Chronic diarrhea in adults: causes and treatment

Long-term diarrhea is a sign that it is caused by some kind of illness or a malfunction in the functioning of body systems.

Chronic diarrhea may indicate that defecation occurs more than 3 times a day, feces have a liquid consistency, and this condition lasts for several weeks.

At best, untimely treatment of chronic diarrhea will worsen the quality of life.

At worst, such a pathology leads to dehydration, since with persistent diarrhea, a violation occurs water-salt balance, as a result of which there is a massive loss of nutrients and important salts - potassium, calcium, magnesium.

This contributes to the disruption of the functioning of all internal organs and systems. If such symptoms are present, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

Causes and treatment of chronic diarrhea

Prolonged diarrhea can occur in any person, both men and women, regardless of age.

Everyone at least once in his life has experienced similar unpleasant symptoms in the form of a disorder in the digestive processes - diarrhea.

Loose watery stools, abdominal cramping, and frequent bowel movements are considered major signs of diarrhea.

People, regardless of age, are able to feel such a pathology, which is considered extremely dangerous in childhood and old age, since it can provoke dehydration.

A healthy adult often has short-term diarrhea that lasts for several days and passing independently, without any special therapy, but only if dietary nutrition is followed with diarrhea.

If diarrhea lasts more than 7 days and is associated with significant dehydration, thirst, dry skin cover and oral cavity, severe lethargy and dizziness, it is necessary to immediately find out the recommendations specialist.

The help of doctors is required when abdominal pain is disturbing or there are rectal painful sensations, stool with blood impurities, when the body temperature rises.

Classification

Diarrhea is characterized by a variety of its manifestations. First of all, this applies to the appearance of the excreted feces: its consistency, shade, visible impurities. This plays a very important role in research.

Watery diarrhea (watery diarrhea)

Its provoking factors can be both bacteria and viral agents. Cholera is considered the most severe infection, but salmonellosis, dysentery, and also of viral origin - rotaviruses - are much more common.

The small intestine can be affected by toxic substances of pathogens, water begins to come out in large quantities and salts dissolved in it into the intestinal lumen (stool may look like a "decoction of rice"), without proper replenishment of the electrolyte reserve, fatal dehydration. Hospitalization in a special hospital is required.

Self-examination and treatment are not recommended.

Severe diarrhea with water during intestinal infections may not always be associated with nausea, gag reflex, pain inside abdomen and an increase in temperature (in weakened patients, in the terminal stages of cholera, a drop in body temperature below normal values); treatment directly depends on the type of viral agent of the disease, which is not possible to establish in a domestic environment.

Bloody diarrhea (with mucus and blood)

Liquid watery stools with blood impurities and mucus may indicate damage to the gastrointestinal mucosa and in any situation is considered an absolute indication for hospitalization.

This is often due to pathogenic microorganisms. In addition, chronic diarrhea with mucus can be symptomatic of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

Black diarrhea

The most dangerous cause that can provoke the occurrence of black diarrhea is bleeding in esophagus, stomach or intestines (for example, during the expansion of the veins of the esophagus, gastric ulcer or 12-type intestines).

Blood, in contact with digestive enzymes, becomes black. A stool that looks like tar is indicative of a fairly heavy bleeding.

When it is concentrated inside the stomach, in some cases there is a "coffee grounds" gag reflex.

Critical blood loss can occur quickly enough - the patient must be delivered to a specialized medical institution as soon as possible.

In certain situations, black stools are triggered by the use of certain medications (activated carbon, iron supplements, complexes of vitamins and minerals).

Yellow diarrhea

Frequent yellow diarrhea occurs in preschool children.

Disorders in the digestive processes, which are caused by both infectious lesions (often rotavirus infection, in some cases of viral hepatitis), and other diseases of the digestive system, complicating the processing of food masses and accelerating its further passage through intestines.

Yellow stools can be associated with certain medications.

White diarrhea

Often seen in infants one year of age. In this situation, it can be triggered by eating certain artificial mixtures, overfeeding with milk, the introduction of new products into complementary foods, an excess of difficult-to-digest carbohydrates, in some cases it is noted during eruption teeth.

More dangerous causes of this diarrhea, found in children and adults: disorders in the functioning of the gallbladder, hepatitis.

Medication that disrupts the liver is capable of causing white stools.

Green diarrhea

Foul-smelling chronic green diarrhea in an adult is often correlated with intensity fermentation inside the intestine, which can be triggered by dysbiosis, dysentery and other infections Gastrointestinal tract.

A green tint to feces in both men and women can give bile, which is oversaturated with bilirubin as a result of increased breakdown of red blood cells or pathological processes in the liver.

Green poop can be released when there is a surplus in the menu of products with artificial dyes.

Causes of prolonged diarrhea

Frequent diarrhea in adults is associated with various diseases. The pathological conditions that provoke prolonged diarrhea include diseases of the digestive system:

• Inadequate enzyme production is considered a sign of chronic pancreatitis. This is due to the fact that the patient's pancreas was impaired. Lack of enzymes significantly complicates the assimilation of food products. Undigested components enter the intestines and diarrhea occurs in a person.
• The presence of toxins in the diet provokes intoxication.
• A malfunction in the digestive processes appears in people who are infected with pathogenic microorganisms.
• Prolonged flow of diarrhea with water in adults may be due to the onset of dysbiosis. Usually, a malfunction in the microflora occurs at the end of antibiotic therapy.
• Allergic reaction to food. It is a cause that can cause the formation of persistent diarrhea. A malfunction in the digestive processes requires a complete rejection of the intake of products containing allergens.
• Crohn's disease is an extremely dangerous disease. During it, there is a disruption in the functioning of the digestive organs. Bloody clots are observed in the stool of a sick person.
• People often lead a passive lifestyle. This is reflected in the functioning of the digestive organs. Stagnation occurs inside the digestive tract, which becomes a provoking factor for diarrhea. During this, the patient growls in the abdomen and severe diarrhea develops.

Frequent diarrhea with water in adults develops as a result of internal bleeding in the digestive system. Often the reasons that cause constant diarrhea with water are various infectious diseases caused by harmful bacteria.

Severe watery diarrhea indicates the presence of salmonella, shigella, or various parasites inside the body.

They cause frequent diarrhea with water and rotaviruses. Food or drug intoxication can provoke loose stools in both men and women.

Knowing about these causes of frequent diarrhea in adults, it is easy to understand what to do. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor after a comprehensive diagnosis.

Experts note that the patient is tormented by loose stools for a long time due to the fact that he prefers to remain silent about his problems.

Few people know that with prolonged diarrhea, a very dangerous complication can develop - dehydration.

Symptoms

The symptoms of water-borne diarrhea are no different from simple diarrhea.

Common signs:

• Nausea and gag reflex.
• Loss of appetite.
• Bloating.
• Increased formation of gases.
• Long-term liquid feces.
• Anemia.
• Dehydration.
• Hypovitaminosis.

If there are such chronic symptoms as constant urge to go to the toilet, bloody impurities in the feces, fever, severe thirst, you need to see a doctor.

Treatment in such a situation should be immediate, the symptomatology will quickly recede.

Treatment

To know how to treat diarrhea with water in an adult and why it occurs, you should find out the doctor's recommendations.

Persistent diarrhea is not considered a disease. Even chronic diarrhea in an adult can be cured.

At the initial stage, it is necessary to establish why the patient has a liquid stool for a long time, and then decide what to do. Treatment begins with a revision of the menu, after which the following prescriptions must be observed:

• Use medicines that can eliminate diarrhea with water in an adult.
• Along with your doctor, reconsider taking certain medications that are aimed at treating another chronic illness.
• If there is a sensitivity to food, you need to remove them from the menu and never take them.

Knowing about the factors that caused prolonged diarrhea with water in an adult, you can start treatment in a timely manner.

In addition to medicines, a patient who has been diagnosed with diarrhea with water must follow a dietary diet every day. This facilitates his condition and helps to cure the disease.

Folk remedies

In the process of taking folk remedies for the treatment of diarrhea, you need to coordinate their use with your doctor. Effective methods used to treat diarrhea include:

• Mint decoction. 3-5 mint leaves are poured with boiling water, boiled and infused for 60 minutes. Drink after meals 3 times a day.
• Chamomile decoction. Medicinal raw materials (1 tbsp. l.) is poured with a cup of water and placed on the stove. Boil over low heat for 15 minutes, infuse for 30 minutes and drink before meals.
• It is permissible to take a starch solution for diarrhea. 2 p. the product is diluted in a cup of warm water, mixed and drunk during the day.

Drug treatment

Therapy for persistent diarrhea with water in adults should be comprehensive. Therefore, the patient is prescribed funds that affect the causes of his appearance.

Only a specialist will tell you what medications need to be given to eliminate the ailment. In case of gastrointestinal irritation, it is recommended to take Loperamide or Imodium.

If the cause of prolonged diarrhea is intoxication, gastric lavage should be done quickly.

For this purpose, the patient drinks a large amount of water with potassium permanganate. The solution is recommended to be taken in a larger volume at a time.

If the causes of diarrhea lie in the use of antimicrobial agents, then Linex is prescribed. Other effective drugs often prescribed for diarrhea include:

• Smecta and its analogues.
• Enterol.
• Nifuroxazide, Intetrix and Rifaximin.
• It is possible to eliminate acute pain and spasm with Papaverine or No-shpa.

To restore the water-salt balance, you need to take Gastrolit or Rehydron. They are bred with 1 liter of water. Take in small portions, but very often, every 10 minutes.

Prophylaxis

To avoid the appearance of complications, you must adhere to the following prescriptions:

• Always wash your hands before eating.
• Follow the rules of hygiene after using the toilet every day.
• Store food in the refrigerator.
• Products must be thermally processed.
• Every year, carry out a medical examination in order to timely establish pathological processes and their therapy.

If you follow these preventive measures every day, then the likelihood of diseases associated with prolonged diarrhea will be minimal.

To know how to treat chronic diarrhea, you need to find out the cause of the disease. Therapy for persistent diarrhea varies from clinical presentation to diagnosis.

Constant diarrhea, which does not go away for a long time, is dangerous for its complications.

Therefore, the elimination of chronic diarrhea will be successful if a thorough examination is carried out, dietary nutrition and all the prescriptions of a specialist are observed.

Only in this situation is it possible to quickly reduce the number of bowel movements and achieve a stable stool.

Useful video