic nature, although the exact reasons for the appearance of pathology have not yet been established. The social and living conditions of a man, the degree of his social activity, the state of the central and autonomic nervous system are of great importance. Irritable bowel syndrome can manifest itself as chronic constipation and prolonged diarrhea, so it is important to know the symptoms of the pathology and the basics of treatment.

In addition to stool disorders, the following symptoms may indicate IBS:

• painful cramps in the lower abdomen;
• flatulence, increased gas production, "rumbling" in the stomach "
• false urge to empty the bowels;
• lack of relief after a bowel movement.

To treat IBS, a man will have to follow a diet that limits the use of foods that contain large amounts of purines or puric acid. These are various nuts, seeds, raw vegetables (especially cabbage and sorrel), legumes, some types of cereals (oatmeal, barley). Alcoholic drinks, soft drinks and carbonated mineral water should be completely excluded from the diet.

Of the drugs, the intake of prebiotic cultures and probiotics is indicated. Capsules and powder have a complex effect.Enterol». The drug restores the intestinal microflora, stimulates the growth of its own beneficial flora, destroys pathogenic bacteria, and normalizes the stool. The dosage for an adult male is 2 capsules per day. Duration of admission is from 10 to 30 days.

Exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the parenchymal tissue of the pancreas with the involvement of the mucous and submucous layer. Chronic pancreatitis occurs in about 20% of men. The main risk group includes men who make mistakes in their diet, abuse fatty and spicy foods, and alcoholic beverages. Heavy smokers, people with chronic diseases, forced to constantly take potent drugs also have an increased risk of inflammation of the pancreas and other digestive organs.

Exacerbation of pathology leads to the emergence of severe symptoms, including:

• acute pain syndrome in the right hypochondrium;
• prolonged diarrhea with watery or foamy stools;
• profuse vomiting (may contain impurities of bile acids and lumps of undigested food);
• temperature increase.

One of the most serious consequences of pancreatitis is pancreatic fibrosis - the proliferation of connective fibers of the organ with the formation of cicatricial elements. Diarrhea with fibrosis of the pancreas in men can last for more than 20 days in a row.

Important! Outside of exacerbation of pancreatitis, the patient also often suffers from prolonged diarrhea, which in some cases may be the only clinical sign of pathology.

Can diarrhea last more than 10 days with infectious diseases?

Intestinal infectious diseases are predominantly acute lesions of various segments of the large or the small intestine, provoked by the active growth and reproduction of pathogenic flora in the intestinal lumen. The main causes of acute intestinal infections are the consumption of expired and poor quality products, poor heat treatment and viral diseases caused by viruses from the rotavirus group and enteroviruses.

Intestinal infections are symptomatic and are manifested by fever, profuse vomiting, abdominal pain, intestinal cramps, and acute diarrhea. It is diarrhea that is considered one of the main manifestations of OCI: the patient's stool becomes watery, mucus, foam appears in it, a sharp putrid odor appears. The number of bowel movements in a bitch can be up to 10-12 times, the process itself is painful, does not bring relief after completion.

In most cases, diarrhea completely disappears within 5-7 days from the moment the first signs appear, but in some cases, recovery can take up to 2 weeks or more (for example, with enteroviral infection). This is a clinically serious condition that requires specialized care in a hospital setting.

A man's diarrhea does not go away for more than 1 month

There are a lot of reasons that can cause a stable liquefaction of feces in an adult man. They can be associated with both malnutrition and severe diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, less often the organs of the vascular and hematopoietic system. The most common pathologies with similar symptoms are listed in the table below.

Disease	Image	What it is?
Enteritis		Inflammation of the mucous layer of the small intestine with signs of dystrophic and atrophic changes in which absorption and assimilation of nutrients is impaired
Obstruction or atresia of the bile ducts		Obstruction of the bile ducts, which occurs in 3-5% of men (mainly under the age of 30)
Celiac disease		Intolerance to a complex protein that is part of the chemical composition of most cereals (gluten)
Ulcerative colitis		Chronic lesion of the large intestine with signs of an inflammatory process that develops under the influence of external and genetic factors
Atrophic gastritis		Disease of the stomach, in which there is a gradual atrophy of the mucous and submucous layer of the gastric walls. It is more often diagnosed in men over 45-50 years old and is considered a precancerous condition.
Lactase deficiency		Milk sugar intolerance against the background of congenital or acquired lactase deficiency - a digestive enzyme that breaks down lactose
Intestinal vasculitis		Inflammation of blood vessels, arteries and veins of various segments of the intestine
Intestinal ischemia		Violation of blood circulation in the intestinal vessels associated with blockage or narrowing of their lumen, as well as the formation of blood clots (intestinal thrombosis)
Polyposis		Tumor process in the mucous layer of the small and large intestine, as well as the rectum

Important! Diarrhea that does not go away for more than 1 month can be one of the manifestations of colorectal cancer, so it is not worth doing self-medication, if specialized therapy with antidiarrheal and antimicrobial drugs does not give positive results in during the week.

Diagnostics for chronic diarrhea

With prolonged diarrhea, men need to pass fecal tests for parasitic infections, as well as a coprogram. This is one of the types of scatological research, which allows you to determine the chemical and bacteriological composition of feces and identify signs of infectious-inflammatory, parasitic and tumor processes. If a man suffers from gluten or lactose intolerance, the coprogram will show a reduced amount of detritus in the stool. Mucus and increased growth of bacterial colonies in most cases indicate acute inflammation of the intestinal walls.

A coloproctologist is involved in the treatment of intestinal diseases (a narrower specialist is a proctologist - a doctor who treats rectal pathologies). If you suspect stomach inflammation or damage to the initial segments of the large intestine, consultation with a gastroenterologist is indicated. If a man has chronic diseases of the endocrine system, for example, diabetes mellitus, treatment is prescribed in conjunction with an endocrinologist.

When going to the hospital, a man should understand that he may have to be examined by a proctologist or rectal examination using hardware methods, for example, irrigoscopy, colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy. If performed correctly, these procedures do not cause painful sensations, but to facilitate the introduction of the endoscope, the patient must completely relax the muscles of the anus. If you have severe fear or psychological stiffness, you should consult with your doctor about the possible use of sedatives and sedatives on the eve of the study.

Note! In some cases, additional tests, such as tests of the functionality of the pancreas or the hepatic system, may be required to make an accurate diagnosis.

What to do if diarrhea does not go away for a long time?

Therapy for chronic diarrhea requires an integrated approach, so using one drug to get rid of the problem will not be enough. The mainstay of treatment in all cases is symptomatic therapy drugs from the group of opioid receptor agonists. The drugs in this group are listed in the table below.

Drug name	Image	In what form is it produced?	approximate cost
"Imodium"		Capsules	245 rubles
Loperamide		Capsules and tablets	10 rubles
"Diara"		Chewable tablets	88 rubles
"Lopedium"		Pills and capsules	32 rubles

The listed drugs can be used to treat functional diarrhea with allergic and alimentary gastroenteritis, malabsorption in the intestine, infectious intestinal pathologies, with metabolic diseases substances. Short courses can be used in case of a stable violation of the diet, as well as digestive disorders caused by a change in the usual diet. If a man underwent surgical treatment of the small intestine, and an ileostomy was installed, drugs loperamide-based can be prescribed for permanent use in order to correct the consistency chair.

The use of bifidopreparations gives a good therapeutic effect. They normalize the composition of the intestinal microflora and restore all its functions. Adult men can use one of the following drugs (read instructions before use):

• "Acipol";
• Linex;
• "Normaze";
• "Bifidumbacterin";
• "Bifiform".

To prevent dehydration with frequent diarrhea, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids and use saline concentrated solutions, for example, "Hydrovita" or "Regidron".

Nutrition for prolonged diarrhea

Correction of the diet is one of the most important tasks in the complex treatment of persistent diarrhea. For men with similar symptoms, fractional meals and reduced portions are recommended. Any irritating products and substances must be excluded from the menu: vinegar, spices, flavors. It is advisable to cook food in gentle ways (stewing, baking, boiling). In case of unspecified frequent diarrhea, it is recommended to limit the consumption of whole milk, spices, fatty sauces, fresh fruits. From vegetables, it is necessary to reduce to a minimum the consumption of cucumbers, zucchini, radishes. Coffee and alcoholic drinks are allowed in small quantities and strictly outside the exacerbation period.

To alleviate the condition during the period of acute diarrhea, the diet should consist of sterilized apple puree, boiled rice, bananas, wheat crackers without adding flavors and dyes. Meat should be eaten in the form of soufflés, meatballs and casseroles. Boiled pieces should be finely chopped using a meat grinder or blender.

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