How to make loose stools normal. Nonspecific ulcerative colitis. Causes of diarrhea in adults

Disruptions in the digestive system are familiar to many. One of the typical symptoms of intestinal upset is diarrhea (diarrhea) - an unpleasant phenomenon that can not only disrupt all plans, but also seriously affect well-being.

What is diarrhea?

The main sign that we are talking not about episodic diarrhea, but about a complete disorder - the daily frequency of stools. Diarrhea is loose stools that occur in attacks three or more times a day. At the same time, the water content in the feces, which is normally 50-80%, increases to 95% 1 .

Diarrhea can be acute or chronic.

The acute form (up to 7 days) may appear as a result of poisoning, eating allergen foods, intolerance to certain foods, drugs, ingestion of certain viruses and bacteria.

Chronic (up to 3 months or more) - as a result of taking antibiotics, laxatives. Some diseases can also be the cause: chronic pancreatitis, celiac disease, intestinal giardiasis, diabetes mellitus, adenocarcinoma, irritable bowel syndrome.

The second most important sign is the condition of the feces. Color, texture and the presence of impurities may indicate various diseases. For example, watery and loose stools, as well as a greenish hue of feces, indicate the development of an intestinal infection. The cause of liquid stools of a light shade and a clayey appearance may be a lesion of the small intestine and its initial sections.

Causes of loose stools

Episodes of loose stools that torment a person for one or several days are not a separate disease. This is just one of the symptoms of functional, organic or nervous dysfunction. Loose stools that persist for a long time are often accompanied by other clinical manifestations: pain and cramps in the abdomen, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, dizziness. It is on the basis of a complex of symptoms that one can most correctly determine the cause of loose stools.

The most common causes of diarrhea in adults are:

• food allergy;
• lactose intolerance (almost instantaneous reaction to milk);
• intestinal infection (stomach flu);
• viral or bacterial infection;
• neurogenic factor (stress, neurotic disorders, emotional breakdowns) 2 .

Liquid stool treatment: how to get rid of the problem

If frequent loose stools bother you for a long time, then most likely its causes lie in a serious imbalance and require immediate treatment. Unlike one-time diarrhea, systematic diarrhea involves complex treatment, which includes not only the elimination of symptoms, but also the impact on the underlying causes of the syndrome.

The doctor determines the treatment regimen, depending on the type of diarrhea, its causes and individual features patient.

infectious diarrhea

Treatment depends on the form of infectious diarrhea. With a mild form, home therapy is quite possible, including a diet, drinking plenty of water and taking adsorbent drugs. Severe gastroenteric diarrhea requires hospitalization with a whole range of emergency procedures and restorative therapy, which consists in restoring the lost fluid balance and diet.

functional diarrhea

Occurs in disorders of the digestive or nervous system. Organic changes in the gastrointestinal tract are not detected, and therefore the main treatment in this case is symptomatic. If it is possible to remove the causes of a nervous breakdown or irritable bowel, then loose stools can pass in one or two days 4 .

Diet is a reliable assistant in the treatment of diarrhea

Treatment of diarrhea resulting from administration or malnutrition, as well as malfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract, is impossible without proper nutrition correction. If you adhere to the basic principles of a diet for diarrhea, the problem will be solved much faster, and at the same time it will serve as a prevention of possible intestinal dysfunctions.

Here are some simple diet rules for diarrhea:

• the load on the digestive organs during diarrhea should be minimal (food should be consumed chopped and boiled);
• Eat foods high in pectin, potassium, and protein, such as bananas, applesauce, fruit juices, bananas, beef, turkey, and chicken.
• in the early days, it is worth eating only liquid food and gradually moving on to the usual diet, introducing foods as the frequency of loose stools decreases 5;
• food intake should be fractional, in small portions 5-6 times a day.

A doctor will help to draw up an accurate diet menu for diarrhea and choose medications that eliminate unpleasant symptoms. It is important to remember that a long, exhausting liquid stool is a reason for an immediate consultation with a specialist. help.

Taking enzyme preparations for diarrhea

Often indigestion, and with it diarrhea, is associated with impaired pancreatic function, if the pancreas is inflamed, the production of digestive enzymes is disrupted and they become insufficient for normal digestion and breakdown of food.

In chronic pancreatitis, for example, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency develops, in which its enzymatic activity decreases - food is not completely broken down, and absorption processes are impaired. In these cases, enzyme preparations can come to the rescue, compensating for the lack of their own enzymes 6 .

Also, taking enzyme preparations will help in the complex treatment of infectious diarrhea.

Creon® is a latest generation enzyme preparation produced in the form of capsules with minimicrospheres of pancreatitis. Once in the stomach, the gelatin shell of the capsule dissolves, and the mini-microspheres are mixed with food, accelerating the process of splitting and facilitating the absorption of nutrients. Creon® helps to eliminate unpleasant symptoms associated with indigestion - loose stools, heaviness in the stomach, bloating, abdominal pain.

The material was developed with the support of Abbott to increase patient awareness of the state of health. The information in this material does not replace the advice of a healthcare professional. Contact your doctor

RUCRE172288 from 06/06/2017

1. Guide to gastroenterology: in three volumes / Ed. F.I. Komarov and A.L. Grebnev. T.Z.-M.: Medicine.-1996.

2. Belousova E.A., Zlatkina A.R. Diarrhea syndrome in the practice of a gastroenterologist: pathophysiology and a differentiated approach to treatment // Farmateka. - 2003.

3. Sahakyan A.G. Diagnosis and therapy of motor, enzymatic and morphological changes in the intestine / A.G. Sahakyan.-M., 1968.

4. Grebenev A.J1. Intestinal diseases / A.JI. Grebenev, L.P. Myagko-va.-M.: Medicine, 1994

5. Salupere V. Clinical gastroenterology / V. Salupere.-Tallinn: Valgus, 1998.

6. Ryss E.S. Introduction to gastroenterology. SPb. – Speciallite, 2005.

7. Boyko Yu.G. Acute and chronic pancreatitis / Yu.G. Boyko Grodno, 1990.

If for a long time defecation in an adult occurs more than twice a day and at the same time the feces have a liquid consistency, this may indicate an ongoing inflammatory process in the body.

Most likely, this may be due to a disease in the gastrointestinal tract. Every person has experienced discomfort during diarrhea.

Causes of loose stools

The appearance of loose stools may indicate the presence of a viral or bacterial infection in the body. But sometimes this symptom can be a sign of other diseases.

The reasons for the appearance of loose stools must be determined. Self-treatment of prolonged diarrhea can lead to a weakening of the body and disruption of its performance.

With improper treatment or its absence, loose stools can acquire a chronic type of disease. Treating the disease will be more difficult.

Many patients have high fever with diarrhea. This symptom is characteristic of many varieties of diarrhea. The very first is a disorder associated with viruses and bacteria.

It is known that when microbes foreign to the body penetrate into human immune cells, they then begin to produce antibodies. This process is constantly accompanied by always high temperature.

In the absence of temperature in the body of an adult, this symptom indicates an immunodeficiency disease.

Why nausea and vomiting with diarrhea

Bouts of nausea with loose stools are quite common. This is due to a violation of the promotion of fecal and food mass, because of this, they are thrown in the opposite direction.

When toxication occurs, then the absorption of harmful products into the bloodstream occurs. Thus, the intake of toxins passes through all organs. The brain reacts to this process always with a vomiting reaction.

Causes of abdominal pain with diarrhea?

Pain during an attack of diarrhea is a characteristic phenomenon. Most often it manifests itself in food and microbial poisoning. As a result, with pain, motility in the intestines always increases.

Pain sensations are paroxysmal in nature, they can intensify and subside until complete cessation. With a painful attack, a signal for defecation occurs, after which a manifestation of severe diarrhea occurs.

The appearance of loose stools in an adult for a long time can be due to many reasons.

In order to stop the disease, it is necessary to determine what its causes are, why this symptom appeared. Only then will it be possible to stop the influence of the factors causing diarrhea.

Why there is an unpleasant belching with diarrhea

An unpleasant odor when belching is the primary symptom of diarrhea. It usually precedes the appearance of loose stools.

Its manifestation as the fact that enzymatic deficiency occurs in the pancreas, biliary system and stomach.

When food enters the body, it is not digested and the process of its decay begins. Thus, there is the formation of gases with an unpleasant odor, which comes out of the stomach with the help of belching.

Undigested food, moving into the intestines, provokes irritation and the appearance of a weak stool. A rotten smell on the background of diarrhea is the second sign of digestive disorders.

This indicates the disease and its further development. Don't waste your time, seek the advice of a specialist.

Symptomatic manifestations of disorders in the gastrointestinal tract

The appearance of diarrhea is associated with a symptomatic manifestation of a violation in the gastrointestinal tract. With liquid stool disease, a person has a stomach ache, vomiting, nausea, and high fever.

During the day, the patient may have a bowel movement more than three times. The stool is plentiful, with frequent urges, the patient is observed to be in a state of weakness. If no action is taken, dehydration can occur.

In this situation, an urgent consultation with a doctor is necessary, do not waste time, call an ambulance, after examination by a specialist, treatment will be prescribed. He will tell you what to do in this situation.

Fecal masses in humans are almost seventy-five percent ordinary water, everything else is a mass consisting of fiber enzymes, mucous compounds, some microorganisms, particles of intestinal epithelial cells, and food consumed.

Diarrhea can be caused by an allergic reaction to a certain food. It can also be a reaction after taking the drug.

Loose stools appear if there is damage to the mucosa in the large intestine.

Or pathogenic bacteria have gathered in it. If the patient ate poor-quality food. Or it was not suitable for his body, due to the complex process of digestion in the gastrointestinal tract.

Also, if a person has undergone a stressful situation or he suffers from a mental illness, then a stool disorder may appear after this.

The main reasons for the appearance of loose stools:

• oncological formations;
• diseases associated with ulcerative colitis;
• diseases associated with pancreatic disease;
• disorders in the processes associated with the absorption of fluid;
• allergies to certain foods;
• intolerance to fermented milk products;
• loose stools caused by infection, bacteria, fungus, worms;
• with hemorrhoids;
• diarrhea after drug treatment;
• diarrhea after a stressful situation;
• lack of enzymes;

The appearance of loose stools in irritable bowel syndrome comes from excessive activity of the nervous system in an adult associated with a mental disorder.

If a person is in a stressful situation for a long time, then there may be disturbances in the work of the intestines associated with its motility.

In this regard, a sharp pain appears in the abdomen, flatulence and uncontrollable urge to empty. Loose stools (mushy type) after the completion of the defecation process temporarily stops.

Usually, activated charcoal is taken to get rid of loose stools. Activated charcoal has the property of removing fluid and absorbing toxins and other harmful substances formed in the body after diarrhea.

Since liquid stools are already excreted from the body, dehydration can occur, activated charcoal can complicate the situation. Treatment can be long.

With diarrhea after poisoning, it is imperative to rinse the stomach. To do this, boil water and add ordinary potassium permanganate to it.

The prepared solution should be light pink in color, you need to drink about 3 liters of water.

With celiac disease, it is necessary to exclude all foods containing gluten and follow a diet. A long process of therapy is also observed.

This disease needs to be treated for many years. Preparations with enzymes are connected, as well as medicines for dysbacteriosis and to strengthen the body.

If diarrhea was caused after taking antibiotics, treatment with the antifungal drug Linex should be carried out.

To relieve pain, "No-shpa", "Papaverine" are used (all actions must be coordinated with the attending physician). "Regidron" helps to restore the water-salt balance in the body after diarrhea.

In the treatment of diarrhea, one should not waste time on self-treatment, it is necessary to immediately seek the advice of a specialist to determine the cause of the onset of the disease. Otherwise, the treatment may be long.

What is liquid stool

During normal functioning of the stomach, defecation occurs once or twice a day.

If a violation of the gastrointestinal tract is observed for a long period of time, they speak of chronic diarrhea (not diarrhea). How to determine the cause and start treatment correctly is a matter that requires a serious approach and attention.

Chronic loose stools in an adult speaks of health problems. This is not only unpleasant, but also a dangerous phenomenon that can lead the body to dehydration. Together with feces, a large volume of water, useful trace elements, minerals, and nutrients are released. They are necessary to maintain the water-salt balance and normal functioning of the digestive tract. Symptoms of dehydration include:

• Lethargy, drowsiness, constant feeling of weakness;
• Dryness of the skin;
• weight loss;
• Feeling thirsty, dry mouth;
• Decrease in the number of urination.

Remember! You can not ignore the long liquid stool with a smell in an adult. The symptom is dangerous to the body. If you ignore the symptoms, there is a risk of severe harm to health, serious treatment will be required.

There is a noticeable difference between loose stools and diarrhea. Loose stools differ from diarrhea in that the stool becomes liquid and can persist for a long period of time without other symptoms. It appears daily, every other day or occurs periodically. Diarrhea is frequent and sudden bowel movements. Accompanied by a number of symptoms: acute pain in the abdomen, high fever, quickly deteriorating health.

Causes of prolonged loose stools in adults

If a person is worried about loose stools at least once a day for a long time, this indicates pathological processes in the body. They can cause serious illness and lead to complications. Difficulties with a chair are of a different nature.

Factors contributing to indigestion:

The list of reasons is incomplete. The main factors provoking loose stools are given.

When to See a Doctor

If there is a symptom, do not ignore it, even if nothing hurts. It is recommended to call an ambulance immediately if:

• Unformed feces, odorless observed for a long time, daily (month);
• There was a strong loss of body weight;
• Feeling of constant nausea, bitter taste in the mouth;
• After treatment, the symptom does not go away;
• There was a fetid odor;
• The man has a strong shortness of breath, the heartbeat quickens;
• The stool is very watery;
• Blood clots and mucus appeared in the feces. This means that complications of the disease have begun.

If stomach problems persist for a long time, consult a doctor. An adult must undergo a medical examination, take tests and undergo a course of treatment.

How to cure loose stools for an adult

It is required in the near future to find out the exact cause, determine the diagnosis and prescribe a comprehensive treatment, which includes:

• Taking medications (anti-inflammatory, probiotics, prebiotics, antibacterial, sorbents, etc.).
• The second advice is to follow the dietary menu (foods that can have a laxative effect or overload a sick stomach are excluded).

The method of treatment directly depends on the cause of the indigestion. The diagnosis may be different for each person with this symptom. How and with what to treat - the attending physician determines. Self-medication is prohibited! With improper treatment, there is a risk of harm to health.

Enterosorbents will help to provide first aid in this situation. Substances of the drug absorb and help remove toxic compounds from the body. Harmful substances along with sorbents naturally leave the body. The drug is used if there is a case of food poisoning. Sorbents include: Polysorb, Activated carbon, Smecta, Enterosgel, etc.

Medicine offers a choice of drugs that restore the stomach. Taking probiotics helps to normalize digestion (Bifidumbacterin, Linex, Bifiform).

It is important to take in more water to replace the lost fluid. You can make water with the addition of salt. Recommended rehydration drugs to normalize the water-salt balance.

With the correct diagnosis and adherence to treatment, you can get rid of loose stools in a week.

Diet for loose stools

Proper nutrition will help to quickly establish the work of the stomach. Strict adherence to the doctor's recommendations regarding the diet will shorten the treatment period.

The diet includes:

• Eating low-fat foods;
• Lean broth;
• Rusks, crackers;
• Kashi on the water (oatmeal, rice porridge);
• Boiled potatoes;
• Vegetables cooked in a steam bath;
• Bananas.

With loose stools, you should refrain from alcoholic beverages, coffee, dairy products, fatty and spicy foods, bakery products, water with gases, fruit juices.

Prevention

Disease is better to prevent than to cure. Preventive measures:

• Always wash your hands before eating;
• Choose food carefully;
• Lead a healthy lifestyle;
• Pass an annual preventive examination.

A single, rare liquid stool is not dangerous, but if a person has it for no reason and is regular, the symptom requires surgical treatment.

Loose stools or diarrhea

Loose stools are a normal condition of the body, which is accompanied by the excretion of a large amount of liquid feces due to the physiological needs of the body. A person should have a chair every day or twice a day, but not more often. Normally, the stool is firm, but sometimes it is slightly liquid, but not watery. If a person has a chair more than 3-4 times a day, then here we can already talk about diarrhea or diarrhea.

It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between these two concepts, but it is possible. To do this, it is necessary to take into account such criteria as:

• stool frequency;
• consistency;
• color and smell;
• side symptoms (twisting the stomach, flatulence, pain during bowel movements, weakness, nausea);
• the presence of inclusions in the stool (mucus, pus, blood, undigested food residues).

Depending on what indicators are missing or not up to standard, it can be argued that this is loose stools, but not diarrhea, or vice versa.

And in order to distinguish loose stools from diarrhea, you can use the table below.

If in all respects it is clear that this is loose stool, then the adult has no reason to worry. But if diarrhea is diagnosed, then it is better to seek the advice of a doctor in order to avoid the undesirable consequences of this phenomenon. He will tell you what to do in this case and how to treat diarrhea.

What causes loose stools?

The reasons for the appearance of daily loose stools can be completely different. Namely:

What causes diarrhea?

Diarrhea differs from loose stools in that there is a lot of watery discharge, going to the toilet more than five times a day, the stomach constantly hurts and weakness is felt, symptoms of intoxication are noted, namely:

• nausea;
• vomit;
• pallor of the skin;
• dark urine;
• temperature rise;
• feces are mixed with mucus, pus, or even blood.

Diarrhea is already a sign of a serious illness, or a pathological condition of the digestive tract. Diarrhea can be caused by:

1. Infectious diseases such as cholera, salmonellosis, shigellosis, typhoid fever. Each of these diseases will differ in the nature of the stool, its consistency, color, smell, there may be tenesmus, characteristic symptoms of the disease.
2. Viral hepatitis.
3. Gastrointestinal bleeding. Extremely dangerous for the body and are marked by a characteristic black diarrhea.
4. Operations on the digestive organs: pancreas, stomach, intestines, liver.
5. Crohn's disease.
6. Diverticulosis.
7. Nonspecific ulcerative colitis.
8. Bowel cancer.

Child chair

Young mothers always panic when they see something in their baby that they are not used to noticing in themselves. And very in vain.

Frequent loose stools in infants are due to the immaturity of the food system. When the baby begins to eat, like adults, then his stool will look like their stool. It is important to say that the consistency and color of feces in babies is unstable. It can be yellow, light yellow, with white patches, but absolutely odorless. And even more so, normally it should not be offensive. If, with frequent bowel movements, the baby remains cheerful and continues to eat well and gain weight, then there is no reason for concern. It's just loose stools, not diarrhea.

Diagnostics

The specialist will prescribe you tests and examinations that will determine the cause of this phenomenon. A coprogram, an analysis for an eggworm, ultrasound of the abdominal organs, colonoscopy, endoscopy will allow you to find out what could be causing liquid feces.

Further treatment will be aimed not only at eliminating the symptoms, but also at eliminating the cause of such a failure.

Treatment

Having identified the disease that provoked the appearance of liquid or semi-liquid feces, the doctor will prescribe medication with antibiotics, antihelminthic drugs, enzymes, hormones, or whatever the circumstances require. But the most important thing and the first thing the doctor will prescribe is a diet. Diet for loose stools, as well as diarrhea should be as follows:

In addition to diet, it is important to lead an active lifestyle and stick to a daily routine. If you follow all the recommendations of the doctor, then loose stools will soon acquire a normal consistency and will no longer bother you.

Video: How to stop diarrhea?

Now quite often there are cases that after eating any not very high-quality products, loose stools may appear in an adult, just like water. If such a situation has occurred, you need to clearly know what to do in order to get rid of its symptoms.

What is diarrhea?

For the most part, diarrhea occurs as a symptomatic manifestation in violation of the gastrointestinal tract. At the same time, the patient's body temperature rises sharply, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting begin.

Diarrhea is an act of defecation, which is characterized by a liquid consistency and can be repeated more than twice a day. Diarrhea can be considered the first clear sign of indigestion. However, before taking any measures to treat such an unpleasant condition of the body, it is necessary to find out the exact cause of the appearance of loose stools. Bowel movements can be so plentiful and frequent that general weakness and dehydration of the body almost immediately sets in. In such cases, it is imperative to seek qualified medical care, where adequate treatment will be prescribed, depending on the general condition of the patient.

Features of the digestion of the food bolus

In order for the food lump to be completely digested, it takes 48 hours after eating. It is during this period that almost all water is absorbed into the walls of the colon. If the integrity of the mucous membrane is even slightly disturbed, then the process of water absorption slows down. Thus, more of it begins to be excreted along with feces. The process of defecation occurs several times more often than usual, and the stool is liquid. Diarrhea can occur as a result of an inflammatory process, an allergic reaction, or as a result of severe food poisoning.

There are many reasons that contribute to the formation of watery stools. If the disease is infectious, then the patient's temperature rises sharply. All this is accompanied by spasmolytic pains in the abdomen and severe vomiting. In case of malfunction of the pancreas or not digesting some too high-calorie foods, the patient may complain of severe pain under the ribs on the left.

The main causes of loose stools in adults

Typically, human feces are almost 75% simple water. Everything else can be defined as a kind of mixture of mucus, enzymes, fiber, some bacteria, epithelial cells of the intestine itself and all the remnants of food eaten.

Water diarrhea most often occurs against the background of damage to the mucous membrane of the large intestine or due to its contamination with pathogenic bacteria. This can happen if the quality of the food consumed is not ideal for the digestion processes in the gastrointestinal tract. The cause can also be a specific allergic reaction to a product or to some potent medications and certain substances of a chemical nature. People who suffer from mental disorders or are in a state of constant stress also often face such a problem as diarrhea.

The most common causes of diarrhea

There are several main reasons for the appearance of loose stools in an adult. Among them:

• violation of the processes of fluid absorption;
• intolerance to certain allergenic foods;
• cancerous growths;
• diseases of the pancreas;
• ulcerative colitis;
• eating fried or too fatty foods;
• intolerance to dairy products.

Diarrhea and severe flatulence

Flatulence is called a strong formation of gases in the intestines. However, this condition is not always a symptom of the disease. Gases are formed in the process of complete processing of food by special bacteria located in the large intestine. Gas can also be thought of as a by-product of digestion. In any case, it must leave the body. This condition does not require any specific treatment.

Another thing is when the absorption processes through the intestinal walls themselves are disrupted. At the same time, food residues are processed by saprophytic bacteria. That is why loose stools appear in an adult. Sometimes watery feces may well be combined with fairly strong flatulence. But it is not the excessive formation of gases that needs to be treated, but the original reason why the process of normal absorption of products through the walls of the large intestine was disrupted.

Water diarrhea can be eliminated immediately after the underlying cause of the disease is eliminated. If diarrhea is combined with severe and constant pain in the abdomen, then you should immediately seek help from a specialist. You also need to drink plenty of water to avoid severe dehydration.

The main types of diarrhea in adults

Diarrhea, which occurs with various intestinal diseases, can be divided into the following types:

• diarrhea with colitis;
• with tumors of the colon;
• infectious diarrhea, which can be caused by bacteria, helminths, fungi, or protozoa;
• neurogenic character;
• characterized by a congenital disorder in the normal composition of digestive enzymes;
• medicinal, allergic and toxic.

There are also diarrhea, which appears in diseases of any other systems and organs:

• endocrine - with violations in the work of the thyroid gland and adrenal glands;
• pancreatogenic - in diseases of the pancreas;
• metabolic;
• gastrogenic;
• hepatogenic - in liver diseases;
• diarrhea that develops as a result of some systemic diseases. An example is scleroderma.

Features of diarrhea in various diseases

Diarrhea in an adult can have a completely different character. Liquid watery stools, first of all, appear in acute or exacerbated chronic intestinal infections. At the same time, body temperature rises rapidly, signs of dehydration appear.

With such non-specific diseases of the intestinal tract as colitis and enteritis, as well as after the operation for resection of the stomach, patients constantly have watery stools. In this state, dehydration can be prevented simply by plain water. It is water that can replenish all the protective functions of the intestinal mucosa and stomach. The temperature in this state rises only by insignificant values, and may even remain within normal limits.

If an adult has black loose stools, then this may indicate the presence of internal bleeding. Treatment of this condition is mandatory. After all, bleeding from any internal organ can lead not only to the disorder of its activity, but even to the death of a person.

Liquid light stool can signal the defeat of only the initial part of the intestine. At the same time, the stool is quite plentiful, similar in viscosity to clay. If the feces are light, then we can talk about the defeat of the posterior intestine. The diarrhea is frequent, watery and frothy. This condition is quite severe for the body. Body temperature rises significantly. There are other symptoms of intoxication. Treatment of the disease should be immediate.

Treatment of diarrhea with medication

Treatment of diarrhea with any medication, first of all, you need to discuss with your doctor. Self-medication is categorically not recommended, since you can only veil the obvious symptoms, but not cure the cause of loose stools.

For treatment, drugs of two types are used:

1. Antispasmodics that help relieve pain and weaken the smooth muscles of the intestine.
2. Stool thickening absorbents. They also collect all intoxicants and contribute to their removal from the body.

Adult diarrhea can also be treated with various probiotics. They are natural bacteria found in the intestines.

Principles of drug therapy

Any drug for diarrhea is used only if this condition does not go away within a few hours. Such funds should be used once or until the symptoms of intoxication disappear.

With diarrhea, strict bed rest and antispasmodics are most often recommended. Symptomatically usually appoint Imodium, constant heavy drinking. In more severe cases, hospitalization and drip injection of a large amount of fluid into the body are necessary.

Folk remedies

Before taking any measures to treat diarrhea, it is necessary to establish for sure that it is diarrhea, and not just indigestion. With diarrhea, loose stools appear in an adult, possibly with blood impurities. Bowel movements occur more often than three times a day.

To avoid dehydration, you should drink plenty of water. Water is the sorbent that allows you to flush out all intoxicants from the intestines. In this state, it is worth limiting the consumption of fatty and spicy foods, alcohol, and fresh fruits. It is also recommended to exclude all dairy products from the diet.

You can stop diarrhea with simple medicinal herbs. This is the treatment of the disease with folk remedies. Everything you need can be easily found in any garden. Preparation of decoctions and tinctures is also not at all difficult. Most often in such cases, a decoction of oak bark is used. It serves as a fairly good antimicrobial agent. Alternatively, you can mix red wine with cherries, which are infused in a warm place and filtered well through a regular sieve. For an adult, it is usually recommended to drink one glass of this tincture 3 times a day until the symptoms of intoxication disappear completely. For medicinal purposes, you can also use a decoction of leaves and cranberries.

Special diet in the treatment of diarrhea in adults

Each person decides for himself which method to treat diarrhea. Many prefer drug therapy, some are treated with herbs. However, it is possible to significantly improve the condition of the body if you simply revise your usual diet. For this, special preventive and therapeutic diets have been developed.

Diet can be considered the most correct method for the prevention and treatment of severe diarrhea. Following a diet, fried, salty, spicy, as well as nuts, any legumes and various dairy products should be excluded from the diet. The basis of the daily diet for diarrhea should be soft and cooked foods that do not have a severe effect on the body. During this period, it must be remembered that the best remedy for dehydration is water. It should be drunk at least 2 liters per day. In order to stop diarrhea, you need to eat rice porridge, bananas, oatmeal, boiled vegetables. It is advisable to drink a compote of sour fruits or non-carbonated mineral water.

In any case, when frequent loose stools appear, you should not self-medicate. This can only exacerbate the situation. It is best to consult a doctor and take only the treatment prescribed for you.

Any problems with the work of the intestines not only cause great discomfort and ruin all plans, but also seriously harm the body. And one of the most common pathologies is diarrhea with water in an adult, the treatment of which should be carried out with the obligatory elimination of the main cause of the ailment. In this case, due to the threat of dehydration, therapy should be carried out promptly.

During normal operation of the gastrointestinal tract, up to 3 acts of defecation occur during the day. In this case, the water level in the feces reaches 60%. Diarrhea is considered a phenomenon when more than 4 bowel movements occur in a day.

Watery diarrhea in an adult begins when pathogenic organisms or poor-quality food enter the intestines and are not immediately excreted. At the same time, the main danger lies not in the bacteria themselves, but in the toxins that are released with the products of their vital activity. At the same time, unlike the normal state, the water level in the feces during diarrhea can reach 90%. Most often, the problem of stools that are liquid like water occurs in the warm months of the year. This is due to the extremely low activity of enteric pathogens in winter.

Causes of watery diarrhea

Most often, the causes of such a phenomenon as diarrhea with water in an adult are ignoring the rules of personal and food hygiene. In other words, a person simply forgets about the need for thorough hand washing both after the street and contact with animals, even domestic ones, and after visiting the toilet. In addition, the correct processing of food products is not always observed.

But besides this, there are many more factors that provoke diarrhea with water in an adult. These include:

• insufficient purification of drinking water;
• the use of unwashed vegetables and fruits;
• eating very fatty foods;
• long-term adherence to mono-diets or fasting;
• transferred severe stress or prolonged psychological stress;
• illegible food incompatible with each other products;
• consumption of spoiled food or toxic products;
• ignoring hypersensitivity to certain products and eating them.

Also, a similar phenomenon can occur during pregnancy, due to the restructuring of the work of the whole organism, and sometimes during the intake of medicines.

However, such a phenomenon, when almost only water comes out and frequent diarrhea does not stop, may indicate the presence of serious pathologies or diseases. Most often it is:

• rotavirus intestinal infections;
• infectious lesions of the gastrointestinal tract;
• bleeding in the intestines;
• obstruction of the gallbladder;
• lack of the required amount of enzymes;
• Crohn's disease;
• flu and colds;
• chronic diseases, the main ones being enteritis and colitis;
• improper metabolism, in which the digestive process is disturbed.

Loose stools are a medical and household designation for the manifestation of diarrhea, a pathological condition characterized by frequent watery or amorphous discharge from the intestines, as well as rectal incontinence.

The name "stool" in relation to intestinal secretions and the process of defecation most likely came from the arsenal of English physicians, in whom the noun stool has the same figurative meaning. Initially, it is connected with the fact that in the Middle Ages, natural necessities were performed at home while sitting on a wooden chair with a hole in the seat, under which a bucket was hidden. The owners of castles had a funny privilege: in the tower of the castle they could arrange a closed balcony, in the bottom of which a hole was made. Through him, the seigneur could "bless" careless vassals.

It is curious, but the primitive man almost did not suffer from diarrhea, since he did not make special stocks of food that could spoil, and did not drink dirty water. Liquid stool became a companion of a settled civilization. The first mention of an epidemic of dysentery is found in the Greek historian Herodotus, who tells of a massive intestinal illness in the army of King Xerxes during one of the Greco-Persian wars. Hippocrates, the founder of European medicine, believed that the cause of diarrhea was drinking dirty water.

Before the invention of antibiotics in the middle of the 20th century, intestinal infections that cause loose stools were associated with a significant mortality rate, especially in children. Effective antibacterial drugs made it possible to successfully defeat diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, and dysentery. However, in developing countries, about one and a half million people still die every year as a result of dehydration and secondary infections due to diarrhea. In addition, a new attack has arrived. Antibiotics turned out to be a double-edged sword. As a rule, even broad-spectrum drugs do not destroy all pathogenic intestinal microflora. Bacteria, which the drug does not act on, feel free and begin to multiply intensively. As a result, having coped with one disease, a person earns another, sometimes no less dangerous. Today, acute infections accompanied by diarrhea are not common in developed countries, but loose stools in adults for a long time are a phenomenon that can be found at every turn. Added to this are traveler's diarrhea, which affects approximately 30% of all tourists and business travelers who enter countries with a new climate and new food culture, as well as almost one and a half billion people suffering from the notorious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), one of the diseases of the 19th century that designed to feed paid medicine and the pharmaceutical industry.

There is only one conclusion: the problem of loose stools on Earth is far from being solved and, most likely, will never be completely solved, since diarrhea is not just a symptom of certain pathologies, but one of the protective reactions of the body, seeking to bring out toxins and toxins during infections and intoxications.

Causes of loose stools

There are many reasons that can cause diarrhea. From the point of view of physiology, they can be divided into two groups:

1. Osmolar diarrhea caused by excess fluid in the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract and slowing down its absorption into the intestinal wall.
2. Motor diarrhea caused by increased peristalsis of the intestines and weakening of the rectal sphincter.

In most cases, a combination of two phenomena develops: with the accumulation of fluid, reflex propulsive muscle contractions begin, designed to bring endotoxins and exudate out.

If loose stools occur after eating plums or peaches, this is a natural reaction of the body and there is no need to fight it. You need to worry when frequent loose stools in an adult, and especially in a child, are observed for several days in a row and after each meal, regardless of the diet.

The danger of liquid stool

As we have already noted, the main danger that diarrhea creates is dehydration of the body as a result of a violation of the water and electrolyte balance in the intestinal tissues. An excess amount of sodium and chlorine ions enter the intercellular space through the membranes, which form the well-known table salt. It is extremely hygroscopic and attracts water from the intercellular space, and also prevents the liquid in the intestine from being absorbed into the walls. As a result, moisture leaves the body en masse, but does not come back or comes in insufficient quantities. The patient's supply of tissues with nutrients and oxygen is deteriorating, the blood becomes thicker, and blood pressure drops sharply. If urgent measures are not taken, hypovolemic shock may occur. Drinking plenty of water does not always save - water does not have time to be absorbed into the walls of the stomach, active peristalsis takes it out. In severe cases, an urgent intravenous infusion of special preparations is indicated, which include sodium and potassium salts and glucose (of course, glucose cannot be administered in diabetes mellitus). After a relative restoration of body hydration, doctors proceed directly to determining the causes of loose stools and eliminating them.

If the disease that caused diarrhea is associated with erosion of the tissues of the small or large intestine, additional complications arise:

• intestinal bleeding;
• anemia;
• infection of the abdominal organs with the risk of developing peritonitis and sepsis.

Permanent loose stools in an adult can contribute to the occurrence or development of hemorrhoids, which is nothing more than varicose veins of the rectum. If it is impossible to observe personal hygiene measures, inflammatory diseases of the skin and mucous membranes in the rectal zone are possible.

Significantly worsens the quality of life. A person experiences a constant urge to defecate (tenesmus), a feeling of a foreign body in the anus, even if there is nothing there. With many diseases accompanied by diarrhea, the patient is tormented by increased gas formation (flatulence), rumbling and pain in the abdomen, dryness and unpleasant taste in the mouth, headaches, weakness, nausea and other symptoms of general intoxication. In acute poisoning and infections, all symptoms are much more acute, fever, convulsions, damage to internal organs and the central nervous system are possible (a typical example is salmonellosis).

How to treat diarrhea?

There is a misconception that mild forms of chronic diarrhea, when loose stools occur only once a day, go away on their own and do not require special treatment. Sometimes this is the case, it is enough to take an enterosorbent or an Imodium tablet. But in most cases, violations of the gastrointestinal tract require close attention, since they can be a marker of another more serious disease, and it is better not to self-medicate here.

The fact is that with accuracy the cause of diarrhea can only be determined by a professional gastroenterologist, who must rely on a set of data:

• questioning the patient;
• external examination and palpation of the abdomen;
• study of anamnesis;
• study of the coprogram;
• general and special blood tests;
• instrumental examination and hardware scanning of the digestive tract.

A variety of details are important for making a diagnosis: the presence of plaque on the tongue, the condition of the skin, the color of the urine, the color and consistency of the feces.

There is a medical parable about how one man felt pain in his stomach. His son, a first-year medical student, diagnosed him right away: you have appendicitis. The patient called the doctor. The elderly doctor who arrived was crumpling his stomach for a long time and, in the end, said: “Most likely, you have appendicitis and we need to go to the hospital.”

The patient was surprised: “Doctor, my son diagnosed in one minute, and it took you half an hour!”
The experienced doctor laughed: “Your son has just begun to study and, apart from appendicitis, he still does not know anything. I had to first rule out many other possible diagnoses before making this one.”

The pharmaceutical industry produces many drugs that promise both to quickly get rid of loose stools and normalize the microflora in just a week. Before taking antimicrobials and artificial bacterial cultures, it is still useful to make sure that these are the drugs that are needed to treat diarrhea in your particular case.

Proper nutrition in most cases will bring much more benefit to the intestines than the uncontrolled use of medicinal chemistry.