Diarrhea (indigestion, diarrhoea) is a symptom of a certain type of indigestion. The term "diarrhea" is also used to refer to a person's condition when more than twice a day he has a problem with bowel movements (loose stools are released). Clinically, acute and chronic forms of diarrhea are distinguished. We offer to understand the causes of this condition and how to treat it.
Reasons
It is quite common for patients to have diarrhea after meals. 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. Illnesses range from a mild holiday ailment to extremely severe conditions that cause severe dehydration and can be fatal. Acute intestinal infections are so common that their frequencysecond only to respiratory viral infections.
Diarrhea after eating in an adult occurs as a result of disorders in the gastrointestinal tract. Some diseases that are not directly related to the digestive system may also be accompanied by diarrhea.
The process of digestion
During normal functioning, the digestive organs digest the food that enters 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 causes lie in digestive problems.
Factors affecting the quality of digestion can be divided into groups. First, it is 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 organs of the digestive tract, because the quality of the digestive processes depends on it. The latter are directly affected by enzymes secreted by the liver, stomach and pancreas, as well as the condition of the intestinal mucosa.
Diarrhea after eating in an adult occurs with lesions of the mucous membrane, 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 s alts into the intestinal cavity, then the dynamics of intestinal peristalsis accelerates, accompanied by a violation of the absorption process fromintestinal cavity of 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 gastrointestinal tract, acute intestinal infections, intestinal dysbacteriosis.
Acute intestinal infections and diarrhea
Diarrhea after eating, the causes of which lie in the presence of acute intestinal infections, occurs due to a violation of the digestive tract caused by microorganisms. Viruses help to develop the infection in winter, and bacteria help in summer. Microbes are able to produce 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 he alth, 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. The diarrhea will end in this case when the bowels are emptied.
Types of diarrhea in intestinal infections
Diarrhea caused by acute intestinal infections is conditionally divided into two types: with watery stools and with bloody stools. Type 1 diarrhea is caused by infections caused by viruses and bacteria that release toxins. The intestinal mucosa is also exposed to toxins andviruses, and feces contain water and s alt.
Bloody stools with diarrhea are found in salmonellosis and dysentery. This type of diarrhea 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 when the intestines are damaged by 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 natural question arises: how to cure diarrhea. In this case, it is not recommended to use antimicrobials and antibiotics. You can use them for severe diarrhea, if there is a suspicion of cholera or salmonellosis. The patient needs to be hospitalized.
Treatment of watery diarrhea should be comprehensive, during which attention is paid to replenishing the water-s alt balance and preventing dehydration. Doctors often prescribe solutions "Regidron" and "Oralit". They should be taken until the diarrhea stops. It is worth remembering that some products can aggravate the situation. So, with diarrhea, it is better to refuse dairy products, s alty and sweet, fruit juices, as well as eating raw fruits and vegetables. You can eat baked vegetables and fruits, crackers, drink tea (especially St. John's wort).
Bloody diarrhea
If the patient has bloody diarrhea, then you need to hospitalize him. Microbes of different types 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 there are no complications and associated symptoms. Given that many types of microbes are immune to antibiotics, you can take drugs such as Metronizadol, Cotrimoxazole, Ofloxacin, Norfloxacin, Ciprofloxacin. Before use, be sure to carefully read the instructions or consult with a specialist.
Hospitalization of the patient is necessary if bloody diarrhea is a sign of a serous disease. For children and the elderly, diarrhea can lead to a number of serious complications.
Diarrhea with dysbacteriosis
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 that are unusual for the normal state of the microflora increases. Due to the appearance of an excess amount 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 may accompanyulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, inflammation of the large and small intestines. Diarrhea appears as a result of a violation of the processes of absorption of nutrients from the intestinal cavity. Diseases of the pancreas and liver can also cause diarrhea.
If the patient is worried about diarrhea after eating, the reasons in some cases are not related to the work of the digestive tract. So, this symptom may accompany acute appendicitis, hepatitis, emotional stress or overexertion, poisoning or overheating in the sun.
Lack of vitamins in the body can also cause diarrhea. In addition, indigestion may be a reaction to medication.
Diarrhea with pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is a group of diseases associated with inflammatory processes in the pancreas. It is important for the patient to know what to eat with pancreatitis, because some dishes or foods can only aggravate the situation. Among the symptoms accompanying the disease, constipation and diarrhea are quite common, and the second symptom is typical for those patients who drink alcohol. In chronic pancreatitis, diarrhea is so pronounced that a person can lose a lot of weight. It is provoked by hypomotor dyskinesia of the bile ducts and colon. A lack of vitamins in pancreatitis causes dryness of the tongue and mouth, as well as skin, anemia.
Treatment of pancreatitis begins with diets. Dishes that are eaten with pancreatitis should not be sweet, fatty, spicy. After eating unhe althy fooddisturbed by nausea, vomiting, bloating.
Diagnosis and treatment of diarrhea
Diarrhea, the causes, treatment and diagnosis of which 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 an attack of diarrhea. If the diarrhea does not stop within three weeks, then there is already chronic diarrhea, treatment should be carried out in the hospital.
In most cases, it is not easy to establish the cause, but this is a necessary step to prescribe adequate treatment with the elimination of the causative agent of the disease. 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 a microscopy of feces, which will determine the presence of pathogenic bacteria. The method of sowing on nutrient media is used for epidemiological purposes. If mild diarrhea is caused by malnutrition, 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 a must. Among such cases, the most common are stomach upsets, which are accompanied by a sharp increase in body temperature (up to 38 degrees), abdominal pain, severe vomiting and nausea. Alsodangerous acute diarrhea for children and the elderly. Dark brown or black stools with bloody signs indicate internal bleeding associated with diseases of the stomach or duodenum.
Sometimes the patient may be disturbed consciousness as a result of severe dehydration. Also, you should 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 rubbed. Rice water or rice porridge is also effective in combating diarrhea. It is enough just to boil rice without adding s alt. With disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, an infusion of dried chamomile flowers, which must be taken after meals, will help to cope. With bloody diarrhea, burnet, cinquefoil, shepherd's purse, snake mountaineer help. Treating diarrhea with folk remedies can sometimes be even more effective than medication.
