Causes of chronic diarrhea. Causes of diarrhea. Prevention of acute intestinal infections

Chronic diarrhea (or, in simple terms, "folk" language - regular diarrhea) is in which the rectum is emptied twice a day or even more often for several weeks.

As a result, the patient can observe such dangerous symptoms like dehydration and sudden loss weight. At the same time, diarrhea itself may be just one of the manifestations of some more serious disease. That is why it is so important to establish its cause.

Persistent diarrhea is a symptom of a chronic illness

Diarrhea is of several types:

Dyspeptic. AT this case stool problems occur due to digestive disorders. As a rule, this happens if the patient's body lacks the necessary digestive enzymes.
Alimentary. Diarrhea of this type is a direct consequence of food or dietary disorders (abuse of fatty heavy foods, alcohol and other "harmful things").
Infectious. In this case, the causative agents of the disease are harmful microorganisms or viruses.
Neurogenic. This type of diarrhea occurs when nervous tension(e.g. feeling strong fear) due to disturbances in the regulatory system of the gastrointestinal tract associated with stress.
Medical. As the name of the disease makes clear, stool problems in this case are the result of a violation of the intestinal microflora through the intake of strong drugs(most often - ).
Toxic. Such diarrhea can hardly be called a disease; it is rather defensive reaction body, aimed at cleansing the gastrointestinal tract from toxic substances that have got there.

All of these types of diarrhea are divided into two main groups - infectious diseases and non-infectious origin. In each of these cases, stool problems can occur due to a number of reasons. Infectious diarrhea can be caused by the following pathogens:

Diarrhea can be due to poisoning

Unlike infectious, non-infectious diarrhea does not have direct pathogens. It usually occurs for one of the following reasons:

disorders in the work of the pancreas;
inflammatory processes taking place in the mucous membranes of the rectum;
violation due to antibiotics;
taking drugs with a strong laxative effect;
the occurrence of tumors (both malignant and benign);
lack of immunoglobulin production;
allergic reactions of the body to "chemistry" (most often, to preservatives);
hereditary diseases such as cystic fibrosis;
liver problems (insufficient production of essential enzymes);
increased activity of the thyroid gland;
alcohol abuse.

Before you go to the doctor with your problem, remember what exactly preceded the diarrhea (in other words, which of the above factors could have affected your body). In addition, pay attention to the nature of the discharge itself, as well as to other symptoms of the disease (we will talk about the latter in more detail). All this is necessary for an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

Important to know: Chronic diarrhea is often just a symptom various diseases small and large intestine (colitis, lipodystrophy, tropical diarrhea or any food allergies). In this case, in order to eliminate problems with the stool, it is necessary, first of all, to treat the accompanying disease.

About the symptoms of diarrhea

Diarrhea is dangerous due to dehydration

In addition to loose stools, which is the main symptom of chronic diarrhea, the disease is characterized by some other signs. Which of them should be taken into account when making a diagnosis?

. Typically, this symptom indicates infectious origin diseases.
and vomiting. The desire of the body to cleanse in all possible natural ways suggests that the cause of diarrhea is probably severe poisoning.
, smell from the mouth. Even in the absence of diarrhea, these symptoms usually indicate some kind of disturbance in the gastrointestinal tract (most often digestive problems caused by a lack of appropriate enzymes), therefore, most likely you are dealing with dyspeptic diarrhea.
accompanied by unpleasant or painful sensations. Unfortunately, such reactions are typical for diarrhea of any type. They occur due to spasms in the intestines caused by increased muscle contraction, which is inevitable with regular diarrhea. The type of stool itself can tell a lot:
Diarrhea yellowish color is a fairly common occurrence. This type of feces indicates, first of all, that in this moment the patient's intestines work in an accelerated mode. In the absence of other symptoms, this type of diarrhea is not a cause for alarm and can be eliminated with the help of appropriate medications.
Feces with or indicates an infection that has entered the body (usually the causative agent of the disease in such cases is staphylococcus aureus). In this case, it would be most reasonable to consult a doctor with the problem, since diarrhea greenish tint, among other things, indicates a weakening of the immune system. This means that the body is unlikely to cope with the infection on its own.
Dark-colored feces are most often a sign of an open stomach. Such cases require immediate medical attention and, possibly, hospitalization of the patient.
light or white feces(like dark urine) speak of disorders in the gallbladder and the need for appropriate diagnostics.
Bloody diarrhea may be the result of severe food or chemical poisoning, dangerous infection or even tumor formation. In any case, as soon as you notice blood in the stool, you should, without delay, seek medical help.

Highly liquid stool(diarrhea with water), accompanied by pain and pain in the abdomen, as a rule, is a sign of the onset of cholera. The situation also requires medical intervention.

What guides doctors in making a diagnosis and prescribing treatment?

Dairy products can cause diarrhea

Today, doctors use the following methods to diagnose diarrhea and its associated diseases, as well as to identify the source of the problem:

Depending on the diagnosis, treatment is also prescribed:

To fight infectious diarrhea use antibiotics in combination with drugs that reduce peristalsis, and antiseptics.
Enzymes alone, as well as drugs that stimulate them, are enough to eliminate dyspeptic diarrhea. natural production in the body.
For diarrhea caused comorbidities intestines, prescribe antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs; in rare cases – glucocorticoid hormones.
With diarrhea, which is the result of internal bleeding somewhere in the gastrointestinal tract, first of all, the underlying disease is eliminated (often through surgical intervention).
Medicated diarrhea is treated with maximum recovery efforts normal microflora intestines (usually in this case prescribed

Chronic diarrhea is a bowel disorder that lasts more than four weeks. It brings discomfort to a person and can cause various complications.

How to treat such a pathology, how to stop prolonged loose stools?

Concept and influence

Diarrhea is an intestinal disorder resulting from any factors. In a healthy person, stool occurs once a day. However, if the intestines are disturbed, it can increase up to three or more times. Diarrhea occurs.

The duration of this symptom is different and affects the condition of the person. Acute diarrhea usually lasts up to two weeks. If no treatment is undertaken, then it can become chronic.

In this case, the question of how to get rid of such a problem becomes more acute. chronic disorder intestines causes a lot of inconvenience to any person, and can cause the development of various pathologies.

Causes and symptoms of diarrhea

Why do adults develop chronic stools? What can provoke the development of such an ailment? The reasons for this can be quite varied.

These are the main causes that can lead to chronic diarrhea in an adult. In addition, irritable bowel syndrome can lead to diarrhea, long-term use alcoholic beverages. By the way, in a child, the causes of diarrhea in a chronic form may be different.

How does chronic diarrhea manifest itself? What should you pay attention to? There are a number of specific signs characteristic of this disease.

Chronic diarrhea: signs

The duration of the bowel disorder is more than four weeks,
Present pain, increased gas formation,
May cause nausea, urge to vomit,
AT feces there are remains of undigested food,
Constant desire to drink, lack of appetite, and as a result, weight loss.

If a person detects such symptoms, then it is worth contacting a medical institution to determine the cause that provoked the onset of chronic diarrhea.

Diagnosis of chronic diarrhea

Before treating chronic diarrhea, it is necessary to establish exact reason that caused its occurrence. Diagnostics includes several items.

After staging accurate diagnosis the doctor will prescribe the necessary therapy.

First aid and treatment of diarrhea

The treatment of chronic diarrhea includes a variety of techniques.

Therapy:

The use of medications
The use of traditional medicine,
Diet.
Healthy lifestyle.

Ethnoscience:

An excellent remedy is black pepper. With diarrhea, it is necessary to eat ten peas of black pepper at night, without chewing. Drink water. As a rule, by morning the intensity of diarrhea decreases.
With loose stools, you can drink a decoction of oak bark, St. John's wort, alder, strong black tea.
A decoction of pomegranate peels or a decoction of walnut partitions also helps.

There are quite a lot of folk remedies for the treatment of chronic diarrhea, but one should not forget that such remedies can cause an allergic reaction.

Special . diet is very important measure in the treatment of intestinal disorders. The diet should contain only dietary, low-fat foods. Fried, smoked, pickled foods, various canned food, sweets are excluded from the diet. Do not use foods with high content fiber, so as not to irritate the intestinal lining even more. Food should be boiled, stewed or steamed.

Consequences and prevention

What is fraught with chronic loose stools for a person? Besides the fact that it brings inconvenience, such a condition can lead to adverse consequences.

Almost always, a person has a metabolic disorder, which subsequently becomes the cause of many diseases. In addition, severe dehydration can be fatal.

To avoid all consequences, it is necessary to try to avoid the factors leading to the occurrence of diarrhea. In addition, when symptoms of the disease appear, you need to contact a specialist, and not try to cure yourself. How to cure a pathology, only a medical worker knows for sure.

Chronic diarrhea is an unpleasant condition. It violates normal life a person, so it is necessary to start therapy on time.

Video: chronic loose stools

Acute diarrhea (lasting less than 14 days) is usually due to an infection.

The patient's perception of the term "diarrhea" in any case requires clarification (loose stools, increased frequency of defecation, imperative urge to stool, abdominal discomfort, fecal incontinence). To define the concept of "diarrhea", an indicator such as stool weight was previously used (more than 235 g / day for men and more than 175 g / day for women), but the process of weighing feces is unpleasant, no one wants to do this: neither the patient nor the average medical staff, nor laboratory staff. Moreover, even normal stool by weight may exceed the upper limit. The working definition of "chronic diarrhea" is more than 3 bowel movements per day with loose stools if this continues for more than 4 weeks.

FROM clinical point vision, it is advisable to isolate diarrhea with watery (osmotic or secretory origin), fatty (steatorrhea) or "inflammatory" stools, but it must be borne in mind that pathophysiological mechanisms In all cases, they largely overlap each other.

Causes of Chronic Diarrhea

Malabsorption

Impaired absorption of carbohydrates (malabsorption) has congenital and acquired causes.

Congenital causes:

specific (disaccharidase deficiency, glucose-galactose malabsorption, impaired fructose absorption);
general (abetalipoproteinemia, congenital lymphangiectasia, enterokinase deficiency)

Acquired Causes:

It is advisable to discuss issues related to hypersensitivity to certain types of food.

This mechanism is realized when an excessive amount of poorly absorbed osmotically absorbed substances appears in the intestinal lumen. active substances. The water content in the stool determines the total mass of feces and directly depends on the amount of soluble substances that create a certain osmotic pressure. (Electrolyte composition changes according to the electrical charge on poorly absorbed anions or cations, so it rarely makes sense to determine the amount of electrolytes in the stool. diagnostic search and treatment of patients with diarrhea.)

In this regard, two key points related to osmotic diarrhea become clear:

Diarrhea stops if the patient abstains from food or at least, stop eating foods containing poorly absorbed soluble components that have caused diarrhea.
An analysis of feces, if necessary, will reveal an “osmotic gap”, determined by the formula: 2x + (this also corresponds to the calculation for anions). The result will be less than normal fecal osmolality (generally, feces are considered isotonic to plasma and have an osmotic pressure of 290 mOsm/kg).

Secretory mechanism of diarrhea

The secretory mechanism is realized when the transport of ions by epithelial cells is impaired. There are four possible pathologies:

Congenital defect of ion absorption.
Resection of part of the intestine.
Diffuse lesion of the mucous membrane with destruction intestinal epithelium or a decrease in the number of cells in the mucosa.
Pathological mediators (including neurotransmitters, bacterial toxins, hormones and laxatives) can affect the secretion of chlorides and water by the intestinal wall by changing the intracellular ratio of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and guanosine monophosphate (GMP).

Causes of secretory diarrhea

Congenital(disease of cytoplasmic inclusions of microvilli, lack of cotransporter Cl/HC03).

Endogenous:

Bacterial enterotoxins (cholera, ETES, Campylobacter, Clostridium, Staph, aureus) and hormones [viloma, gastrinoma, villous adenoma, lymphoma small intestine].
Stimulant laxatives: phenolphthalein, anthraquinones, castor beans common seed oil ( Castor oil), cascara, senna preparations.
Drugs: antibiotics, diuretics, theophyllines, levothyroxine sodium, anticholinsterase drugs, colchicine, prokinetics, ACE inhibitors, antidepressants, prostaglandins, gold preparations.
Toxins: plants (Amanita), organophosphates, caffeine, monosodium glutamate.

Secretory diarrhea is characterized by two qualities:

the osmotic pressure of feces depends on the content of Na + + K + and the corresponding anions, the osmotic gap with it is small;
diarrhea usually ends after 48-72 hours if the person does not eat anything. Inflammatory mechanism (exudation).

Inflammation and the formation of ulcers lead to the fact that mucus, proteins, pus and blood appear in the intestinal lumen. Soil-borne diarrhea inflammatory changes intestinal mucosa, may develop as a result of a violation of the suction function.

It is not always easy to attribute diarrhea to one or another rubric. An example is the so-called ischemic colitis.

Motor dysfunction

There is a small amount of experimental data confirming the fact that increased intestinal motility may be accompanied by diarrhea.

It is believed that such a mechanism is implemented under the following conditions:

diarrhea in IBS;
diarrhea after gastrectomy;
diarrhea in diabetic patients;
diarrhea induced by bile acids;
diarrhea with hyperthyroidism;
drug-induced diarrhea (for example, during treatment with erythromycin, which acts as a motilin agonist).

Examination for chronic diarrhea

First, it is advisable to find out what the patient means by the words "diarrhea" and "diarrhea", whether diarrhea is acute or chronic.

After that, they begin to search for answers to the following questions:

Organic (for example, diarrhea lasts up to 3 months, body weight decreases, diarrhea worries at night, symptoms do not change) or functional (lack of manifestations of organic pathology, a long history and symptoms of IBS - according to the Roman classification, the causes underlie diarrhea?)
Is diarrhea a manifestation of malabsorption syndrome (abundant, fetid, poorly flushed, light-colored stools) or does it have another genesis (watery or just loose stools mixed with blood and mucus)?

The nature of the stool and associated symptoms

Large stools with persistent diarrhea are mainly associated with damage to the small intestine or right colon.

Bloody stools indicate an infection, tumor, or inflammatory process. If diarrhea is associated with lethargy or anorexia, release of mucosal cytokines may be suspected. Faintly colored floating stools in the toilet indicate steatorrhea (the floating stool is also due to gas produced during the enzymatic breakdown of carbohydrates, and not just due to malabsorption of fat).

Analysis of information relevant to different types of diarrhea

Mention in family history inflammatory diseases bowel disease, celiac disease, colon cancer.

Past operations on the gastrointestinal tract, which can lead to accelerated transit, overgrowth bacteria or malabsorption of bile acids.

Systemic diseases such as diabetes, pathology thyroid gland(heat intolerance and palpitations may indicate thyrotoxicosis), carcinoid tumor ( characteristic symptom- hot flashes), systemic scleroderma.

Drugs (see the text and boxes for a list of etiological factors for diarrhea), alcohol, caffeine, and carbohydrates that are not absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract (for example, sorbitol is often forgotten). The possibility of surreptitious laxative abuse should also not be overlooked; thus, simulation of diarrhea is found in 4% of cases of nosocomial diarrhea in ordinary hospitals and in 20% of patients referred to large advisory centers.

Travel abroad, drinking contaminated water, or other exposure to potential pathogens (eg, detection of Salmonella in people who underestimate food preparation, Brucella in farm workers).

Symptoms of chronic pancreatitis

It is important to find out the characteristics of the patient's sexual life. Thus, the risk of developing proctitis is associated with anal intercourse [ etiological factor in this case, gonococci, a virus can act herpes simplex(HSV), chlamydia, amoeba].

It is always necessary to ask if a person suffers from fecal incontinence. Such a symptom is encountered relatively often (2% in the general population), but few people begin to talk about it on their own. If the answer is positive, if we are talking about a woman, an obstetric history should be taken: with a perineal injury, damage to the anal sphincter is possible.

It is important to learn all about eating habits and stress that can exacerbate symptoms. There is a known link between physical and mental abuse and functional disorders intestines.

It is advisable to ask questions about the diseases of the spouse and close relatives.

The most likely causes of diarrhea in patients belonging to different clinical categories are:

Acute diarrhea: infections, drugs or nutritional supplements, ischemic colitis, coprostasis.

Diarrhea in HIV-negative homosexual males: amoebiasis, giardiasis, shigellosis, campylobacteriosis, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes simplex.

Diarrhea in HIV positive patients: cryptosporidiosis, microsporidosis, isosporidosis, amebiasis, giardiasis, herpes, cytomegalovirus infection(CMV), Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection, salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, candidiasis, lymphoma, AIDS enteropathy .

Chronic diarrhea in patients who were previously under observation and examined: hidden laxative abuse, fecal incontinence, microscopic colitis, previously unrecognized malabsorption, neuroendocrine tumors, food allergies.

Hospital-acquired diarrhea. Diarrhea is one of the most common nosocomial diseases (noted in 30-50% of patients in the intensive care unit). One third of patients in nursing homes and other institutions providing permanent care suffer at least one episode of severe diarrhea per year. Patients in the following two categories require particularly close attention.

Diarrhea in patients in the intensive care unit: medicines, especially those containing magnesium and sorbitol; antibiotic-associated diarrhea (the causative agent is C. difficile, but insufficient digestion of carbohydrates by the colonic flora and the development of osmotic diarrhea as a result of this may also be important; see "Gastrointestinal tract. Clostridial lesion"), enteral nutrition, intestinal ischemia, pseudo-obstruction, coprostasis, failure anal sphincter.
Cancer patients and people receiving chemotherapy. With some chemo- and radiotherapy Gastrointestinal lesions occur in 100% of cases. Radiation enterocolitis develops at an exposure dose of 6 Gy or more, and in the case of irradiation of only the pelvis - at a dose of 3-4 Gy. For chemotherapy drugs that toxic effect on the intestine, include cytosine, daunorubicin, fluorouracil, methotrexate, mercaptopurine, irinotecan, and cisplatin. Watery stools are provoked by some types of biological treatment, such as the use of anti-IL-2. In patients with cancer, probable cause diarrhea may be typhlitis (neutropenic enterocolitis).

Additional research methods

It is impossible to stop at diagnosing a diarrheal disease if a fecal analysis has not been performed, at least of the material that remains on the glove after rectal examination. The goal is to detect blood, mucus, fat (steatorrhea).

In 75% of cases with chronic diarrhea, the diagnosis can be established by collecting a detailed history, obtaining the results of general and biochemical blood tests, stool culture, stool microscopy with staining for fat, sigmoidoscopy with biopsy.

Most of the remaining group of patients come to specific diagnosis allow three types of research:

quantitative determination of fat in feces;
colonoscopy with biopsy;
fasting response with determination of stool mass and osmotic difference.

To criteria indicating functional rather than organic nature suffering, refer to the duration of the disease ( more than a year), the absence of a significant decrease in body weight, nocturnal diarrhea, the need for straining during bowel movements. All this together is 70% characteristic of functional disorders.

Basic Research in Diarrhea

If there is reason to suspect a simulation of diarrheal disease or the abuse of laxatives, the stool can be sent for analysis to determine the presence of substances with a laxative effect in it.

Blood analysis. Carry out general and biochemical analyzes blood with the determination of ESR, CRV, iron content, vitamin B12, thyroid hormones, glucose, urea, electrolytes (including calcium), biochemical parameters liver function (including albumin concentration), serological examination to detect celiac disease.

In many cases, if the diagnosis requires histological examination, it is enough to carry out sigmoidoscopy(rigid or flexible sigmoidoscope) without colonoscopy. The exception is situations when there is a need for a biopsy ileum or changes in the mucous membrane are not diffuse, but capture only certain parts of the colon. If the patient is rapidly losing weight or blood is found in the stool, which is very suspicious from the point of view of malignant growth in the lower gastrointestinal tract, a colonoscopy with the most complete examination of the intestine is indicated.

Radiography also assists in diagnosis. Take an overview photo abdominal cavity, it can reveal coprostasis, signs of inflammatory bowel disease, calcifications in the pancreas, expansion of intestinal loops.

Determination of fat in feces

Determination of the amount of fat in the stool can give a lot for the diagnosis, but this study is difficult to do correctly and often difficult to do at all:

In adults, approximately 99% of the triglycerides that enter the intestine are absorbed, and only 90% of the phospholipids from endogenous sources (bile, deflated enterocytes and bacteria). Another situation in newborns: they have the amount of fat in the stool can reach 10% of the diet.
Normally, with a stool, a person daily releases about 5-6 g of fat in the form of non-absorbable phospholipids of endogenous origin and 1 g of fat from food. As a pathology, the excretion of more than 7 g of fat in 24 hours with feces should be regarded. Fat in the feces lends itself to both qualitative and quantitative determination.

Fasting test and determination of osmotic difference

In dealing with chronic diarrhoea, both studies are rarely used in practice, but in difficult cases they can be very useful.

With steatorrhea, stool weight usually exceeds 700 g/day, but this figure returns to normal under fasting conditions. Inflammatory diarrhea varies in response to fasting, but, as with steatorrhea, recording the osmotic difference for diagnosis usually yields nothing. Determining the electrolyte content in the stool and the osmotic difference helps to understand issues related to chronic diarrhea in the case of watery stools. The analysis is carried out with a stool centrifugate, so it is possible to evaluate both a single portion of the stool and collected in 24-72 hours. The fecal osmolality is equal to the blood plasma osmolality (290 mOsm / kg). But this is true only for a fresh portion. Over time, osmolarity increases as a result of bacterial breakdown of carbohydrates. A large deviation from the norm (values well below 290 mOsm / kg) indicates the admixture of urine or water in the feces, the presence of communication between the stomach and large intestine, the consumption of liquids with low osmotic pressure. In principle, the sodium/potassium ratio is high in secretory diarrhea (nonabsorbable electrolytes retain water in the intestinal lumen) and low in osmotic diarrhea.

Other methods used in the examination of a patient with diarrhea

Studies aimed at identifying the syndrome of malabsorption:

Determination of the amount of hormones in the blood and urine. In diagnostics, the determination of the content of certain hormones synthesized by neuroendocrine tumors sometimes helps. These are gastrin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP, VIP), somatostatin, pancreatic polypeptide, calcitonin and glucagon. Determination of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in urine reveals a carcinoid tumor.

Research in inflammatory diarrhea

In addition to endoscopic examination upper and lower divisions Gastrointestinal tract, the study of the state of the small intestine sometimes becomes necessary, especially in pediatric practice, in scanning using indium-labeled leukocytes.

Research on protein loss through the gut

Carry out the determination of antitrypsin in feces.

Therapy aimed at suppressing the diarrheal syndrome

Drugs of this direction are divided into those intended for the treatment of mild or moderate diarrhea and those prescribed for severe diarrheal syndrome. Most of the drugs currently in use are designed to reduce motor activity intestines, and not to reduce secretion.

Prolonged diarrhea is a sign that some disease or malfunction in the functioning of body systems will be its cause.

Chronic diarrhea may indicate that bowel movements occur more than 3 times a day, feces have a liquid consistency and similar condition lasts for several weeks.

Best case scenario untimely therapy chronic diarrhea will worsen the quality of life.

At worst, such a pathology leads to dehydration, because with constant diarrhea, a violation of the water-salt balance occurs, resulting in 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 these symptoms are present, you should consult a doctor.

Causes and treatment of chronic diarrhea

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

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

Loose, watery stools, abdominal cramps, and frequent bowel movements are considered the main signs of diarrhea.

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

In a healthy adult, short-term diarrhea is often observed, lasting for several days and passing on its own, without any special therapy, but only if the diarrhea diet is followed.

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

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

Classification

Diarrhea is distinguished by the variety of its manifestations. First of all, this applies to appearance excreted feces: its consistency, shade, visible impurities. It 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 may be affected toxic substances pathogens, water begins to come out into large quantities and the salts dissolved in it into the intestinal lumen (the stool may look like "rice water"), without proper replenishment of the electrolyte reserve, fatal dehydration occurs. Hospitalization in a special hospital is necessary.

Self-examination and treatment are not recommended.

Severe diarrhea with water during infections in the intestines may not always be associated with nausea, gag reflex, pain inside the abdomen and an increase in temperature (in debilitated patients, in terminal stages cholera drop in body temperature below normal indicators); treatment directly depends on the type of viral agent of the disease, which cannot be established at home.

Diarrhea with blood (with mucus and blood)

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

Often this is due pathogenic microorganisms. In addition, chronic diarrhea with mucus can be a symptom of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

Black diarrhea

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

Blood, in contact with digestive enzymes, acquires a black tint. A stool that looks like tar indicates a fairly heavy bleeding.

When it is concentrated inside the stomach, in some cases it is noted vomiting reflex"coffee grounds".

Critical blood loss can occur quite quickly - the patient needs to be as soon as possible deliver to a specialized medical facility.

In certain situations, black stools can be provoked by the use of certain medications ( Activated carbon, iron preparations, complexes of vitamins and minerals).

Yellow diarrhea

Frequent yellow diarrhea occurs in preschool children.

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

The yellow tint of the stool may be associated with the use of certain medications.

White diarrhea

Often seen in infants one year old. In this situation, it can be provoked by the nutrition of certain artificial mixtures, overfeeding with milk, the introduction of new products into complementary foods, an excess of hard-to-digest carbohydrates, in some cases it is noted during teething.

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

Medications that disrupt the liver can cause white stools.

green diarrhea

Fetid chronic green diarrhea in an adult is often associated with the intensity of fermentation inside the intestine, which can be triggered by dysbacteriosis, dysentery and other gastrointestinal infections.

The green hue of feces in both men and women can be given by bile, which is supersaturated with bilirubin as a result of increased breakdown of red blood cells or pathological processes in the liver.

Green feces can be excreted during a surplus in the menu of products with artificial dyes.

Causes of prolonged diarrhea

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

sign chronic form pancreatitis is considered improper production of enzymes. This is due to the fact that the patient had impaired functioning of the pancreas. Lack of enzymes significantly hinders digestion food products. Undigested components enter the intestines and a person develops diarrhea.
The presence of toxins in the diet provokes intoxication.
Failure in the digestive processes occurs in people who are infected with pathogenic microorganisms.
Prolonged flow of diarrhea with water in adults may be due to the occurrence of dysbacteriosis. Usually, a failure in the microflora occurs at the end of antibiotic therapy.
Allergic reaction to food. Is the cause that can cause the formation persistent diarrhea. Failure in the digestive processes needs complete failure from taking products containing allergens.
Crohn's disease is extremely dangerous disease. During it, there is a violation of the functioning of the digestive organs. There are blood clots in the stool of a sick person.
Often people lead a passive lifestyle. This affects the functioning of the digestive organs. Inside the gastrointestinal tract, stagnation occurs, which becomes a provoking factor in diarrhea. During this, the patient's stomach rumbles, and severe diarrhea develops.

Frequent diarrhea with water in adults develops due to internal bleeding in the digestive system. Often the causes that cause persistent diarrhea with water are different. infectious diseases caused by harmful bacteria.

Cause frequent diarrhea water and rotaviruses. Provoke loose stools in both men and women can be food or drug intoxication.

Knowing about these reasons causing frequent diarrhea in adults, it is not difficult to understand what to do. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor after a comprehensive diagnosis.

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

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

Symptoms

The symptoms of diarrhea with water do not differ from simple diarrhea.

Common signs:

Nausea and gag reflex.
Loss of appetite.
Bloating.
Increased gas formation.
Liquid stool observed for a long time.
Anemia.
Dehydration.
Hypovitaminosis.

If there is such chronic symptoms, as constant urge to the toilet, bloody impurities in the feces, increased temperature, intense thirst, you need to see a doctor.

Treatment in such a situation should be immediate, the symptoms 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.

On the initial stage it is necessary to establish why the patient has had loose stools for a long time, and then decide what to do. Treatment begins with a revision of the menu, after which the following instructions must be observed:

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

Knowing about the factors that caused prolonged water diarrhea in an adult, treatment can be started in a timely manner.

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

Folk remedies

In the process of receiving folk remedies in the treatment of diarrhea, you need to coordinate their use with your doctor. To 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.
A decoction of chamomile. Medicinal raw materials (1 tablespoon) are 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 solution of starch for diarrhea. 2 l. the product is diluted in a cup warm water, mixed and drunk throughout the day.

Medical treatment

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

Only a specialist will tell you what medicines you need to give to eliminate the disease. With irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, it is recommended to take Loperamide or Imodium.

If the cause of prolonged diarrhea is intoxication, you need to quickly do a gastric lavage.

For this purpose, the patient drinks large amounts 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 antimicrobial agents, then Linex is assigned. Other effective drugs often prescribed for diarrhea include:

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

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

Prevention

To avoid the occurrence of complications, you must adhere to the following instructions:

Wash your hands regularly before eating.
Every day, follow the rules of hygiene after the toilet.
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 every day to comply with the data preventive measures, then the probability of diseases associated prolonged diarrhea, will be minimal.

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

Persistent diarrhea that 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 specialist prescriptions are observed.

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

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Chronic diarrhea can be caused by inflammatory or bacterial diseases of the colon, in which the epithelium is damaged, abscesses and ulcers form. Chronic diarrhea often occurs with infectious diseases caused by enterotoxins. Significantly less often - with intestinal damage malignant neoplasms, ischemia.

Osmotic chronic diarrhea is associated with the accumulation in the intestines of undissolved carbohydrates that have been fermented but not absorbed into the bloodstream.

At functional disorders the work of the liver, stomach, pancreas and biliary system, anatomical imperfection of the intestine, with a number immune diseases, against the background of long-term use of laxatives or a number of pharmaceuticals chronic diarrhea may occur.

Treatment of chronic diarrhea

Effective treatment of chronic is possible only after diagnosing the main causes that led to its appearance. Only in the presence of the results of the examination received, the doctor prescribes a full-fledged therapy.

For all forms of chronic diarrhea, the patient is prescribed diet No. 46. For chronic bacterial diarrhea, the recommended intake is Baktisubtil, Enterol, Hilak-Forte, Bifidumbacterin.

As a symptomatic therapy, drugs are used: "Smecta", "Tannacomp", decoctions of chamomile, eucalyptus, oak bark, barberry.

In addition, with all types of chronic diarrhea, it is required to normalize motor function. gastrointestinal tract. For this, the following are used: "Loperamide", "Octreotide", "Dalargin", as well as blockers calcium channels: "Foridon", "Verapamil". With secretory diarrhea, secretory inhibitors are prescribed, for example, Octreotide, Cholestyramine.

Osmotic chronic diarrhea is treated with absorption stimulants: Foridon, anabolic hormones, digestive enzymes. Also recommended complex therapy metabolic disorders.

Exudative diarrhea is eliminated with the help of Mesalazine, Sulfasalazine, glucocorticoids. With motor diarrhea, psychotherapy is prescribed, Loperamide.

The patient should be informed that chronic diarrhea can be triggered by antacids, long-term use antibiotics, antiarrhythmic drugs, artificial sugar, anticoagulants, drugs with potassium salts. For successful treatment chronic diarrhea, all of these remedies should be canceled or the treatment tactics should be reconsidered.