DIARRHOEA
Diarrhoea is one of the most common digestive problems. It can range from being a mild one to a serious life threatening condition. It is characterised by frequent watery bowel movements.
Diarrhoea can be acute or chronic. Acute diarrhoea lasts for a couple of days and is generally caused by food poisoning, bacterial or viral infections. Chronic diarrhoea lasts for almost 4 weeks & may be indicative of an underlying intestinal disorder.
What are the Symptoms?
- Loose watery bowel movements
- Abdominal cramps
- Pain in the stomach
- Mild fever
- Blood or mucus in stool
- Nausea
- Bloating
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Persistent loose motions beyond few days
- Dehydration
- Severe pain in the abdomen or rectum
- Bloody stools
- Fever of 102 degrees or more
What are the causes?
Diarrhea could be a result of various factors. Some of the diseases that lead to diarrhea include:
- Viral Infections such as Hepatitis, Rotavirus & Norovirus
- Bacterial infections
- Parasites
- Certain medications
- Lactose Intolerance
- Artificial sweeteners
- Taking too many laxatives
- Abdominal Surgery
- Other Digestive Disorders
- Crohn’s Disease
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Coeliac Disease
What are the complications?
If left untreated, diarrhoea can lead to serious complications. Dehydration is one of the most dangerous effects of diarrhoea. It is advisable to seek immediate medical assistance if a person experiences the following indications of dehydration:
- Dry mouth
- Tiredness
- Dizziness
- Excessive thirst
- Dark or no urine
- Diarrhoea for 24 hours or more
- Fever of 102 degrees or more
- Blood in stools
- Mucous in stools
Dehydration is even more serious in case of infants & children. Consult a doctor immediately if your child experiences:
How is it prevented?
Diarrhoea can be prevented with adequate hand-washing
How is it diagnosed?
Before recommending lab samples, your doctor may perform a physical examination and even check your medical history to determine the cause of diarrhoea. Some of the tests include:
- Fasting test to detect food allergy or intolerance
- Imaging tests such as X rays or CT Scans to determine structural abnormalities of the intestine
- Stool Culture test to check for any bacterial or parasitic infections
- Colonoscopy to check for any intestinal disorders
- Sigmoidoscopy to detect any medical conditions in the rectum or lower colon.
How is it treated?
In most cases, diarrhoea gets cleared within a couple of days without any treatment. Simple home remedies that can help are:
- Drinking plenty of liquids
- Avoiding dairy products, high fat or high fibre foods
- Taking anti diarrhoea medications
- Probiotics
- Severity & frequency of diarrhoea
- General health condition & Medical history of the patient
- Age of the patient
If the condition does not improve, or if it gets worse, treatment may be necessary. Treatment for diarrhoea depends on several factors including:
Antibiotics are the most common way of treating diarrhoea as they tend to kill the bacteria or parasites that cause the infection. However, if diarrhoea is the result of a virus attack, antibiotics may not work.
It is important that the fluids lost from the body due to dehydration resulting from diarrhoea are replaced. As such, the doctor may recommend the patient to drink a lot of water, juices & electrolytes. If drinking liquids causes vomiting, IV fluids may be recommended.
