Diarrhea - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Peter Rodrick
November 01, 2008
Acute diarrhea is something nearly everyone has experienced at one time or another. The loose, watery stools and abdominal cramps that characterize diarrhea usually last a couple of days. Diarrhea often means more-frequent trips to the toilet and a greater volume of stool.
Diarrhea Causes
The leading cause of acute viral diarrhea in children in the Toronto area is the rotovirus. It was found in 32% of the stool specimens from 1,365 children with acute diarrhea. Some of the children were hospitalized, others were treated as outpatients. Children 12-23 months old had the highest incidence rate (43%), followed by 24-35 month olds (38%).
Bacteria and parasites. Contaminated food or water can transmit bacteria and parasites to your body. Parasites such as Giardia lamblia and cryptosporidium can cause diarrhea. Common bacterial causes of diarrhea include campylobacter, salmonella, shigella and Escherichia coli. This type of diarrhea can be common for people traveling to developing countries.
Evaluate yourself for irritable bowel disease. IBD causes an increase in the wave-like motions in the intestines (peristalsis), so stool is pushed through your intestines before it has a chance to fully form.
Prevention: Avoiding potentially contaminated foods and beverages is the main form of prevention, though there are certain drugs (Dukoral) and new TD vaccinations coming available. Always consult a doctor to determine the best preventative measures for you.
People in developing countries suffer most from infectious forms of diarrhea. Most infections pass through a fecal-oral route. This results from environmental causes such as poor sanitation, decreased access to clean water, and a poor understanding of transmission and treatment of disease. These are conditions that arise most frequently in the developing world, though they affect both rural and urban populations. Improvements in these areas result in a dramatic reduction of cases of infectious diarrhea, as shown in studies in numerous developing nations, such as India, Gambia, and elsewhere, where poor socioeconomic status affects a large percentage of the population.
Symptoms of Diarrhea
The common illness, which may last several days, often called "intestinal flu," is often due to one of a number of viruses that infect the bowel, making it weep fluid. The excess of fluid in the bowel leads to liquid stools. The inflammation may also be associated with cramping abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Patients with diarrhea present with various clinical features depending on the underlying cause. Diarrhea due to small-intestinal disease is typically high-volume, watery, and often associated with malabsorption, and dehydration is frequent. Diarrhea due to colonic involvement is more often associated with frequent small-volume stools, with the presence of blood and a sensation of urgency. Patients with acute infectious diarrhea typically present with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, and frequent stools, which may be watery, malabsorptive, or bloody depending on the specific pathogen. In general, small-intestinal pathogens are noninvasive, and ileocolonic pathogens are more likely to be invasive.
Diarrhea Treatment
When you get diarrhea, you tend to lose electrolytes due to the massive loss of body fluids. Fluids are lost through the frequent bowel movements and vomiting, if any. Hence a diarrhea treatment is essential in helping you gain back electrolytes.
The key to treating chronic diarrhea is to determine its cause. If chronic diarrhea is caused by an infection, it may be treated with antibiotics (if it is caused by bacteria) or other medicines. Diarrhea not caused by an infection is more difficult to diagnose and treat. Long-term medication (such as steroids) or surgery may be required. For people with lactose intolerance, celiac disease, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhea treatment may involve modifications to the diet.
Visit Natural Remedies. Do not forget to visit Erectile Dysfunction Treatment and Male Sexual Health
Diarrhea Causes
The leading cause of acute viral diarrhea in children in the Toronto area is the rotovirus. It was found in 32% of the stool specimens from 1,365 children with acute diarrhea. Some of the children were hospitalized, others were treated as outpatients. Children 12-23 months old had the highest incidence rate (43%), followed by 24-35 month olds (38%).
Bacteria and parasites. Contaminated food or water can transmit bacteria and parasites to your body. Parasites such as Giardia lamblia and cryptosporidium can cause diarrhea. Common bacterial causes of diarrhea include campylobacter, salmonella, shigella and Escherichia coli. This type of diarrhea can be common for people traveling to developing countries.
Evaluate yourself for irritable bowel disease. IBD causes an increase in the wave-like motions in the intestines (peristalsis), so stool is pushed through your intestines before it has a chance to fully form.
Prevention: Avoiding potentially contaminated foods and beverages is the main form of prevention, though there are certain drugs (Dukoral) and new TD vaccinations coming available. Always consult a doctor to determine the best preventative measures for you.
People in developing countries suffer most from infectious forms of diarrhea. Most infections pass through a fecal-oral route. This results from environmental causes such as poor sanitation, decreased access to clean water, and a poor understanding of transmission and treatment of disease. These are conditions that arise most frequently in the developing world, though they affect both rural and urban populations. Improvements in these areas result in a dramatic reduction of cases of infectious diarrhea, as shown in studies in numerous developing nations, such as India, Gambia, and elsewhere, where poor socioeconomic status affects a large percentage of the population.
Symptoms of Diarrhea
The common illness, which may last several days, often called "intestinal flu," is often due to one of a number of viruses that infect the bowel, making it weep fluid. The excess of fluid in the bowel leads to liquid stools. The inflammation may also be associated with cramping abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Patients with diarrhea present with various clinical features depending on the underlying cause. Diarrhea due to small-intestinal disease is typically high-volume, watery, and often associated with malabsorption, and dehydration is frequent. Diarrhea due to colonic involvement is more often associated with frequent small-volume stools, with the presence of blood and a sensation of urgency. Patients with acute infectious diarrhea typically present with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, and frequent stools, which may be watery, malabsorptive, or bloody depending on the specific pathogen. In general, small-intestinal pathogens are noninvasive, and ileocolonic pathogens are more likely to be invasive.
Diarrhea Treatment
When you get diarrhea, you tend to lose electrolytes due to the massive loss of body fluids. Fluids are lost through the frequent bowel movements and vomiting, if any. Hence a diarrhea treatment is essential in helping you gain back electrolytes.
The key to treating chronic diarrhea is to determine its cause. If chronic diarrhea is caused by an infection, it may be treated with antibiotics (if it is caused by bacteria) or other medicines. Diarrhea not caused by an infection is more difficult to diagnose and treat. Long-term medication (such as steroids) or surgery may be required. For people with lactose intolerance, celiac disease, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhea treatment may involve modifications to the diet.
Visit Natural Remedies. Do not forget to visit Erectile Dysfunction Treatment and Male Sexual Health