Suffering From Bouts Of Diarrhea May Be Common, But Could Indicate Something More Serious

Diarrhea is a stomach issue that causes loose and watery stools. It also makes people go to the bathroom more often. It is a common problem in children, adults, and older people. While it mostly lasts two or three days, it could last longer, indicating a more severe issue.
Diarrhea can be chronic or acute depending on its seriousness and how long it lasts. Acute diarrhea, also known as short-term, is the most common that goes away after a few days. It also does not necessarily need medication and does not indicate a severe issue.
On the other hand, chronic or long-term diarrhea lasts for several weeks. It usually comes and goes over the period and needs medication to stop. It usually indicates a more severe issue like irritable bowel syndrome.
Depending on the cause or type, diarrhea can come alone or be accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, bloating, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

Causes of Diarrhea

There’s a number of different things that can cause diarrhea. It’s a common issue and everyone feels it at some point. Some of the most common causes include: 

• Viruses - Many viruses are among the most common issues causing diarrhea in children and adults.The number of different viruses is high and can cause some very severe cases of diarrhea. 
• Bacteria and parasites - People can get exposed to pathogenic bacteria or parasites by consuming contaminated drinks or food. C.diff, is another diarrhea-causing bacteria that occurs mainly during hospitalization or after taking antibiotics. People can also contract bacteria or parasites when traveling to new countries, often called traveler's diarrhea.
• Medical conditions - Common diarrhea-causing illnesses such as celiac and crohn's disease, malabsorption syndromes as well as ulcerative colitis.
• Medications - Antibiotics are among the most common medications that cause diarrhea. While they help fight bacterial infections, they also eliminate the food bacteria, disrupting the intestines’ natural balance.
• Lactose intolerance - Lactose is often known as "milk sugar" since it is found in milk. Lactose intolerance makes it hard for some people to digest the lactose enzyme, causing diarrhea after consuming it.
• Fructose - This is a natural sugar present in honey and fruits. Like lactose, some people have difficulties digesting it, causing diarrhea.
• Surgery - Partial gallbladder or intestine removal surgeries sometimes result in diarrhea.

Potential Complications

Even though diarrhea is usually self-limiting and resolves without intervention, it could lead to severe complications if it lasts a long time without intervention. One of the most common complications is dehydration, which becomes life-threatening if not treated sooner, especially in children. Dehydration could cause dehydration, headaches, irritability, and weight loss.

When patients visit the doctor, there are various ways they can diagnose to determine the cause of diarrhea and if it indicates a more serious issue. They will first examine the patient’s family and travel history. They also examine their health records to assess existing medical or physical conditions. They might also conduct stool, fasting, imaging, or blood tests, a sigmoidoscopy, or a colonoscopy.

Prevention And Treatment

There are numerous ways people can prevent themselves from getting diarrhea.

• Washing their hands with soap and running water or hand sanitizers
• Washing fruits and vegetables under running water
• Boiling water before drinking
• Watching what they eat, especially when traveling and avoiding street food vendors

After a diagnosis, doctors determine the proper treatment depending on the patient's age, overall health, the severity of the issue, how well the patient handles certain medications, and whether it is a symptom of an underlying problem. Some of the ways in which to treat diarrhea include: 

• Rehydration - This is mainly for patients vulnerable to dehydration, like children and older adults. Oral Rehydration salts or Solutions are the most common rehydration method. They usually combine water, glucose, and salt, which help to replace the electrolytes and water lost during diarrhea.
• Antibiotics - Doctors offer these to people whose diarrhea is bacteria-induced.
• Antidiarrheal medication - The most widely used over-the-counter drugs are very popular and well known to individuals. 
• Probiotics - Doctors prescribe these to help re-establish a balance between good and bad bacteria.