home Audience 4 What to do if an adult has severe watery diarrhea? Constant diarrhea: causes, treatment, prevention

What to do if an adult has severe watery diarrhea? Constant diarrhea: causes, treatment, prevention

Every person at least once in his life has experienced an uncomfortable sensation, the cause of which was loose stool. This phenomenon is the frequent release of stool in liquid form. This pathological condition is dangerous due to dehydration of the body, in which water balance is disturbed.

Loose stools in an adult and a child can occur with different accompanying symptoms. In most cases, the causative factor for diarrhea is a viral or bacterial infection. Incorrect and delayed treatment of this type of pathology can lead to serious consequences, so doctors recommend treating a seemingly simple intestinal disorder with particular seriousness.

Symptom

The causes of loose stools can be of different nature. It is often provoked by:

Digestive infections, the causative agents of which can be salmonella, dysentery bacillus, viral infections - rotaviruses, enteroviruses.
Worms, which are characterized by accompanying symptoms such as loss of appetite, vomiting, and pain in the navel.
Giardiasis caused by microorganisms - Giardia. Quite common in children.
Non-specific ulcerative colitis, which refers to diseases of a non-infectious nature. This is a severe intestinal pathology in which the mucous membrane is affected, ulcers form and diarrhea with blood appears.
A hereditary disease - celiac disease, in which the human body is very sensitive to gluten (gluten), which leads to damage small intestine. It can only be cured after completely avoiding gluten-containing foods.
Stressful situations leading to disruption of the psycho-emotional state.
Dysbacteriosis is a disorder of the intestinal microflora that appears as a result of deterioration of immunity, nutrition, and the use of antibiotics.
Irritable bowel syndrome is a common illness in children.
Intolerance to certain types of medications. The disease is characterized by liquid stool as a result of taking antibiotics or iron supplements.
Food poisoning, accompanied by symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Deficiency of certain enzymes necessary for the breakdown of individual food components.
Congenital diseases.
Inflammation of the appendix can cause intestinal upset for a while.
Abnormal bowel conditions, which may demonstrate stool of unusual color and consistency.
Operable diseases of the peritoneum.

The reasons that caused diarrhea may demonstrate intestinal upset, but with different frequency of bowel movements, different in color, smell. The stool may be mixed with blood or mucus.

Children's diarrhea

In children under one year of age, a constant state of loose stool is observed, since the baby’s nutrition is special: mother’s milk, formula. Because of this, the baby’s stool is unsteady and not formed, like that of an adult. An alarming signal for the mother should be the presence of mucus, blood or foam in the stool. If your child's stool looks like water, this should also be a reason to consult a pediatrician. Normal condition baby chair - yellow, sour smell, white lumps in stool, bowel movements six times. By the age of one year - stool 1-2 times a day. If your baby has soft stools, this should not be a cause for concern.

Children's diarrhea is very dangerous, which can lead to dehydration. The causes of diarrhea in babies may lie in the characteristics of the children's digestive system. Often, children may experience watery stools as a result of an intestinal infection, as a symptom of a cold, the body's reaction to certain types of medications, or the introduction of a new diet. Most often in children under one year of age the disease causing diarrhea, is gastroenteritis, characterized by symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, especially in the morning, fever. In this disease, the stool is loose, even watery, mixed with blood and unpleasant smell.

Causal factors can also be microbial and viral infections, the symptoms of which are not only diarrhea, but also abdominal pain, flatulence, and high fever. With diseases that often affect children, such as otitis media, pneumonia, influenza, ARVI, liquid stool is also observed. If a baby suffers from an allergy to protein, dysbacteriosis and lactose deficiency, he constantly has diarrhea, accompanied by a decrease in body weight and a skin rash.

Teething in a baby can also cause diarrhea, which occurs due to decreased immunity. Children put dirty hands into their mouths and, as a result, get intestinal upset due to infections that have entered it. Diseases of the digestive system - biliary dyskinesia, endocrine disorders- can cause a condition in which parents observe liquid stool in the baby.

There are a number of demonstrative features of intestinal disorder in children, which should be a signal for urgent medical examination child's condition:

frequent vomiting and loose stools;
increase in body temperature to critical levels - 38.5°C;
stomach ache;
loss of appetite, refusal to eat;
lethargic state;
feces with mucus, foam and gases;
stool streaked with blood.

How to help a child with diarrhea?

Under no circumstances should you treat your baby’s diarrhea on your own. It is necessary to call a doctor at home, who will give a professional assessment of his condition and prescribe the necessary treatment.

If your baby has diarrhea, you should not stop feeding him for more than two days. The baby must have the strength to fight the disease. It is worth excluding from his diet only foods that cause fermentation processes in the intestines: fermented baked milk, porridge with full-fat milk, yoghurts, legumes, sweets, rolls, carbonated drinks. Get rid of non-infectious diarrhea gentle helps dietary food with frequent and small portions, with meals 5-6 times a day.

If the reason why the baby has a watery stool consistency is food poisoning, the child needs to have a cleansing enema and be given an enterosorbent to drink: Activated carbon, Enterosgel.

Frequent loose stools cause dehydration, so it is recommended to replenish fluid lost by the body.

To do this, the baby should be given a solution of Regidron or Glucosolan. One packet of the drug is diluted in 1 liter of water and given to the child after each bowel movement. You can prepare such an enterosorbent at home: add 2 tsp to 1 liter of boiled water. sugar, 1/3 tsp. baking soda and salt.

In a condition where the baby is still experiencing therapeutic therapy liquid stool, you can give the child a decoction of rice. Add 1 tsp to 7 cups of water. rice, boil the broth for several minutes and after cooling, give the baby 1/3 cup every two hours.

At the end of the therapy prescribed by the doctor after determining the reasons that caused the diarrhea, the child is prescribed medications that help restore the intestinal microflora. If diarrhea appears as one of the symptoms of an allergy, treatment is prescribed by an allergist.

Intestinal disorder

Loose stools in an adult appear as a result of intestinal damage due to infections, poor diet, medication, or as a concomitant condition with a number of chronic diseases. One of the most common phenomena when frequent bowel movements are observed in an adult is considered to be a woman’s pregnancy. There are many reasons for diarrhea during pregnancy.

The most common of them are:

injection of hormones, during which the pregnant woman’s muscle organs, including the intestines, relax;
pressure of the uterus on the digestive organs, which contributes to diarrhea;
binge eating;
intestinal infections showing liquid feces sometimes mixed with greens and mucus;
poisoning;
chronic diseases Gastrointestinal tract;
intolerance to certain types of foods;
dysbacteriosis;
hormonal imbalances.

If an intestinal disorder does not go away for a long time, it can cause dangerous conditions for a pregnant woman and lead to dehydration, which is fraught with complications for the fetus. The difficulty of treating this condition during pregnancy makes the health of the woman and her baby even more vulnerable to this type of disruption in the body. Prolonged diarrhea can bring great danger to a woman in the first trimester of pregnancy, which can provoke tone in the uterus and lead to miscarriage.

Therapeutic therapy for a pregnant woman consists of replenishing water-salt balance body with the help of Regidron. Activated carbon is suitable for neutralizing toxins; it will strengthen the mucous barrier in the intestines of the smecta. A large role in stabilizing the condition of a pregnant woman is played by drinking plenty of fluids and eating a diet that excludes aggressive foods. If a woman has stool with blood streaks, mucus, you should not expect improvement after taking sorbents. This symptom may indicate a serious illness. In this case, it is not advisable to postpone a visit to the doctor. Only by examining analyzes can he characterize such manifestations.

To normalize the state of intestinal microflora, doctors also allow pregnant women to take bifidobacteria and probiotics. Linex, Mezim Forte, Bifidumbacterin help well during the adaptation period.

To avoid the occurrence of such an unsafe condition as diarrhea, doctors recommend sticking to certain rules that children and adults need to observe throughout their lives:

Before eating vegetables and fruits, they should be washed thoroughly.
Meat, fish and dairy products must be cooked before eating.
You should only drink pure and boiled water.
Products should not be consumed after their expiration date.
If you experience intestinal disorders for a long time, you should urgently consult a doctor.
Under no circumstances should you purchase products of questionable quality.
You cannot treat diarrhea on your own; this can complicate the course of the disease.

Traditional methods

Along with medications that help get rid of diarrhea, there are many traditional methods of treating it.

If liquid stool is observed during bowel movements, this condition can be normalized by taking an effective folk remedy - dried berries blackberries, which are mixed with honey and taken 1 tsp. three times a day.

Chamomile also helps get rid of diarrhea. Flowers of the plant in the amount of 1 tbsp. l. pour a glass of boiling water. They insist. After straining, take half a glass 3 times a day.

If the stool contains blood, the following recipe helps to cure: 1 tsp. chopped rosehip branches are poured with a glass of boiling water and simmered for 30 minutes in a water bath. Drink 1/3 glass three times a day.

An infusion of oak bark helps stop diarrhea at home. To prepare it, take 1 tsp. bark, pour 2 glasses of water. Leave for several hours and drink 125 ml 2-4 times a day.

A good folk remedy to help cope with diarrhea is the herb St. John's wort. You need to brew 10 g of herb in a glass of boiling water. Infuse and take 1 tbsp. l. three times a day.

Blueberries, brewed as tea, when consumed 2-3 times a day, help normalize stool. A good remedy Treatment of diarrhea is a decoction of dried fruits - apples and pears. It is also an excellent remedy for dehydration.

A good remedy for holding the intestines together during diarrhea of a non-infectious nature is a decoction of rice, which is consumed every morning until the condition returns to normal.

Potato starch diluted in an amount of 1 tsp helps to have a beneficial effect on the intestines. per 500 ml of boiled water and drunk at one time.

Almost every person has experienced discomfort associated with intestinal dysfunction. And one of the most common pathological conditions is diarrhea. It manifests itself in an increase in the number of bowel movements and changes in the quality and color of stool.

Often serves as a sign of intestinal infections caused by harmful microorganisms (viruses, bacteria). Therefore, it is very important if loose stools appear in time to contact specialists who will identify the cause of this condition.

Diarrhea is also dangerous because this process contributes to dehydration of the body, which can lead to disturbances in water-electrolyte balance. Timely therapy will help not only get rid of unpleasant symptoms, but also prevent unwanted and even dangerous consequences.

What can cause loose stools?

Loose stools appear due to damage to the digestive organs.

Common causes are microorganisms affecting organs digestion.

These are: salmonella, dysentery bacilli, entero- and rotaviruses and other pathogens. Children are prone to infection with Giardia, which causes giardiasis.

Food poisoning resulting from ingestion of poor quality food is very common. expired expiration date or violation of storage conditions. Worm infestations, which are characterized by pain in the umbilical region, loss of interest in food or vomiting.

Ulcerative colitis may also be accompanied by blood-streaked diarrhea. This disease is non-infectious in nature and manifests itself in damage to the intestinal mucosa, as a result of which ulcers form on its walls.

Children sometimes experience symptoms of irritable bowel disease, which also leads to thinning of the stool. May affect bowel changes and stressful situations, as a result of which there is a change in both the psycho-emotional background and physical state.

Hereditary diseases such as celiac disease, for example, can also cause loose stools. In the case of hereditary celiac disease, a person has an intolerance to the substance gluten, which is found in many foods.

Eating foods containing gluten leads to damage to the small intestine. And the only way out is to follow a strict diet that excludes foods with the addition of this substance. This also includes some congenital pathologies or intestinal diseases.

Dysbacteriosis (violation intestinal microflora), caused for various reasons, among which are: changes in diet, taking antibiotics and reducing the body’s defenses. This can also include individual sensitivity to certain medications, for example, iron supplements.

Liquid stool also occurs when there is a lack of certain enzymes that are involved in the complete breakdown of food. Sometimes liquid feces may be a consequence of inflammation of the appendix (appendix). Some abnormal conditions that occur inside the intestines sometimes provoke loose stools of an uncharacteristic color.

Diseases of the peritoneum that require surgical interventions also sometimes manifest themselves in the form of diarrhea.

It is noteworthy that the frequency of bowel movements, as well as their smell and color characteristics, depend on the reasons that influenced the appearance of diarrhea.

Diarrhea in babies.

Diarrhea in babies is not always a dangerous symptom.

For children under 1 year of age, unformed and unsolid feces are normal. This is facilitated by specific nutrition ( mother's milk and mixtures), as well as the imperfection of the children's digestive system.

However, if blood, foam, mucus is visible in the baby's stool, or the discharge becomes watery, then this may be an alarming sign. In these cases, you need to contact a specialist.

Normally, the stool of children under one year of age should be yellowish in color and have a sour smell; whitish lumps are allowed in the stool. Emptying, as a rule, occurs 6-7 times a day. And upon reaching one year of age, the norm becomes emptying from 1 to 3 times a day. At the same time, ordinary soft stools should not be a cause for concern.

What symptoms are characteristic of pathological stool in children?

With dysbacteriosis, a specialist will best help.

First of all, it is watery. This sign may indicate the presence of an intestinal infection or a cold. Sometimes a similar reaction occurs when introducing complementary foods or taking certain medications.

In babies under 1 year of age, frequent bowel movements may indicate gastroenteritis, which is accompanied by fever, vomiting and nausea, especially in the morning. The stool is liquid, with an unpleasant odor and sometimes streaked with blood.

For viral and bacterial infections in the intestines, diarrhea is accompanied by hyperthermia (increased temperature), there may be flatulence and painful sensations in the abdominal area. Diarrhea in children appears as a concomitant symptom of ARVI, influenza, otitis media and pneumonia.

Dysbacteriosis, lactose deficiency and protein allergies can also cause diarrhea in childhood. These symptoms are also accompanied by weight loss and skin rash.

It is noteworthy that loose stools in a baby can be caused not only by serious illnesses or disorders, but also normal teething. The reason for this is the body’s response to decreased immunity.

Children often put their hands in their mouths, which can also indicate impending teething: the gums become inflamed and disturb the baby, but due to his age, he cannot tell an adult about it. Infection from hands can get into oral cavity, and from there into the intestines, which can cause diarrhea of infectious etiology.

Diarrhea also occurs with biliary dyskinesia or disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system. Therefore, the baby needs a full examination, which will identify the cause of loose stools. Intestinal disorders are characterized by different symptoms, namely:

loose stools, vomiting, epigastric pain;
weakness and refusal to eat;
hyperthermia up to 38-38.5 degrees;
stool mixed with blood, foam, mucus, or gas.

What should you do if your child has abnormal stool?

Smecta is an excellent remedy for diarrhea.

The most important thing is to never resort to self-medication, as it can only worsen the situation.

It is urgently necessary to call a doctor to your home, who will make an initial diagnosis and give the necessary recommendations. Mothers need to know that if their baby has diarrhea, they should not stop feeding for more than two days.

A child, like an adult, needs nutrition even in this state. However, foods that cause fermentation processes in the intestines should be excluded from the diet.

These include: porridge with full-fat milk, yoghurt, fermented baked milk and sweets, legumes, rolls and carbonated drinks. If the diarrhea is of non-infectious etiology, then a diet with eating small portions 5-6 times a day will help to cope with it.

If the cause of watery stool is food poisoning, then the child needs to be given a cleansing enema and then given an energy sorbent. For this you can use activated carbon and Eneterosgel.

It is important to remember that diarrhea causes dehydration, so it is necessary to replenish fluid reserves. For these purposes, it will be useful for kids to be given “Regidron” or “Glucosolan”. It is important to strictly follow the instructions.

The powder is diluted in 1 liter of water and given in small portions after each bowel movement. It is also possible to prepare enterosorbent at home; for this you need to take 1 liter of boiled water, dilute 1/3 tsp in it. salt and baking soda, 2 tsp. sugar, and serve in the same way as the above sorbents.

If after the main therapy the child still has loose stools, then rice water will be useful. It is very simple to prepare: take 1 tablespoon of rice for 1 liter of water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for an hour. Then cool to 37-35 degrees and serve to the child.

To quickly prepare a decoction, you can take 1 liter of water and combine it with 100 grams of rice flour, stir the mixture well and cook over the fire while stirring for 5 minutes. After cooling to a comfortable temperature, you can serve it to your baby. After treatment for diarrhea and the causes that caused it is completed, the doctor will usually prescribe probiotics.

This group of drugs restores the usual intestinal microflora.

Causes of diarrhea in adults

Regidron is also indicated for pregnant women.

They are not particularly different from those that provoke loose stools in babies. These include: intestinal infections and chronic diseases, poor nutrition and taking certain medications.

Often, women during pregnancy are prone to intestinal disorders, including diarrhea. What causes this condition in pregnant women? This:

excessive food consumption or intolerance to certain foods;
hormonal changes that promote relaxation of muscle organs (including the intestines). This may include hormonal imbalances;
due to the growth of the uterus, it puts pressure on surrounding organs, which can also cause loose stools;
chronic gastrointestinal diseases, dysbacteriosis, poisoning.

If loose stools do not stop for more than a day, you should consult a doctor, since dehydration due to diarrhea in a pregnant woman can harm the unborn baby. Diarrhea is especially dangerous during the first trimester of pregnancy, since frequent intestinal tension can provoke tone in the uterus and lead to miscarriage.

If a pregnant woman develops loose stools, she needs to take Regidron, which helps normalize the water-salt balance in the body. To neutralize the “toxic attack” in the intestines, you can drink activated charcoal. The drug "Smecta" will help strengthen the intestinal mucosa.

Also, a pregnant woman with signs of diarrhea should follow a diet that excludes spicy, starchy and fatty foods. To replenish water resources The body is advised to drink plenty of fluids.

If a woman notices mucus or streaks of blood in her stool, this may indicate a serious illness or disorder. In this case, you should urgently seek medical help.

To normalize the microflora in the intestines, pregnant women are allowed to take probiotics and bifidobacteria (Bifidumbactrin, Mezim-Forte, Linex).

What rules do doctors advise to follow to avoid symptoms of diarrhea in children and adults?

Vegetables and fruits must be washed before consumption, or better yet, doused with hot boiled water;
Pay attention to the shelf life and sale periods of products. If they have already expired, then such products are not worth buying;
If there are doubts about the freshness of the products (even if the seller claims the opposite), then there is no need to take risks and purchase such food products;
Dairy, fish and meat products must be heat treated before eating;
Do not drink tap water. Boiled or purified water, which is commercially available, is suitable for this;
You should not resort to self-medication, as it can only aggravate the situation;
If the disorder has been observed for a long time, you should seek help from specialists.

There are also traditional methods relief from diarrhea, but it is better to consult a doctor before using them.

An infusion of chamomile flowers helps with loose stools. To prepare it you need to take 1 tbsp. l. chamomile and add boiling water to a glass. Then strain, let it brew and take 1/2 cup three times a day.
Dried blackberries mixed with honey also help with loose stools. This mixture should be taken 3 times a day, 1 tsp.
If blood streaks are noticed in the stool, it is useful to take 1 tsp. rosehip branches and pour a glass of boiling water, simmer in a water bath for half an hour. Drink 3 times a day, 1/3 cup.
Oak bark is also effective in eliminating the symptoms of loose stools. You need to take 1 tsp. bark and pour two glasses of water. Let it brew for several hours, and then drink 100-120 ml 2-4 times a day.
St. John's wort herb in the amount of 2 tsp. pour a glass of boiling water and let it brew. Drink 1 tbsp three times a day. l.
A decoction of dried fruits (apples and pears), as well as blueberries brewed as tea, will also help.
Rice water helps with loose stools of non-infectious origin. It is useful to drink it daily in the morning until signs of diarrhea disappear.
Sometimes potato starch helps. It is necessary to dilute 1 teaspoon in 2 glasses of water and drink at one time.

This video will tell you what to do if your child has loose stools:

Loose stools cause a lot of inconvenience to a person, be it an adult or a child. The symptom is unpleasant and negatively affects well-being, health and lifestyle.

What is loose stool

During normal functioning of the stomach, bowel movements occur once or twice a day.

If disruption of the gastrointestinal tract occurs over a long period of time, they speak of chronic diarrhea (not diarrhea). How to determine the cause and begin treatment correctly is a question that requires a serious approach and attention.

Chronic loose stools in an adult indicate 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 microelements, minerals, and nutrients are released. They are necessary to maintain water-salt balance and normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Signs of dehydration include:

Lethargy, drowsiness, constant feeling weaknesses;
Dryness skin;
Loss of body weight;
Feeling thirsty, dry mouth;
Reducing the number of urinations.

Remember! Long-lasting, loose, smelly stools in an adult should not be ignored. The symptom is dangerous for the body. If you ignore the symptoms, there is a risk of serious harm to your health and 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 consistency, it 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: sharp pains in the abdomen, high temperature, health quickly deteriorates.

Causes of prolonged loose stools in adults

If a person is bothered by 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 stool vary in nature.

Factors contributing to indigestion:

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

When to see a doctor

If a symptom is observed, you should not ignore it, even if nothing hurts. It is recommended to call immediately ambulance, If:

Unformed feces, no odor observed for a long time, daily (month);
Severe weight loss has occurred;
Feeling of constant nausea, bitter taste in the mouth;
After treatment, the symptom does not go away;
A foul odor appeared;
The man experiences severe shortness of breath and an increased heart rate;
The stool is very watery;
Blood clots and mucus appeared in the stool. This means complications of the disease have begun.

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

How to cure loose stool for an adult

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

Taking medications (anti-inflammatory, probiotics, prebiotics, antibacterials, sorbents, etc.).
The second tip is to follow a dietary menu (exclude foods that can have a laxative effect or overload a sore stomach).

The treatment method directly depends on the cause of the stomach upset. The diagnosis may be different for each person with this symptom. How and with what to treat is determined by the attending physician. Self-medication is prohibited! At improper treatment there remains a risk of harm to health.

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

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

It is important to drink more water to replace lost fluids. You can make water with added salt. Rehydration medications are recommended to normalize the water-salt balance.

At correct diagnosis and following treatment, you can get rid of loose stools in a week.

Diet for loose stools

Proper nutrition will help quickly improve the functioning of the stomach. Strict adherence to the doctor’s recommendations regarding diet will shorten the treatment period.

The diet includes:

Eating low-fat foods;
Lenten broth;
Rusks, crackers;
Porridge with water (oatmeal, rice porridge);
Boiled potatoes;
Vegetables cooked in a steam bath;
Bananas.

If you have loose stools, you should refrain from alcoholic beverages, coffee, dairy products, fatty and spicy food, baked goods, sparkling water, fruit juices.

Prevention

It is better to prevent a disease than to treat it. Preventive measures:

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

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

And here prolonged diarrhea in an adult it can lead to complications, which are then difficult to get rid of.

As a rule, patients do not pay much attention to this problem and let things take their course, without thinking about the consequences. And only when an adult has had loose stools for a long time and begins to appear with blood, does a person run to the doctors or to the pharmacy for an expensive medicine. All this can be avoided if you know the causes of this disease.

Why does diarrhea occur?

An adult at normal stool should defecate 1-2 times a day. When diarrhea appears, this process occurs more often, and the diarrhea may not stop all day.

There are a number of reasons that can cause loose stools in an adult:

What does the color of loose stool mean?

The appearance of liquid feces of an unusual color should make you think about your health. Especially if mucus, foam or blood appears along with the feces. In fact, long-term diarrhea is not a disease, but a symptom through which you can learn a lot. Eg:

Light-colored stool indicates problems in the small intestine;
green may be a symptom of bacterial diarrhea;
black stool is a sign of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract;
Bloody diarrhea that does not go away for a long time may be a sign of a colon tumor.

The cause of green stool can be not only illness, but also the consumption of large quantities of peas or zucchini. And beets and prunes can give stool a black color.

What will help with diarrhea

During diarrhea, stool can contain up to 90% liquid. And this has a detrimental effect on the body. Therefore, first of all, you need to see a doctor and undergo the following procedures:

If necessary, the patient needs to donate vomit and water that he drinks. Once the cause of prolonged diarrhea has been identified, it is necessary to begin treatment.

As a rule, prescribed medications are aimed at:

elimination of liquid feces;
resumption of normal functioning of the digestive system;
restoration of water balance;
elimination of the disease itself.

If diarrhea does not go away, you should immediately inform your doctor.

Medications

After the examination, the doctor is obliged to prescribe not only drugs for prolonged diarrhea, but also a medicine that will directly eliminate the cause of diarrhea. The following remedies will help with the disease:

Imodium. It is taken after diarrhea occurs, 4-5 capsules per day.
Smecta. Usually 3 sachets are prescribed per day, but for acute diarrhea, 6 pieces should be consumed. One such sachet is diluted in ½ glass of water.
Tannacomp. Crush one tablet and take with meals. This procedure should be done 3 times a day.
Enterol. Prescribe 2 capsules 1 hour before meals 2 times a day. The course of treatment should not exceed 7 days.

Diarrhea often causes pain in the lower abdomen, which can last all day. They will help you get rid of it antispasmodics, for example, No-shpa.

Microelements are also removed from the body with the fluid that comes out. Therefore, it is best to drink not just a large amount of water, but pharmaceutical solutions such as Regidron. You can also prepare your own glucose-saline solution. To do this you will need half a teaspoon of soda, twice as much salt, potassium chloride in the amount of a quarter of a teaspoon and 6 teaspoons of sugar.

Remember that activated carbon is not a solution to this problem. It, along with toxins, removes fluid from the body, so it can only do harm.

Diet for prolonged diarrhea

In order for the treatment to be effective, you should adhere to a special diet, which will be prepared by your doctor. As a rule, it includes the following dishes:

The diet should not include spices and fatty foods. Also, to achieve quick results, you will need to give up a number of products, excluding:

sweet fruit juices and carbonated drinks;
products containing milk;
mushrooms;
beans;
pickles;
sweets;
baking.

On the first day of the appearance of loose stools, you should refuse food and provide the body with plenty of fluids. The diet must be followed for at least a week. It is not recommended to abruptly return to your usual food.

Something to remember! In order not to aggravate the problem and not return diarrhea, you need to follow basic hygiene rules. Do not forget to thoroughly wash dishes, vegetables, fruits, and hands before eating. Look at the expiration date of products. It is also not recommended to visit cafes and restaurants.

Folk remedies

An additional treatment option may be ethnoscience. Our ancestors have long struggled with this disease and created many recipes that help get rid of prolonged loose stools. Let's look at the main ones.

Rice broth. This medicinal product is easy to prepare and does not harm the body. You will need 2 glasses of water and 1.5 teaspoons of rice. Cook the cereal for about 30 minutes over low heat. Then strain and drink half a glass of warm broth 3 times a day. This medicine should be taken on the first day of diarrhea. Can be given even to small children.
On an empty stomach, take 5 pieces of black peppercorns. To achieve the best result, you need to figure it out, but this is not at all necessary. Diarrhea should stop within an hour after eating the peas.

Dried pomegranate peel Shredded dried chicken navels

If diarrhea does not go away after some time, then you should not self-medicate. This can only worsen your situation. After all, when diarrhea does not stop, a person begins to dramatically lose weight and strength. And we should not forget that the cause of this problem may be serious illnesses. Therefore, first of all, consult a doctor.

Loose stools (diarrhea) once a day

Diarrhea is an unpleasant phenomenon that occurs in every person’s life. A person feels discomfort and unpleasant pain in the abdominal area. If you start immediate treatment, you can normalize your stool within a few days. When a patient has loose stools once a day, he may not think much of it, but when it becomes more frequent, some concerns arise.

The frequency of stool may depend on the type of disease that caused its change. If diarrhea 10 times a day, and sometimes more often, a person may experience a syndrome state of shock. The pulse becomes frequent and the blood pressure rises. However, in some cases it appears cold sweat, and the skin takes on a pale tint. If this happens, it is better to seek help from a specialist as soon as possible, since such frequency of bowel movements is most likely caused by a serious illness. Before the doctor arrives, you need to raise your legs so that they are slightly higher than your head. To prevent dehydration, the patient is advised to drink mineral water.

Diarrhea several times a day

When a patient has diarrhea 4 times a day, and sometimes more often, we can safely say that the person suffers from chronic diarrhea. The reason for frequent bowel movements is a malfunction of the body or a disease.

If you have diarrhea all day, then a person’s quality of life deteriorates, since he constantly has to be distracted. Sometimes frequent bowel movements lead to dehydration. If diarrhea lasts for a day or more, it is better to entrust treatment to specialists.

You should know what factors can cause diarrhea all day:

Irritable bowel syndrome. In addition to frequent bowel movements, this disease can cause paroxysmal pain in the abdominal area. Sometimes diarrhea changes to constipation, but soon the situation changes again;
Infectious bowel diseases. This is the most common cause and can cause diarrhea every other day, and sometimes several times a day. People traveling to countries with tropical climates are more susceptible to infectious diseases. Also at risk are small children who put everything they come across into their mouths. Pathogens that cause loose stools up to 10 times a day can be found in water and food;
Individual food intolerances can also cause diarrhea once a day, and sometimes more often. In this case, patients may experience intestinal dysfunction for a whole month, even if they consumed the irritant only once;
Reaction to a synthetic substance. Diarrhea twice a day may occur after consuming certain medicines, food colors or flavors.

What to do if you have diarrhea all day?

Patients often do not know what to do if they have diarrhea all day long, accompanied by pain. Of course, it is better to apply for qualified help, since a specialist will quickly determine the reasons for the appearance of loose stools 4-10 times a day and prescribe correct treatment.

It should be remembered that even with treatment, the feeling of discomfort may increase until loose stools appear every other day. Gradually, there will be no trace of diarrhea, but you also need to get rid of the cause that caused the disorder in the intestines.

Even with proper treatment chronic disorders can be eliminated and intestinal function restored, it is important not to lose heart and follow all the doctor’s requirements. In order for diarrhea that lasts a day to be eliminated, the following measures are applied:

To stop the loss of fluid and mineral salts from the body, you need to bring the consistency of your stool back to normal as soon as possible. To do this, the doctor prescribes a remedy - Imodium or analogues. It can eliminate the problem in a short period of time;
After this, it is better to start using antibiotics that can cope with the first cause of diarrhea once a day. Thus, the bacteria causing the infection will be destroyed;
Must be excluded medicines and foods that can cause allergic reaction and diarrhea;
The final stage of treatment and elimination of loose stools requires proper nutrition several times a day.

Diet for diarrhea all day

Treatment has been prescribed, but I have diarrhea all day, what should I do? For treatment to be effective, it is necessary to reconsider your diet, since many foods contribute to the appearance of loose stools.

If you have loose stools, drink 1 glass of liquid every 2 hours per day. In one day, the amount of fluid consumed should be more than 3 liters. Alcoholic and carbonated drinks should not be used as drinks. You should also exclude milk and coffee from your diet.

It does not matter how many times a day the patient has diarrhea, since regardless of the frequency, the stomach will be weakened and to eliminate stress and cramps, the liquid must be consumed in small sips. In case if drinking regime does not have a beneficial effect, a rehydration drug should be added to the drink.

If you have loose stools, you should have 5 meals a day. A too varied menu is not recommended. The basis of nutrition should consist of the following products:

Bananas;
Rusks;
Baked apples;

For diarrhea, you can add it to your diet every other day or less. dietary varieties meat. Fried, fatty and sweet foods should be completely excluded from the diet. These foods can bring back the disease and minimize the effect of treatment.

If diet and treatment do not help and diarrhea continues for more than 48 hours, you need to be checked for poisoning. Some cases of poisoning may require hospitalization. In case of poisoning, it is better to drink water and liquid soups for the first day. In this case, it is better to use medications under the supervision of a doctor.

Proper nutrition can normalize intestinal function. If this does not happen, you should adjust your diet with your doctor. Perhaps one of the foods the patient eats is an irritant and has a bad effect on digestion.

After recovery, preventive maintenance should be carried out periodically to avoid reappearance illness and loose stools that do not go away over time.

Diarrhea every day in an adult

Diarrhea can strike a person at the most inopportune moment, regardless of his gender and age. Intestinal upset accompanied by diarrhea is a fairly common phenomenon. Call him various reasons: poor quality or heavy food, poisoning, infections and germs, pathological changes in organism. In addition, they distinguish different shapes diarrhea. It can occur in acute or chronic form. There are cases when an adult experiences loose stools once a day for quite a long time. Many people are very often concerned about the question of whether this phenomenon relates to diarrhea or is it another pathological condition. First of all, let's deal with these categories. And so, loose stool is stool with a watery consistency. Diarrhea is a painful condition that causes frequent and forceful bowel movements. Wherein main symptom diarrhea - loose stools, although sometimes stool can have a thicker, porridge-like consistency. Based on this, we summarize that loose stools are a sign of diarrhea, which in certain situations may have a thicker consistency of stool. What causes diarrhea in an adult and manifests itself as a single bowel movement every day for a long period? We will look at the answers to these questions in this article.

Why does an adult experience diarrhea with single bowel movements for a long time?

Daily single bowel movements with loose stools for several days indicate that a person’s diarrhea has become chronic. It is almost impossible to get rid of this problem on your own, and unskilled actions can only harm the body, so if symptoms of diarrhea appear, you should seek help from a doctor. In order to get rid of this unpleasant symptom, you must first find out the reasons that provoked daily diarrhea, and only then begin treatment.

Usually, acute form diarrhea is accompanied by pain in the intestines, bloating, fever, and gas formation. And here chronic form with loose stools there are no such symptoms. It manifests itself as a one-time liquid bowel movement, mainly during the day. It is important to monitor the condition of the stool. Even if diarrhea is daily, but there is no mucus or bloody impurities in the feces and the feces do not consist entirely of water, then this condition does not pose any particular danger. But you should definitely consult a doctor for advice. In most cases, eliminating the above reasons will eliminate the problem.

What to do with loose stools

In an adult, diarrhea, which is accompanied by loose stools, may indicate serious pathological disorders in organism. But often, a person does not even think about it, and at the first symptoms of diarrhea, meaning the first watery bowel movements, he begins to self-medicate and take pills. But is it really that simple? Of course not. Firstly, they distinguish clinical picture diarrhea. After all, it can have an acute form, in which loose stools are repeated every two to three hours, or even more often, while a number of other symptoms are also present; this condition is quite dangerous, since it can lead to dehydration of the body. In this case, there are general rules, the so-called necessary measures before a full examination and determination of the cause of diarrhea:

Completely stop eating for 24 hours.
Increase the amount of fluid consumed. To do this, it is recommended to drink strong black tea or chamomile decoction;
To prevent dehydration and its possible consequences, you need to drink Regidron.

For other medications, you should consult your doctor as they may have side effects. side effects, contraindications or individual intolerance. Secondly, acute diarrhea can be caused by infectious diseases, then the patient is protected from contact. Treatment is carried out with drugs with pronounced antiviral and antibacterial effects.

In case of chronic diarrhea, when there is one loose stool per day, but for a long time, then if the examinations did not reveal any serious disorders in the body, the following recommendations should be followed:

introduce into your diet daily use porridge with water, it is best to give preference to rice and rice water;
drink yogurt or kefirs with bifidobacteria every day;
drink blueberry or cranberry jelly;
eat only lean meat, and cook it exclusively by steaming;
completely eliminate fatty foods;
drink a lot of fluids like ordinary water, and herbal teas with honey.

By following these requirements, in most cases, you can get rid of diarrhea fairly quickly. Also, for an adult patient, the doctor may prescribe special antidiarrheal medications that will speed up the recovery process.

Loose stools in the morning in an adult: what is the reason and how to treat?

A bowel disorder may be a sign of a serious illness. This cannot be treated indifferently. Timely treatment will help avoid unwanted consequences. First of all, you need to go to the doctor and undergo the necessary examination.

Morning diarrhea: acute or chronic

Nowadays, diarrhea is common in adults every day.

Accompanied frequent urges, which can last throughout the day.
Most often, this phenomenon is caused by intestinal infections. They are the cause of poisoning. But not always.
It can occur when eating unwashed vegetables and fruits, expired and low-quality products.

You need to choose carefully:

Dairy products and check the terms and conditions of storage.
The same goes for eggs.

All these products can cause a serious disease called salmonellosis. Especially with the onset of warming and summer.

If diarrhea occurred once, and the person did not have elevated temperature, vomiting, poisoning, then it is not dangerous.

In this case, you can drink:

This phenomenon can occur due to strong feelings and stress. Often happens to students before taking exams.

Why does the disorder occur every day?

Many people do not take into account the factors that trigger diarrhea. Therefore, it is worth excluding them from everyday life.

These factors include:

Treatment or use of laxatives;
Eating large amounts of foods that are rich in fiber (as you know, it is very difficult to digest);
Treatment with medications that provoke digestive disorders. For example, antibiotics;
Moving to another city, country. Vacation in warm countries. Consumption of exotic fruits and dishes;
Severe stress breakdown. In such cases, you should initially take a sedative.

Usually, daily stool upset occurs due to dysbiosis.

Adhering to a healthy and dietary diet.
Additionally, you need to take probiotics. But to know which bacteria are missing, you need to wait for a stool test for dysbacteriosis.
After a course of treatment with the lack of bacteria, the stool returns to normal in a short time.

Causes of the disorder

The main cause of stool disorder is irritable bowel syndrome:

It is confirmed after a stool analysis, in which there are no deviations from the norm.
Accompanied functional disorder intestines.
This is not a disease, but rather a pathology.

At the same time, problems regularly arise in the performance of the digestive system:

They can last about a month, and then disappear and appear again.
The person suffers from diarrhea, and then constipation appears.
It is worth noting that such a manifestation greatly depletes the body. The patient feels unwell physically and mentally.

Other causes of bowel dysfunction include:

Intestinal infections (rotavirus, enterovirus);
Drinking unboiled water from natural sources(regions or while traveling);
Chronic gastrointestinal infections;
Worm infestations;
Intolerance to certain foods;
Surgical intervention in the organs of the digestive system;
Consumption of expired, low-quality, incompatible products;
Stress, nervous breakdowns;
Dysbacteriosis.

It is worth noting that long-term continuation of the disorder may occur due to certain medications:

long-term treatment with antibiotics;
drugs for the treatment of oncology and tumors;
medications for seizures;
tranquilizers;
hormonal drugs;
Antibiotics significantly destroy the intestinal microflora. This very often provokes diarrhea.

Why does an adult have loose stools in the morning?

Causes may indicate serious illnesses, for example:

intestinal tuberculosis;
the presence of polyps or oncology;
ulcerative colitis;
Crohn's disease.

Symptoms of the disorder

Exist characteristic symptoms, by which it is easy to determine stool disorder.

Bloating and a feeling of fullness in this area;
Sharp abdominal pain regardless of time or meal;
Diarrhea and constipation that occur alternately;
Flatulence, seething after eating;
A feeling of heaviness in the intestinal area after defecation;
The presence of mucus in the stool;
Pain in the anal canal area;
Presence of blood in stool;
Severe weakness.

Why is there sporadic but intermittent diarrhea in the morning?

Morning diarrhea often occurs due to the use of laxatives. During the treatment process, the patient is prepared for the possibility of diarrhea occurring the day after tomorrow. In this case, this is completely normal.

It's a completely different matter if diarrhea appears unexpectedly. Then the person begins to wonder what caused the diarrhea. In this case, you need to think about what could provoke such a phenomenon.

These may be the following factors:

Severe stress, anxiety, nervous breakdown. All these disturbances in the emotional state can provoke a single diarrhea. In this case, there is no need for treatment. It is enough for a person to calm down. You can take a sedative.
Increased intestinal peristalsis. The reasons may also be hidden in digestive problems. In the morning a person suffers from nausea and diarrhea. This condition is also observed with dysbacteriosis. In this case, treatment is necessary and, most importantly, on time. Very quickly, such diarrhea can become chronic.

Diarrhea in the morning can be sporadic, and after a few days it can recur and occur every day. This phenomenon indicates disorders and diseases in the body. Therefore, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Consequences of morning diarrhea

Diarrhea, especially with water, is dangerous for humans due to rapid dehydration of the body:

there is a strong feeling of thirst and dry mouth;
The patient’s skin color changes – it becomes pale.

In this case, emergency medical attention will be needed.

accelerated heartbeat;
he finds it difficult to breathe. This occurs due to the loss of large amounts of salt due to diarrhea.
significant reduction in the patient's body weight.

Diagnostics

To determine the cause of stool disorder, the following diagnostic methods are used:

Examination by a gynecologist and urologist;
Physical examination;
Fecal analysis (worm eggs, coprogram, dysbacteriosis, occult blood);
Biopsy;
Ultrasound diagnostics of the digestive organs.

If during these examinations no deviation from the norm is found, the patient is recommended to consult a psychotherapist. Because diarrhea can be the cause of a person's emotional state.

How to treat?

To prescribe the correct treatment, you need to find the cause of diarrhea. Since it is known why loose stools occur in the morning in an adult, treatment can be traditional or folk.

Drug therapy

Among the medications for diarrhea are prescribed:

Sorbents (Activated carbon, Smecta, White clay, Atoxil);
Medicines for food poisoning (Nifuroxazide, Levomycetin);
Enzymes (Pancreatin, Creon);
Probiotics (Lactiale, Subalin, Biosparin);
Saline solutions for dehydration (Regidron);
Medicines to start the functioning of the stomach (Mezim, Motorix);
Sedative.

Treatment is prescribed taking into account the disease. Before using the medicine, be sure to read the instructions for use. It is not recommended to self-medicate in such cases.

Alternative medicine

Loose stools in the morning in an adult can be cured using folk remedies.

The most effective include:

Alcohol tincture of walnuts;
Wild sorrel decoction;
Tea from lemon balm, chamomile, St. John's wort;
50 grams of vodka with a pinch of salt.

How to eat if you have diarrhea?

What can you eat if you have diarrhea? Nutrition in this case plays a very important role. First of all, you need to make sure that all products are fresh and have undergone heat treatment. If you have diarrhea, you should stick to a diet. If an adult's stool has acquired green color, the reasons can be found here.

You can consume the following foods and drinks:

Boiled rice without salt and oil and rice water;
Boiled mashed potatoes, slightly salted;
Boiled carrots;
Homemade crackers;
Strong black tea without sugar;
Mineral water;
Compote of dried apples and raisins;
Baked apples.

If diarrhea occurs due to food poisoning or intestinal infection, then such a diet must be followed for at least a week. Then gradually expand the diet. For single diarrhea associated with emotional state person, these products should be consumed for 1-2 days.

It is important to understand that diarrhea does not occur on its own. There are certain reasons for this. A person must recognize them as quickly as possible in order to avoid serious consequences.

Ways to distinguish loose stools from diarrhea in adults: how to tell the difference

Loose stools in adults are a fairly common problem. How to distinguish it from diarrhea, and is there a difference? Let's try to understand the causes and features of the treatment of these diseases.

Explanation of chronic diarrhea

Normally, defecation in an adult occurs once or twice a day in an average volume, with a liquid content of no more than 80%. If there is an increase in fluid in the stool, then in this case we can talk about the problem of loose stools. You can distinguish it from diarrhea by the timing: loose stools usually develop chronic nature, that is, it lasts 2-3 weeks or more. The difference is also that diarrhea is more intense. Loose stools can occur for several reasons:

Loose stools are most often a sluggish symptom without pronounced accompanying pathologies. How to distinguish it? The difference is that with diarrhea, an increase in temperature is more often observed, and there is severe pain in the intestinal area.

Etiology of acute disorder

Although some doctors consider the concepts of diarrhea, diarrhea and loose stools to be identical, some experts define diarrhea (diarrhea) as more acute condition, as a rule, requiring adoption emergency measures. How to distinguish the causes of diarrhea? Most often this is:

acute infectious disease (rotavirus, enterovirus, bacteria);
exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases;
stress;
poisoning from poor-quality food or medicine.

Stress can cause loose stools.

The main danger in this case is the risk of dehydration. What is the difference between diarrhea and loose stools? Signs that should cause concern:

Defecation more than three to four times a day with large volumes of watery stool.
Inclusions of blood and mucus are observed in the stool.
Temperature increase.
Signs of dehydration.

Symptoms of dehydration include: dry mouth, dark urine, weakness, apathy, nausea, increased body temperature. If these symptoms are combined with diarrhea, consult a doctor!

Loose stools, but not diarrhea, is a rather vague concept, because one can turn into the other over time, and it is not always possible to distinguish the first signs of a serious illness. Therefore, in any case, if you are concerned about the state of your digestive system, it is better to consult a doctor to determine an accurate diagnosis.

Differences in Therapy

Loose stools and diarrhea also have a big difference in treatment. Therapy for loose stools, but not diarrhea, primarily involves reviewing your diet. What is recommended to eat for loose stools, but not diarrhea?

Eat more porridges cooked in water, but rice porridge and rice water are especially recommended.
Eat yogurt or kefir with bifidobacteria every day - they help normalize the digestion process.
Among meat products, preference should be given to lean, steamed meats.
Drink jelly; blueberry jelly has a particularly effective fixing effect.
Do not eat fatty foods, as they provoke the release of bile.
Eliminate foods that cause gas formation in the intestines.
It is necessary to drink plenty of fluids (plain water or drinks with glucose).
In case of lactose intolerance (reduction of the lactase enzyme in the body), limit or eliminate the consumption of milk. Typically, symptoms of loose stools, but not diarrhea, go away immediately. If you drink milk again, loose stools may appear again.

If loose stools appear, you should avoid drinking milk.

As a rule, in 90% of cases the problem disappears at this stage and special treatment not required. The difference is that to treat diarrhea in an adult it most often requires specific treatment, at a minimum - reception antidiarrheal drugs. In addition, your doctor may recommend folk remedies treatment. If diarrhea threatens dehydration, the patient is hospitalized and an electrolytic solution is administered using intravenous drips.

Comparison table

Let's try to compose comparison table with parameters by which one can distinguish between loose stools and diarrhea in an adult. It should be understood that the difference is quite arbitrary, but it still gives general idea about the specifics of the phenomenon.

Severe diarrhea with water is a problem that every adult has encountered at least once. There are quite a few reasons for bowel dysfunction. It could be an infection in the intestines or simply a poor-quality product eaten at dinner. Water diarrhea most often occurs due to pathologies of the small intestine.

Know! Watery diarrhea in an adult can be a symptom of a serious illness, and therefore it is necessary to find out the reason why diarrhea appeared and eliminate it as soon as possible.

Water diarrhea in an adult can occur at the most unexpected moment. It’s good if the urge to go to the toilet is rare and lasts for one to two days. However, water diarrhea in an adult can last longer. If loose, watery stools persist for more than three days, you should consult a doctor and undergo an examination to find out the cause of the disease. Digestive tract connected with all systems in the body, so any external influence can increase intestinal motility, thereby causing the appearance of watery stools in an adult. The most common causes of diarrhea are:

Dyspeptic factor. This reason occurs due to disruption of the production and regulation of the gastric glands, which leads to the inability to digest food and absorb nutrients into the body.
Infectious cause is one of the most common causes. As a rule, in the presence of an infectious disease, the patient has a virus in the intestines or toxic substances remaining from low-quality products.
Nutritional factor. This reason lies in the body’s reaction to one of the substances contained in the products.
Toxic cause. Diarrhea like water in an adult can occur due to poisoning with poisonous and toxic substances.
The drug factor is provoked by the influence of strong drugs. For example, water diarrhea in an adult is often caused by treatment antibacterial agents. Antibiotics do an excellent job of fighting pathogenic microflora; however, they also destroy beneficial bacteria, causing dysbacteriosis.
The neurogenic cause is also called bear disease. In this case, loose stools, like water, appear in an adult due to strong and frequent experiences.

There are other factors that provoke the appearance of diarrhea in an adult. Many people wonder what to do if they have diarrhea with water. In this case, it is important to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms. For example, if in addition to diarrhea with water you also experience a high temperature, most likely you have intoxication of the body. It can occur due to poisoning with poisons or low-quality products. In addition, sometimes diarrhea is accompanied sharp pain in the abdomen, which may indicate other serious diseases.

Additional symptoms

Diarrhea in the form of water from the intestines can be a sign of various ailments. In order to have more complete information about the disease, it is necessary to take into account other factors. For example, you should pay attention to how the disease progresses, what additional symptoms appear, and also what color the stool is.

Loose stools in an adult are often accompanied by an increase in body temperature. The maximum temperature is usually recorded at 39 degrees. This sign is considered normal because it indicates immunodeficiency. Diarrhea is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting; abdominal pain and an unpleasant feeling of heaviness may occur. In addition, many people note belching with a smell rotten eggs, which is easily explained by the flow of gases from the intestines into the stomach.

Almost any doctor can easily determine the cause of the disease by the color of the stool. Also, any patient can independently draw some conclusions. The first thing to ask yourself is how often do I go to the toilet. If the answer is more than three times a day, you should start to worry. Secondly, you should also ask yourself how long it takes to go to the toilet with liquid feces. An alarming sign is the continuation of dysentery for three days or more. The color of stool may indicate the following:

Green color is a sign of the presence of pathogenic microflora in the intestines. These can be harmful bacteria or viruses of various natures.
Yellow stool indicates increased intestinal motility. This disease is most easily eliminated, so yellow color can be considered a good sign.
Black stool may be evidence of eating certain foods, such as blueberries, beets, or activated carbon. If no similar products were consumed the day before, then this sign indicates the presence of bleeding in the body.
White liquid stool is a sure sign of a stone in the bile duct or a neoplasm.
If the stool is clear and looks like water, it is possible to talk about the presence of cholera, which provokes all the signs of diarrhea.

Consequences of water diarrhea in adults

If diarrhea is not treated with water, an adult can experience many complications. The most likely and common consequence of diarrhea is dehydration. During diarrhea, the body loses quite a lot of water. If you do not replenish its amount in the body, you can easily develop disturbances in the water, electrolyte and salt balance in the body.

Water and minerals necessary for absolutely all body systems. In addition, the human skeleton is approximately one-fifth water, and the brain and heart are three-quarters. This is why the body simply cannot survive without the right amount of water. Recovery from dehydration is very long.

Treatment of diarrhea

Many people wonder how to treat diarrhea with water for an adult. It would not be amiss to begin with by saying that the causes and treatment of diarrhea are closely interrelated.

Important! Before starting therapy, it is imperative to determine the reason why loose stools are bothering you. It is best to contact a specialist for this, since in most cases the problem can only be identified through special research.

The first thing you need to worry about is to prevent dehydration. It is necessary to restore the balance of water and salt; the drug Regidron is excellent for this. If you don’t have it on hand, you can simply pour it into liter jar boiled water and add half a teaspoon of soda, a tablespoon of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt. It is advisable to start drinking the solution within the first 6-10 hours of the onset of diarrhea. After taking the solution, after some time you can also add mineral water. It is not recommended to drink juices, milk and coffee during diarrhea.

You should not try to cure the disease yourself with antibacterial agents. Antibiotics are extremely rarely prescribed during diarrhea, since in this case they can do more harm than good. At all self-treatment most often results in complications, so it is not recommended to neglect qualified help. Many infectious diseases can lead to quite dire consequences.

How to eat during diarrhea?

An important part of treating diarrhea is following a special diet. It involves giving up sweets and starchy, spicy and fatty foods. In addition, alcoholic and carbonated drinks are prohibited. You should also not include pickled or canned foods in your menu. All dishes must be steamed or boiled. You should eat more cereals and vegetables. It is better to replace bread with crackers.

Loose stools are a medical and household term 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 doctors, for whom the noun stool has the same figurative meaning. Initially, it is connected with the fact that in the Middle Ages, at home, natural needs were met 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 castle tower they could build a closed balcony, in the bottom of which a hole was made. Through him, the lord could “bless” unwary vassals.

It is curious, but primitive man almost did not suffer from diarrhea, since he did not make special supplies of food that could spoil, and did not drink dirty water. Liquid stool has become a companion of sedentary civilization. The first mention of a dysentery epidemic 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. The founder of European medicine, Hippocrates, believed that the cause of diarrhea was drinking dirty water.

Before the invention of antibiotics in the mid-20th century, intestinal infections causing loose stools caused a significant mortality rate, especially among children. Effective antibacterial drugs have made it possible to successfully defeat diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery. However, in developing countries Until now, about one and a half million people die annually as a result of dehydration and secondary infections due to diarrhea. In addition, a new misfortune has arrived. Antibiotics turned out to be a double-edged sword. As a rule, even medications wide range actions do not destroy everything pathogenic microflora intestines. Bacteria, which are not affected by the drug, feel free and begin to multiply intensively. As a result, having coped with one disease, a person develops 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 encountered at every step. Here we can add travelers' diarrhea, which affects approximately 30% of all tourists and business travelers entering countries with new climates and new food cultures, 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 defensive reactions the body, striving to remove toxins and wastes during infections and intoxications.

Causes of loose stools

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

Osmolar diarrhea, caused by excess fluid entering the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract and slowing its absorption into the intestinal walls.
Motor diarrhea caused by enhanced peristalsis 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 remove 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 loose stools

As we have already noted, the main danger posed by diarrhea is dehydration as a result of an imbalance in the water-electrolyte balance in the intestinal tissues. An excess amount of sodium and chlorine ions enters 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 fluid in the intestines 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 tissue supply is deteriorating nutrients and oxygen, the blood becomes thicker, and blood pressure drops sharply. If not accepted urgent measures, hypovolemic shock may occur. Drink plenty of fluids does not always save - water does not have time to be absorbed into the walls of the stomach, active peristalsis removes it. In severe cases, urgent intravenous infusion of special drugs is indicated, which include sodium and potassium salts and glucose (of course, glucose cannot be administered when diabetes mellitus). After the relative restoration of body hydration, doctors move directly to determining the causes of loose stools and eliminating them.

If the disease that caused diarrhea is associated with tissue erosion 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.

Constant loose stools in an adult can contribute to the occurrence or development of hemorrhoids, which are 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 area are possible.

The quality of life deteriorates significantly. A person experiences a constant urge to defecate (tenesmus), a feeling foreign body V anus, even if there is nothing there. In many diseases accompanied by diarrhea, the patient suffers 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. At acute poisoning and infections, all symptoms appear much more acutely, fever, convulsions, lesions are possible internal organs and central nervous system ( typical example- salmonellosis).

How to treat diarrhea?

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

The fact is that only a professional gastroenterologist can accurately determine the cause of diarrhea, who must rely on a set of data:

interviewing the patient;
external examination and palpation of the abdominal area;
study of anamnesis;
coprogram research;
conducting general and special blood tests;
instrumental examination and hardware scanning of the gastrointestinal tract.

To make a diagnosis, a variety of details are important: the presence of plaque on the tongue, the condition of the skin, the color of urine, the color and consistency of stool.

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

The patient was surprised: “Doctor, my son diagnosed it in one minute, but it took you half an hour!”
The experienced doctor laughed: “Your son has just started studying and doesn’t know anything except appendicitis. I had to first rule out many other possible diagnoses before making this one.”

The pharmaceutical industry produces many drugs that promise to quickly relieve you of loose stools and normalize your microflora in just a week. Before taking antimicrobial drugs and artificial bacterial cultures, it is still useful to make sure that these are exactly 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 uncontrolled use of medicinal chemicals.

In the body of an adult, during the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, any disorders and disruptions may occur, one of them is diarrhea. It is a continuous defecation of liquid feces. Appears during minor poisoning and during the onset of a dangerous, probably permanent, illness. In the first option, diarrhea can go away on its own with virtually no treatment in 2-3 days, but in other situations, diarrhea may continue for 4 days or more, accompanied by various dangerous symptoms (fever, pain in the gastrointestinal tract, general lethargy). If you take the disease seriously enough and do not treat it, then diarrhea will provoke dehydration and the occurrence of difficult-to-treat acute and chronic diseases.

Diarrhea is not a disease, but a symptomatology that indicates disorders within the gastrointestinal tract or the entire body. Therefore, it is impossible to eliminate diarrhea without first knowing what factors caused it. Diarrhea is the discharge of liquid stool, either once or with increased frequency of bowel movements. When such a disorder disappears after 2–3 weeks, this is an acute form of diarrhea; for more than 21 days, it is chronic.

Causes of persistent diarrhea

In the normal state, the human body in adulthood is capable of excreting up to 300 g of feces every day or at other intervals convenient for the gastrointestinal tract. Liquefaction and high evacuation of stool can occur due to a sudden increase in water concentration: during diarrhea, stool is 90% liquid. The content of feces makes it possible to identify the origin of diarrhea:

disorders of peristalsis in the intestines often do not contribute to an increase in the volume of feces excreted per day; this happens often, but in small portions;
when the difficulty lies in the absorption of substances by the intestinal walls, a significant increase in the volume of feces is observed due to the mass of undigested food.

Main reasons prolonged diarrhea in adults:

indigestion after eating a large amount along with “difficult” food;
minor poisoning;
susceptibility to any products (allergy, hypolactasia);
use of certain medications (laxatives, antacids, antiarrhythmics, anticoagulants);
psycho-emotional situations (anxiety, fear, fright, in which diarrhea in an adult is the result of a hormonal surge);
traveler's diarrhea (associated with climate and nutrition changes).

Such diarrhea usually goes away on day 3 or 4, and the patient will probably associate persistent diarrhea with the above factors. If diarrhea does not go away within 5 days, this is a serious reason to consult a specialist.

But the causes of prolonged diarrhea in adults are much more serious:

infection by microorganisms, viruses;
inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
functional organ failure (lack of any enzymes);
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract of unknown origin (Crohn's disease);
damage by toxins.

Symptoms of diarrhea

In these situations, it will not be enough to just stop prolonged diarrhea: you need to diagnose and implement appropriate therapy, often while in the hospital. Regarding the clinical signs of the disease, they are mild. This refers to ordinary indigestion, when, in addition to prolonged loose stools, there are spastic pain sensations inside the abdomen and dyspepsia (boiling, bloating, flatulence).