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

What is diarrhea?

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

Diarrhea can be acute or chronic.

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

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

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

Causes of loose stools

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

The most common causes of diarrhea in adults are:

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

Liquid stool treatment: how to get rid of the problem

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

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

infectious diarrhea

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

functional diarrhea

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

Diet is a reliable assistant in the treatment of diarrhea

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

Here are a few simple rules diarrhea diets:

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

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

Taking enzyme preparations for diarrhea

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

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

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

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

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

RUCRE172288 from 06/06/2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A liquid stool in a person who is far from medicine always causes alertness, although, according to doctors, only in certain situations it serves as an alarming symptom. In cases where the bowel disorder is in the nature of diarrhea, it is advisable to consult a doctor. Therefore, the question is natural: is it possible to distinguish loose stools or a slight bowel disorder from real diarrhea or diarrhea, and how to do this? Can the watery consistency of feces be observed in absolutely healthy man or women? Let's understand in more detail.

One and the same or different?

First, let's figure out how diarrhea will differ from loose stools, is there any difference between the concepts. To do this, let's define what diarrhea is. Diarrhea (diarrhea) is a symptom in a child or adult, in which frequent defecation occurs with a change in the consistency of feces. All of the above are the main symptoms of diarrhea. However, there are other variants of intestinal disorders, erroneously called diarrhea. Other symptoms:

• Rapid stool without change in consistency.
• Changed consistency without increasing.

Diarrhea cannot be called loose stools in a child or an adult, which appeared once. It is important to understand that key point, which distinguishes diarrhea from an intestinal disorder (indigestion) is its significant increase - more than 5-6 rubles / day.

Let us analyze some cases of the appearance of frequent stools without changing the consistency of feces. The main symptoms of such an intestinal disorder will be frequent urination and an increase in the volume of feces, while diarrhea, as such, is absent. Frequent bowel movements with thick stools can occur when consuming too much plant foods, as well as foods containing fiber, in combination with large amounts of water. Vegetable food increases the contents of the intestine due to pectins, fiber swells under the influence of liquid. Both of these provoke mechanical irritation. intestinal wall, enhances peristalsis and leads to frequent stools.

Watery stools - dangerous or not?

The appearance of loose stools in children, especially newborns, however, as in adults, is always alarming, since you can immediately distinguish a small eating disorder from a serious illness is almost impossible. To help recognize a more serious pathology, the presence of general alarming symptoms, examination and a thorough analysis of information about life, food addictions, and diseases that a person has will help. Watery stools in adults are not a sign of a serious illness in the following cases:

• When an adult eats a lot of plant foods (especially foods rich in fiber) and consumes a lot of water (it is important, but its excess dilutes feces). As soon as a person normalizes his diet, the feces will take on the form they should.
• With dysbacteriosis. For example, after a person long time was treated with antibiotics that kill the beneficial intestinal microflora. Despite the appearance of symptoms, dysbiosis rarely causes complications and changes the condition of a person, although sometimes it lasts for more than a week. To treat the condition and speed up recovery, doctors advise taking medications containing beneficial bacteria.
• With a sharp change in food preferences. The situation often happens with tourists coming to a new country and trying unfamiliar food. The symptom is called traveler's diarrhea. The stomach and intestines are not accustomed to new food and at first react to new food by violating the release of enzymes, accelerating peristalsis. Gradually, the body gets used to it, and the work of the organs returns to normal.

If the traveler's diarrhea lasts indefinitely and the symptoms of general intoxication (fever, diarrhea, vomiting, chills) increase, the infectious nature of the disease should be excluded. A less common cause of stool disorder, especially when it comes to loose stools in infants, are food allergic reactions. The condition differs from diarrhea in the absence of significant violations of the general condition, as well as possible skin manifestations allergies.

Understand the difference between a normal allergy and a food intolerance to certain foods or ingredients, such as lactose (dairy intolerance). The cause of the condition is a decrease in the concentration or almost complete absence of enzymes that break down milk sugar. Intolerance to a certain kind of food is sometimes the cause of the development of serious diseases, such as celiac disease. The pathology is diagnosed at an early age. childhood when a baby, after the introduction of complementary foods or supplementary foods in the form of cereals with cereals containing gluten, suddenly develops foamy and fetid diarrhea.

Sometimes rapid stools can appear due to completely unrelated gastrointestinal activity. intestinal tract reasons, such as increased anxiety. Nervous type diarrhea appears in moments of strong excitement and is called the "bear disease" by the common people. The symptom is associated with a violation of the nervous regulation of peristalsis and its acceleration. It is easy to define "nervous" diarrhea - it occurs in a person in the same type of situations, does not lead to a change in the general condition and does not appear at rest.

A change in daily routine can lead to intestinal upset. If a person begins to wake up much earlier than his usual time, then in the morning he may have liquid feces.

This type of diarrhea can be distinguished by the fact that liquid defecation is one-time and during the day the bowel function returns to normal.

Some men complain that they have diarrhea the next morning after drinking a lot of alcohol. Some of the representatives of the stronger sex, who are anxious about their own health, immediately begin to use pills to escape infection. Certainly, infectious causes in this situation, it cannot be ruled out, but rapid loose stools may be the result of exposure to alcohol itself. Causes of symptoms:

• Acceleration of peristalsis under the influence of alcohol.
• Destruction of beneficial microflora.
• Decreased fluid absorption.

All symptoms should disappear in parallel with the extinction of the manifestations of a hangover and diarrhea are not. If the symptoms persist for a long time, the stool becomes more and more liquid, diarrhea appears with pathological impurities (blood, mucus), you should consult a doctor.

An interesting physiological cause of diarrhea is pregnancy, or rather, the process that ends the "interesting" situation - childbirth. At the moment preceding the birth of a child, the woman's body begins the process of self-purification of the intestines, which in the future will allow childbirth to proceed more physiologically. In parallel with diarrhea, a woman may experience contractions, pain in the lower abdomen, and water breaks. And on later dates pregnancy, a woman may develop infectious diarrhea, so it would be useful to seem to a specialist, it is not only about her own health, but also the condition of the baby.

Pathology

Violation of the normal functioning of the intestine is often a symptom of very dangerous diseases. In this situation, it will be important not only to distinguish diarrhea from loose stools, but also to make a diagnosis and get proper treatment. The causes of the appearance of pathological loose stools are:

• Salmonellosis. Feces with a disease of a dark green (marsh) color, in appearance resembles swamp mud. Sometimes with an admixture of mucus, blood. In severe cases, the general condition is disturbed: fever, chills, general weakness appear. Other symptoms include severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
• Dysentery. The stool is watery, with much mucus, streaked with blood, possibly pus. The general state is changing.
• Typhoid fever. Feces are liquid. The disease is accompanied by the appearance of a characteristic rash and a change in the general condition.
• Cholera. The stool is very liquid, quickly becomes almost colorless and resembles rice water. dangerous disease often causes complete dehydration and ends fatally.

In adults, loose stools can appear with liver diseases, including viral hepatitis. A disorder of normal defecation occurs after operations on the gallbladder (including after removal of the organ), the pancreas. Symptoms can hardly be called diarrhea: the stool often becomes mushy, and its multiplicity does not exceed 3-4 rubles / day.

The danger is black diarrhea, especially accompanied by sharp pains in the abdomen. Melena (the medical name for "bloody" black stools) is the main symptom of gastrointestinal bleeding. The condition of the disease is rapidly deteriorating: skin a person turns pale, blood pressure drops and the pulse accelerates. Gastrointestinal bleeding requires emergency surgical treatment Therefore, if symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Black, loose stools can occur after eating a large amount of dark-colored foods that contain fiber, such as blueberries or blueberries. The condition cannot be called diarrhea: an increase in stool can be observed only 1-2 times.

Important Factors

It happens that people completely misunderstand the nature of the chair, especially when it comes to small children. Young mothers are often frightened when they see the discharge of their own baby, meanwhile, the doctor who came to the call to the frightened mother says that everything is in order. However, the contents of the pot or diaper do not inspire confidence. Who is right?

In most situations, the truth is on the side of the specialist. The chair of small children - artificial and infants - is seriously different from an adult. Let's start from infancy:

• The bowel movements of a breastfed baby are odorless, yellow color. Sometimes on the diaper you can see light white lumps, which are undigested mother's milk. Stool in infants occurs much more often than in an adult: 10–12 bowel movements are also considered normal at a certain stage. However, the indicator is very individual.
• In a bottle-fed baby, the stool has a specific fecal odor. The frequency of bowel movements is much less frequent: up to 3-4 rubles / day, according to the consistency of the mass, they resemble medium-density mustard.

As the infant's diet expands, the stool pattern becomes more and more adult-like. The introduction of any complementary foods, supplements, or juices can lead to short-term, frequent and looser stools. If the general condition does not change, the child is cheerful and cheerful, the mother should not worry - there is no need to talk about diarrhea.

Loose stools in an adult or child may be one of the manifestations of diarrhea. Each specific situation needs a detailed analysis, but it is sometimes difficult even for a specialist to fully determine the diagnosis, so it is not worth delaying a visit to the doctor. The speed of contacting a specialist is very important, since early treatment reduces the risk of complications and increases the chance for a speedy recovery.

The very fact of having diarrhea can not only worsen a person’s quality of life, but also negatively affect his general health. Diarrhea is always accompanied by discomfort and loss of strength, not to mention the situation when loose stools do not stop in an adult for a long time.

For such a disorder, which lasts not just for days, but for weeks or months, the concept of “protracted” or “chronic” can be applied, which means that the problem is very advanced and will no longer be able to go away on its own without unpleasant consequences. Diarrhea is just the tip of a large iceberg, signaling less visible, but even more dangerous pathologies. Prolonged diarrhea brings the body to dehydration. With loose stools, not only moisture is lost, but also mineral salts and useful substances - everything that takes part in metabolism and regulates the water-salt balance.

It is impossible to ignore this condition, but, unfortunately, it is not so easy to diagnose the cause.

1. Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This disease is included in the group of a whole complex of intestinal disorders and can take place in two formats. The first form is systematic pain in the lower abdomen and frequent loose stools, which are uncontrollable and spontaneous. The second form in adults is bloating and constipation, which cause no less painful sensations.
2. Wrong nutrition. And the point is not that once a person ate something spoiled and got poisoned, but in the systematic consumption of stale and poor-quality food, which are most likely infected with harmful microorganisms. Incessant loose stools may also be the result of drinking contaminated tap water, which is rarely taken to the laboratory for additional tests. The risk group can also include people who have intolerance to any product or component, but they do not even know about it. It can be gluten, lactose, or milk sugar, often found in even the healthiest and most balanced diets.
3. With this chronic disease, the lining of the large intestine becomes inflamed. It is accompanied by prolonged diarrhea with an admixture of blood and mucous passages in the feces, pain in the left abdomen, rapid weight loss and even fever.
4. Crohn's disease. This disease is similar in nature to ulcerative colitis, which is expressed in such symptoms as: prolonged diarrhea, weakening of the body and weight loss. But there is one small but significant difference for its content: Crohn's disease affects the entire gastrointestinal tract, starting oral cavity and ending in the rectum. An infection, stress or heredity can provoke the occurrence of such a disease in adults.
5. Dysbacteriosis. prolonged diarrhea may be the result of a decrease in the population of beneficial microorganisms that are always present in the intestine and help the normal course of all digestive processes. The cause of dysbacteriosis can be self-medication or illiterate use of antibiotics, which kill both pathogenic and health-essential bacteria. Incessant diarrhea makes itself felt in 90% of such cases.
6. Infection. There are a huge number of infectious diseases that can provoke prolonged diarrhea: salmonellosis, dysentery and shigellosis. They are often accompanied by an increase in body temperature, nausea, vomiting and general weakness. If such a disease is treated incorrectly, then the infectious agent becomes a chronic carrier, disrupting the stool and the usual way of life of a person.
7. Postpartum diarrhea. The entire period of pregnancy is accompanied by physiological and hormonal changes in the body of a woman, which make the digestive tract especially vulnerable. After childbirth, everything begins to return to normal, but this path may be accompanied by periodic disorders in the form of diarrhea. A balanced diet will help to cope with it, good rest, healthy sleep and care for compliance with the main rules of breastfeeding.

Of course, this is not full list possible causes the occurrence of prolonged loose stools. If you find yourself with such a symptom and diarrhea does not go away for a week or more, then it's time to seek medical advice. qualified help to a doctor who will be able to conduct a thorough diagnosis of your disease state and, with the help of additional tests, identify the exact cause and prescribe the correct treatment.

Liquid stool is unpleasant state, which can not only reduce the quality of life, but also temporarily deprive a person of full working capacity, which can directly affect his emotional and financial well-being.

Associated symptoms

• general weakness;
• change in the level of consciousness;
• dizziness;
• fainting;
• fatigue;
• fever and chills;
• flu symptoms;
• rapid heartbeat and breathing;
• shortness of breath;
• weight loss.

When is it time to see a doctor?

Diarrhea rarely occurs as a single symptom of the disease. Often it is combined with other clinical manifestations: abdominal pain, rumbling, bloating, false urge to go to the bathroom, nausea and vomiting, fever, fluid loss that can lead to cardiovascular failure. If prolonged diarrhea in an adult lasts more than a couple of weeks, then it can already be called protracted with confidence, and this is a good reason to come for a consultation with an experienced doctor.

Modern medicine allows for maximum accurate diagnosis, which will become a reliable basis for compiling the correct and effective therapy. For the accuracy of the diagnosis, only one examination by a qualified physician is not enough.

There is a whole list of mandatory and desirable methods and tests that a doctor can prescribe for you.

The patient should not refuse them, because his health and well-being is at stake:

• history taking and examination. The patient reports all his symptoms, the number of bowel movements per day, his daily diet, medications used, as well as available chronic diseases such as cholecystitis, pancreatitis, gastritis, and so on. Even the presence of similar pathologies in the next of kin is taken into account;
• laboratory tests: feces (analysis, culture, coprogram), blood (general analysis and biochemistry);
• colonoscopy, CT of organs abdominal cavity, endoscopy, ultrasound, etc.

If you do not know what to do, if the diarrhea does not go away, then any doctor's referral can save you from the danger of a pathological condition and complications, of which there are a huge number: dehydration, state of shock, acute kidney failure, metabolic acidosis, hypokalemia and hypocalcemia, convulsions, bleeding, chronic diarrhea and more.

Effective treatment

If unpleasant diarrhea does not go away for a week, then the person will need first aid, which consists in measures aimed at avoiding dehydration. Lost water and salts are compensated by a full drink, including dehydrating solutions (Rehydron, salted water, chamomile tea).

You need to start taking appropriate measures already at the moment when it comes to understanding that loose stools have been more than a few times and have not gone away for several days.

There are many popular drugs, which contribute to the motor activity of the intestine, if the patient's diarrhea does not go away for a week, but they should be taken carefully and with the recommendations of a doctor, since self-medication can be fraught with unpleasant consequences:

The drug is prescribed for acute diarrhea not associated with different kind infections, diarrhea during travel, and when diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome.

Imodium is not prescribed to children under the age of 6 years, in the first trimester of pregnancy and in case of hypersensitivity to its components included in the drug.

Buy a pack of 6 pcs. 2 mg can be in any pharmacy for 230 rubles.

Used for acute intestinal infections. It is prescribed for both adults and children.

Contraindications include: intestinal obstruction and fructose intolerance, hypersensitivity to the drug, and so on.

A package of 10 sachets of 3 g costs about 150 rubles and is sold without a prescription.

The drug is used in the treatment of acute infectious diarrhea.

Contraindications: children under the age of 1 year, rejection of the components, the presence of an installed central venous catheter.

A pack of 10 capsules costs about 300 rubles and is available at any pharmacy in your city.

Linex is a complex of bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, enterococci, which effectively show themselves in the treatment of acute forms of diarrhea, even in infants.

Contraindications: hypersensitivity to any of the components of the drug or to dairy products.

The price in a pharmacy is about 300 rubles for 16 capsules.

Any drug treatment should be accompanied by adherence to the regimen of the day, diet and doctor's prescriptions, since self-medication can help or even harm a person's health. If, even in the case of active treatment, diarrhea in adults does not go away and loose stools are observed all the time, then hospitalization may be necessary.

Contribute speedy recovery maybe traditional medicine, but you need to understand that it should be part of a whole integrated approach, and not the only way fight against diarrhea.

There are many recipes that can alleviate the patient's condition:

1. Oak bark. 1 tbsp the mixture is poured with a glass of boiling water and left for an hour, after which it is carefully filtered. Infusion should be consumed in a few spoons all day.
2. Rice porrige. A decoction is prepared from rice cereal, which is taken orally in a quarter of a glass every 3 hours.
3. Decoction of pomegranate peels. Dried pomegranate peel is poured with water in a ratio of 1 tsp. per 1 liter of liquid and boiled in a water bath for about 40 minutes. It should be taken up to 5 times a day for 2 tsp.
4. Blueberry infusion. Blueberries are poured with a glass of water, brought to a boil and boiled for another 5 minutes, filtered. The decoction is cooled and drunk throughout the day as a tea.
5. Chamomile flowers. 1 tbsp is thrown into a glass of water. l. dried chamomile, the liquid is boiled for 15 minutes, then cooled and filtered. It is taken 100 ml before meals.

Diet and optimal diet

The causes and treatment of diarrhea are closely related. But, regardless of the type of disorder, diet is of paramount importance. Only a complete and thoughtful diet can help achieve good and fast results. During the period of illness, you need to increase the amount of fluid consumed, but exclude store juices and carbonated drinks. Also, do not abuse fatty, smoked, fried, spicy and sweet foods. You can safely eat: stale bread and crackers, lean meat tenderloin and dietary fish, weak broths and boiled eggs, as well as cereals on the water. It is better to replace dessert with low-fat cottage cheese and home-made jelly. As for the drinking regimen, the liquid should be consumed in moderate doses, but regularly at regular intervals.

This mode will help the body recover faster and with minimal losses and solve the problem of what to do if prolonged diarrhea does not go away.

Watch a video on prolonged diarrhea

Preventive measures

Diarrhea can be treated or prevented. To do this, it is enough to perform simple preventive measures contributing normal operation digestive tract. These include: regular washing of hands with soap before eating and after the street, good processing fruits and vegetables, using only fresh and tested products, being careful about eating exotic food or food whose origin you are not able to trace.

Ordinary diarrhea can unsettle a person for a long time, depriving him of the opportunity to fully manage his life. Diarrhea should never be ignored, as even a slight manifestation of it can indicate deeper problems. And even diarrhea that has passed with complications can cause irreparable harm to health.

Stock up on patience and doctor's prescriptions and start a new day with a new approach to your health.

Note!

The presence of symptoms such as:

• Diarrhea
• smell from the mouth
• heartburn
• stomach ache
• feeling of heaviness in the stomach
• constipation
• belching
• increased gas production (flatulence)

If you have at least 2 of these symptoms, then this indicates a developing

gastritis or ulcer. These diseases are dangerous serious complications(penetration, stomach bleeding etc.), many of which can lead to

LETHAL

exodus. Treatment needs to start now.

Read the article about how a woman got rid of these symptoms by defeating their root cause in a natural way. Read the material ...

Most adults are accustomed to the fact that a person's stool should be hard, densely formed, brownish in color.

And when the stool becomes liquid, there is a panic, what to do?

First you need to find out why loose stools appeared, and only then sound the alarm, if necessary.

Loose stools or diarrhea

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

Diarrhea is a symptom of improper bowel function or diseases of the body.

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

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

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

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

Bowel frequency	1-2 times a day	3-4 times a day or more
Consistency	mushy	Liquid
Color	Dark yellow to brown	Yellow, red (with blood), white, black, brown
Peculiarities	Uniformity	Heterogeneity, presence of foam
Presence of inclusions	Possible clear mucus	Clear or green mucus, undigested food
Smell	Characteristic	Pungent, offensive, sour

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

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

1. Alcohol consumption. The liver is trying to actively remove the "poison" from the body and therefore more enzymes are produced that speed up the process of defecation. The feces often become liquid because of this. It is enough to wait until the hangover passes and the liquid stool becomes hard.
2. allergic reactions on food ingredients, or certain types food.
3. Hormonal disbalance. Hormones such as thyroxine and triiodothyronine actively influence the organs of the digestive tract and their activity. Problems with their production can cause the stool to become more liquid.
4. Constant stress and nervous tension.
5. Tourist Syndrome. When a person enters an unfamiliar climate for him and begins to take a completely new food, the body adapts to it for the first time and liquid feces are proof of this. A few days pass and the feces acquire a normal consistency.
6. Constant consumption of a large number of plant products.
7. Consequences of long-term use of antibiotics depressing the intestinal microflora. Their constant intake will always cause such a reaction in the body.
8. infectious diseases affecting the intestinal tract.
9. Intolerance to certain foods. If the body does not produce enough enzymes to digest any product, then loose stools will not take long.
10. Often loose stools before labor as the body's way of cleansing itself.

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

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

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

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

If the cause of frequent loose stools is one of these diseases, then you should immediately consult a doctor to stop the disease at an early stage.

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

Children's chair has different characteristics than an adult. The baby can empty up to 15 times per knock after each meal, and this is normal.

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

If your stool becomes plentiful, there are various kinds of impurities and the general condition of the body leaves much to be desired, then this is a reason to see a doctor.

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

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

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

Wheat bread crackers, yesterday's white bread, dry biscuits	Bread and flour products	Other bakery products
On fat-free low meat or fish broth with the addition of mucous decoctions of cereals, steam quenelles and meatballs	Soups	Soups with cereals, vegetables, pasta, dairy, strong and fatty broths
Low-fat meats, skinless poultry, steamed or water-boiled cutlets, dumplings, meatballs. Minced meat with boiled rice. Boiled meat soufflé	Meat and poultry	Fatty meats, cut meat, sausages, smoked meats and other meat products
Low-fat types of fresh fish in pieces or chopped (quenelles, meatballs, cutlets), steamed or in water	a fish	Fatty species, salted fish, caviar, canned food
Freshly prepared calcined or unleavened pureed cottage cheese, steam soufflé	Milk products	Whole milk and other dairy products
Boiled and steam pureed	Vegetables
Pureed cereals on water or low-fat broth - rice, oatmeal, buckwheat, cereal flour	cereals	Millet, pearl barley, barley groats, pasta, legumes
Up to 1-2 per day, soft-boiled, steam omelet and in meals	Eggs	Hard boiled eggs, raw, fried
Kissels and jelly from blueberries, dogwood, bird cherry, quince, pears. Pureed raw apples. Sugar - limited	Fruits, sweet dishes, sweets	Natural fruits and berries, honey, jam and other sweets
Tea, especially green tea. Decoctions of wild rose, dried blueberries, black currants, bird cherry, quince. If tolerated - diluted fresh juices, except for grapes, plums and apricots	Beverages	Coffee and cocoa with milk, carbonated and cold drinks

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

Video: How to stop diarrhea?

Frequent, loose stools that pass more than 3 times a day can be cause for concern. Regular loose stools, but not diarrhea, in an adult are usually a sign of disease, especially if there is blood, mucus or fat in it. In such a situation, one should refuse home treatment and see a doctor as soon as possible. Check what diseases the above symptoms can indicate, what are the reasons for frequent urination.

Causes of loose stools

Loose stools for a long time may be accompanied by chronic diarrhea. In this case, free (semi-liquid) impurities of large volume are observed, containing traces of blood, pus or mucus, they occur more often than 3 times a day.

A characteristic feature is the constant feeling of the need to defecate. Such a disease can alternate and be a symptom of many serious diseases.

A factor in the development of loose stools in the morning and after each meal can be a disease:

• Irritable bowel syndrome.

This chronic illness- Its symptoms may persist throughout life. The presence of blood is rarely observed, and there is also unexplained weight loss (despite the use of a balanced diet) and a feeling of fatigue. Often the need to defecate appears at night.

• Colon cancer.

During the disease, changes occur within the cells of the colon mucosa. A loose stool appears, which may contain an admixture of blood (as a result of bleeding from the tumor). Often the only symptom of developing cancer is a change in the rhythm of the stool: diarrhea and constipation. It is worth knowing that the symptoms of rectal cancer are diverse and depend on the location of the tumor.

• Nonspecific ulcerative colitis.

The disease is a chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the rectum or colon. Its symptom is, in particular, frequent urges, having the form of loose sediments with an admixture of blood. The disease is very dangerous, because its complications can be liver failure, colon perforation and even cancer.

• Crohn's disease.

This inflammatory disease colon of unknown etiology, leading to destruction of the intestinal wall. The inflammatory process initially includes the mucous membrane, eventually occupying all layers of the colon wall. Symptoms of the disease are often loose stools, weight loss and changes in the membrane (ulcers, abscesses, fistulas).

• celiac disease

Celiac disease is an inflammatory disease of the small intestine, the essence of which is gluten intolerance. In people who struggle with this type of malabsorption, inflammation occurs as a result of exposure to gluten supplements. The consequence is slow damage to the mucosa of the small intestine. A characteristic symptom of the disease is loose, pale, admixture with a strong pungent odor. It is excreted from the body in a large volume of loose stools.

• Hyperthyroidism.

Excessive production of thyroid hormones causes an acceleration of the patient's metabolism, resulting in frequent urination, diarrhea. At the same time, there is a decrease in body weight, despite the fact that the patient's appetite does not decrease.

• Typhoid fever.

This is a disease that can be contracted during a stay in tropical countries. It is caused by bacteria from the genus Salmonella. In the first week, fever and abdominal pain appear. In the second, severe headaches and a dry cough are observed. Only in the third week does loose stool appear.

• Cystic fibrosis.

Urination is free severe diarrhea immediately after eating strong smell is one of the characteristic symptoms of this disease. From the gastrointestinal tract, other symptoms also appear: an increase in the volume of the abdomen and blockage salivary glands thick, sticky mucus.

Other causes of frequent diarrhea and dysbacteriosis:

• medication - many drugs, such as diabetic pills, laxatives, or hydrochloric acid antacids, can cause loose stools as unwanted side effect their acceptance. If there is a suspicion that the cause of diarrhea is medication, you should stop them and consult a doctor. Very often, dysbacteriosis is caused by antibacterial drugs;
• use in large quantities sugar substitute (sorbitol, mannitol or xylitol).

Chronic diarrhea is a symptom of an illness that lasts more than 14 days. During this period, the patient gives more than 3 liters of fluid during the day. There can be many reasons, ranging from food allergies ending with life-threatening diseases.

What to do with loose stools in an adult

Some patients start the disease. Diarrhea can last for more than a year. In this case, there is a high risk of dehydration. With loose stools for a long time, it is important to conduct a comprehensive examination to eliminate the risk of developing a dangerous disease.

At the first symptoms and often recurring diarrhea, it is important to eliminate unpleasant symptoms. Medicines such as:

1. Smekta.
2. Enterosgel.
3. Enterofuril.
4. Activated charcoal.
5. Imodium.
6. StopDiar.

The doctor may prescribe probiotics to improve internal intestinal motility (Linex, Bifidumbacterin).

If loose stools are accompanied by vomiting, then the cause of this may be a rotavirus infection or gastroenteritis. Enterofuril tablets can help to cope with a bacterial lesion. They have antibacterial and healing properties.

Soft stools after each meal are more likely to develop dehydration. Be sure to drink sweet tea or salted water in small portions. Exists special preparation Regidron, which helps to cope with dehydration with rapidly developing diarrhea.

If an adult has loose stools, but not diarrhea, which bothers you for a long time, then you should definitely undergo an examination. It will help identify triggers. You should not self-medicate. After all, the disease can lead to intoxication of the body, significant weight loss and appetite.

diarrhea is never independent disease, but indicates malfunctions in organs and systems. Diarrhea can be a symptom of infectious and non-infectious diseases. The greatest danger is dehydration during diarrhea, as well as the loss of vitamins and minerals, and as a result, vitamin deficiency. Loose stools in an adult for a long time is dangerous, as it can cause hypovolemic shock if the patient is not given rehydration therapy.

Symptoms of chronic diarrhea

In chronic diarrhea, the patient has systematic loose stools 3 or more times a day for at least 3 weeks. If diarrhea persists for no longer than 3 weeks, they speak of acute diarrhea. With diarrhea, there are emergency, sometimes uncontrollable, urges. Frequent loose or mushy stools accompanied by flatulence ( increased gas formation), rumbling, abdominal pain. With diarrhea, fever and a general weakening of the body can be observed.

With diarrhea, the mass of unformed stool increases to 250–300 g per day, the water content in feces increases to 60–85%.

With diarrhea, food is liquefied, its incomplete digestion, so pieces of food can be observed in the feces. Depending on the pathogenesis, the characteristics of the stool may vary.

Pathogenesis

What to do if diarrhea occurs? First you need to determine the type of diarrhea. Distinguish the following types diarrhea:

1. Secretory diarrhea - profuse (more than 1 l) watery diarrhea usually painless. prolonged diarrhea accompanied by an increase in body temperature, the frequency of stool increases up to 15 times a day, no false urges are observed.
2. Osmotic diarrhea is profuse, frothy stools that may contain blotches of semi-digested food. Prolonged diarrhea is accompanied by abdominal cramps.
3. Exudative (invasive) diarrhea is liquid, non-abundant feces, in which pus and spotting are often observed.
4. Motor diarrhea - moderate discharge with particles of undigested food.

Diarrhea can be infectious or non-infectious. Often causes diarrhea long-term use medicines: antibiotics, magnesium-containing antacids, various laxatives, nonsteroidal drugs. Medicines can cause mixed type of diarrhea (exudative-secretory, motor-secretory, etc.).

Osmotic diarrhea

Due to the increase in the content of electrolytes in the intestinal lumen, water is discharged, followed by its retention in the intestine. Osmotic diarrhea is caused by:

An important difference between osmotic diarrhea and other types is its termination after 2-3 days of fasting.

secretory diarrhea

At this disorder secretion of electrolytes and water prevails over absorption. The reason for this may be:

• infectious diseases (toxic infection, salmonellosis, cholera, yersiniosis, Escherichia coli, staphylococcus),
• hormonally active tumors (carcinoid, gastrinoma, VIPoma),
• hereditary diseases (for example, chloride),
• non-infectious causes: prolonged use of drugs and laxatives, acute poisoning arsenic, mushrooms, salts of heavy metals, alcohol.

After the elimination of enterotoxin, the work of the gastrointestinal tract is getting better, the incessant diarrhea disappears.

In addition, a rare case of this type of diarrhea may be hereditary diarrhea due to gene mutation.

Exudative diarrhea

Incessant diarrhea in this form is caused by inflammation of the colon mucosa. The causes of inflammation are the following diseases:

• tuberculosis,
• diverticular disease,
• ischemic colitis,
• acute intestinal infections such as dysentery,
• tumor processes in the intestine,
• ulcerative colitis,
• radiation colitis (radiation exposure),
• vasculitis,
• Crohn's disease,
• adeno and rotoviruses,

This form of diarrhea, as you can see, can be infectious and non-infectious. Infectious occurs due to the penetration and spread of pathogenic strains (for example, the human immunodeficiency virus), as well as protozoa (amoebae). The non-infectious form is usually associated with ulcerative colitis.

Motor diarrhea

Irritable bowel syndrome occurs due to increased intestinal motility. It is often observed after the removal of the stomach or parts of it. Food enters the intestines faster, due to insufficient digestion, diarrhea occurs.

A decrease in motor function is observed with dermatomyositis, diabetic polyneuropathy, and scleroderma.

Treatment of diarrhea

Since the causes of incessant stools are different, it is necessary to establish the mechanism of diarrhea before treatment. If diarrhea persists for several days, rehydration therapy is indicated for all patients, regardless of pathogenesis.

With non-infectious diarrhea, the underlying disease is initially eliminated. Antibiotics are prescribed if diarrhea is caused by bacteria or protozoa.

Diarrhea associated with a hormone-producing tumor will require serious medical intervention. If the diarrhea does not stop for this reason, surgical removal of the tumor will be required.

What to do with different types of diarrhea:

1. With secretory diarrhea, Smecta, Enterol, Bifidumbacterin, Furazalidon, Baktisubtil are prescribed.
2. With osmotic diarrhea, Imodium, Loperamide, Regidron, Codeine phosphate are prescribed; antibacterial drugs, for example, biseptol.
3. With motor diarrhea, Imodium, astringent adsorbents, for example, bismuth preparations, are used.
4. With exudative diarrhea, prebiotics and probiotics are mainly used (Bifiform, Linex, Hilak forte).

With diarrhea, as already mentioned, it is important to eliminate dehydration, that is, dehydration.

Rehydration for diarrhea

If the diarrhea continues long term, to restore the water-salt balance, use ready-made pharmaceutical preparations, which are diluted with water and drunk, or you can use a self-prepared drink. A tablespoon of salt and 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar are added to a liter of water, mixed with a spoonful of soda. The prepared infusion is drunk during the day, if there is no nausea and vomiting. The patient is supposed to drink other liquids: fruit drinks, non-mineral and mineral water without gas. Fruit juices are contraindicated.

With any diarrhea, regardless of pathogenesis, there is a violation of the natural microflora, therefore, the use of prebiotics and probiotics, for example, Hilak forte, is indicated.

Diet for diarrhea

With prolonged diarrhea, a special diet should be followed. Diarrhea for several days and for a longer time is provoked by products with a laxative effect. Compliance with the diet will help speed up the treatment. A sparing diet is especially indicated for secretory diarrhea.

The patient during treatment should be excluded from the menu fatty and dairy dishes, alcohol, spices and spices, spicy foods, plums, beets, sweet food, sauces, black bread. Allowed boiled white rice, crackers from white bread, boiled or steamed low-fat meatballs, meatballs or meatballs, mashed apples and potatoes.

The stomach hurts and diarrhea occurs most often with indigestion and the penetration of toxins into the body. You should pay attention to the quality of food (especially expiration dates and storage conditions), the degree of water purification, personal hygiene (hand washing).

Diarrhea in an adult can be caused by lactase deficiency, intolerance to dairy products. With this pathology, milk should be excluded from the diet, in which case the diarrhea will pass in the near future.

What to do if diarrhea occurs away from home? Traveler's diarrhea is a specific form of bowel disorder. There is a disorder of the stool due to a change climatic conditions, unusual food for the stomach, as well as the penetration of bacteria and viruses. Tourists traveling to countries with contaminated water sources (Asia, Africa, the Middle East) should be especially careful.

When traveling, it is better to take simple water filters, antibiotics and prebiotics. Foods with raw meat and fish, unwashed vegetables. When the temperature rises above 38 degrees and the appearance bloody diarrhea you should seek medical help for common viruses and microorganisms that travelers bring from vacation - giardia, dysentery amoeba, enterovirus, rotavirus, norovirus.

What to do if you constantly have loose stools, what are the reasons for this condition and what to do to improve your well-being - the answers to these and other questions are in the article.

Why does loose stool occur?

Diarrhea, or diarrhea, is a pathological condition in which there is abundant and frequent defecation (more than 2 times a day).

The feces are liquefied, watery. Often diarrhea is accompanied by pain in the abdomen, flatulence, weakness.

Why does persistent liquid stool occur? In most cases, the causes of persistent loose stools are quite prosaic.

The condition of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract is especially affected by the lifestyle of a person.

If you eat fatty and fried foods for several years, move little, experience excessive emotional and physical stress, then a malfunction in the body is very likely.

The digestive system is one of the first to react to stress and an unhealthy lifestyle. In such situations, a person may complain that he is constantly worried about loose stools.

If there is constantly loose stools in an adult, the likelihood of an intestinal infection should first be excluded.

Pathogenic bacteria that enter the gastrointestinal tract produce toxins and upset the balance of the intestinal microflora. Diarrhea is a protective reaction to the presence of pathogens.

Causes of loose stools include diseases of the liver and gallbladder.

Due to disturbances in the functioning of these organs, the absorption of vitamins and microelements necessary for the proper functioning of the body and well-being worsens. Persistent loose stools are one of the symptoms of diseases of these organs.

The normal functioning of the digestive system also depends on the production of certain hormones by the thyroid gland - thyroxine and triiodothyronine.

An increase in the hormonal activity of the gland (hyperthyroidism) leads to disruption of the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and often causes persistent loose stools.

Considering the causes of chronic diarrhea, one should not exclude quite rare diseases - Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

These conditions are accompanied by a constant liquid stool mixed with mucus, blood and pus.

The lack of timely treatment can lead to depletion of the body and the occurrence of other concomitant pathological conditions. If you find blood and pus in the stool, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Diagnosis of persistent diarrhea

If symptoms of persistent loose stools are found, it is recommended to start treating the condition in order to avoid dehydration and subsequent intoxication.

Any intervention in the body should be agreed with the doctor. For correct setting diagnosis and choice of treatment regimen, it is necessary to contact a gastroenterologist and a proctologist.

At a general examination, the gastroenterologist, first of all, will clarify the symptoms of the condition. The patient may complain of frequent bowel movements (from 2-3 times a day) for more than 14 days.

Feces with diarrhea are plentiful, liquid. Diarrhea is often accompanied by swelling, asymmetry of the abdominal region. Palpation of the abdomen may cause pain.

To make a correct diagnosis, the gastroenterologist will prescribe several blood and stool tests, which will help clarify the condition of the liver, gallbladder and identify the presence of infection in the gastrointestinal tract.

The causes of persistent loose stools can be hidden in abnormalities of the internal organs. To identify possible pathological changes in the structure and work of the organs of the digestive system, radiography, ultrasound and colonoscopy are prescribed.

X-ray without injection contrast medium is uninformative, so more often specialists spend ultrasound diagnostics to exclude the presence of tumors in the abdominal region, which could lead to a malfunction of the digestive system and the appearance of a permanent liquid stool.

At the consultation of a proctologist, the doctor will pay attention to the condition of the anus, traces of blood and pus in it.

To clarify the diagnosis, in addition to stool tests, a colonoscopy can be performed.

Such a study allows you to assess the condition of the intestine, to identify the presence of ulcers, small tumors and polyps.

The colonoscopy procedure sometimes includes the collection of material - cells or tissues (biopsy).

A biopsy will help to establish the presence of inflammation and precancerous conditions of the digestive system.

These pathologies can significantly disrupt the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and lead to the appearance of chronic loose stools.

Treatment of chronic diarrhea

A different approach to the treatment of persistent loose stools is explained by the vastness of the causes of its occurrence.

Since most cases of chronic diarrhea are related to the lifestyle of the patient, the therapy for this condition is based on changing the diet and adjusting the regimen.

An increase in physical activity, a decrease in the level of everyday stress should be combined with dietary adjustments.

So, in the diet of a patient with chronic diarrhea, food must be included that stops the processes of fermentation and the formation of gases.

The basis of such a diet is dishes baked in the oven or cooked in a double boiler. To improve the digestion process and reduce the load on a weakened intestine, it is recommended to grind all food to a puree state.

In folk medicine, with a constant loose stool, rice broth is used or simply include rice porridge in the daily menu. This choice is explained by the strengthening effect that the cereal produces on the intestines.

The danger of permanent loose stools lies in the leaching of trace elements and water from the body.

This increase in the amount of fluid is also associated with the need to accelerate the elimination of toxins from the gastrointestinal tract.

Many gastroenterologists advise taking a course of probiotics for chronic loose stools. These drugs are designed to restore the intestinal microflora, improve the absorption of nutrients from food. Their intake has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the liver and pancreas.

If the cause of constant loose stools is in the inflammatory process of the digestive organs, then the doctor will prescribe antibiotics.

Antibiotic therapy must be carried out only under the supervision of a doctor who, based on the results of tests and examinations, will establish an individual dosage and develop a regimen for taking medications.

Self-medication in such a situation can provoke a deterioration in the patient's condition and delay the recovery process.

Prevention of persistent loose stools

Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. Prevention of persistent loose stools is based on monitoring the condition of the gastrointestinal tract.

One of the factors that provoke the appearance of chronic diarrhea is non-compliance with simple rules of hygiene.

When E. coli or other harmful bacteria enter the body, the intestinal microflora is disturbed - the toxins produced by these microorganisms provoke a malfunction in the gastrointestinal tract, which leads to loose stools.

Prevention of intestinal infection consists in washing hands with soap after using the toilet and before eating.

Due to the alkali contained in the soap, most bacteria are destroyed and the likelihood of getting pathogenic microorganisms into the intestines.

Harmful bacteria live not only on hands or household items, but also on raw fruits and vegetables, in water and in meat and dairy products.

Meat and dairy products must be subjected to heat treatment. Hygiene should be especially carefully observed in the summer, as bacteria multiply faster in a warm environment.

The main focus in the prevention of chronic diarrhea should be given to diet.

Malfunctions in the digestive system are often associated with a deterioration in the blood supply to the abdominal organs.

To prevent the weakening of blood flow to the internal organs, it is recommended to lead an active lifestyle.

Fast walk, simple gymnastics in the morning or playing sports will help improve blood circulation and oxygen saturation of organs.

If you have had chronic diarrhea in the past, after recovery, it is recommended to visit a gastroenterologist once a year for a consultation and examination. After the age of 60, doctors advise to have an examination of the digestive system every six months.

Permanent loose stools - unpleasant and delicate issue which is often preferred to remain silent.

But don't be afraid to ask medical care, after all timely treatment under the supervision of a specialist and the observance of simple rules of prevention will allow you to forget about the disease forever.

Diarrhea is not a disease, but only a symptom. It may be a sign of one of several dozen diseases. It can be difficult to understand the causes of loose stools without consulting a specialist and examinations.

Causes of loose stools

Diarrhea in an adult can be caused by various factors.

• Infectious diarrhea (the most common) is the result of the action of pathogenic bacteria (with dysentery, salmonellosis, cholera), viruses (rotavirus, enterovirus), protozoa (amebiasis) or helminths.
• Toxic diarrhea occurs against the background of poisoning with heavy metals, poisonous mushrooms, or products of one's own metabolism (for example, against the background of uremia in serious illnesses kidneys).
• Drug diarrhea - as a side effect of taking antibiotics, iron preparations, foxglove, some psychotropic drugs, with an overdose of laxatives.
• Gastrogenic loose stools are observed against the background of gastritis with reduced secretory function, cancer of the stomach, after resection of the stomach.
• Pancreatogenic - accompanies acute and chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, oncological diseases pancreas.
• Hepatogenic diarrhea is associated with chronic diseases liver - hepatitis and cirrhosis.
• Hereditary and congenital deficiency of one or another enzyme leads to malabsorption in the small intestine and loose stools. Lactose deficiency is a normal variant and is manifested by diarrhea when eating dairy products.
• Removal of an extended fragment of the small intestine also interferes with normal absorption processes and leads to liquefaction of the stool ("short bowel syndrome").
• Allergic reactions to food products are reflected not only on the skin, but also on the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, causing diarrhea (“intestinal allergy”).
• Inflammatory damage to the colon changes its motility, which is manifested by diarrhea (any colitis, irritable bowel syndrome).
• Colon tumors can cause stools to thin or alternate between diarrhea and constipation.
• Some endocrine pathologies lead to unpleasant symptoms- thyrotoxicosis, adrenal insufficiency, diabetes mellitus.
• Metabolic disorders (amyloidosis, hypovitaminosis) also prevent the formation of a normal stool.
• Autoimmune diseases (scleroderma) may be accompanied by liquefaction of feces.
• Also distinguish neurogenic diarrhea against the background of neurological and mental illness. A fairly common example is "bear disease" - episodes of stool liquefaction associated with short-term stress (before an exam, public speaking, etc.).

What is loose stool

Fecal masses with diarrhea can vary in color and consistency. This is very important for proper diagnosis and proper treatment.

• Black liquid stool indicates the admixture of a sufficiently large amount of blood. It is designated by a special term - melena. The appearance of such anxiety symptom requires emergency hospitalization, search for the source of bleeding and its elimination.
• Certain foods can also stain stool. Remember if you have consumed beets, prunes, dark berries, tomatoes, coffee, liver over the past two days.
• The black color of feces can be caused by taking iron, bismuth, activated charcoal preparations.
• Infectious diarrhea is usually very loose stools (like water), often frothy, and in some bacterial infestations green or yellow.
• With any inflammatory lesion of the colon, the stool can be with mucus and blood clots.
• With a disease of the pancreas, the feces are not only liquid, but also fatty - they shine and are poorly washed off the walls of the toilet bowl.
• Loose stools with foam occur when carbohydrates are not completely digested, for example, with the same lactase deficiency.

Infectious diarrhea is usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fever in the range of 37 - 38 ° C. In patients, the stomach “twists”, spastic pains are expressed in the umbilical (and in dysentery - in the left iliac) region. There is weakness and signs of intoxication of the body. Immediately after eating, loose stools are released when there is a violation of the motility or nervous regulation of the gastrointestinal tract.

A one-sided approach to treatment will not eliminate the causes of the disease. Therefore, there is no universal pill for loose stools. Each case must be correctly diagnosed. The doctor will prescribe a comprehensive treatment, and then the diarrhea will go away along with the main cause. However, there are basic postulates of behavior when stool is thinned.

1. Stick to your diet. In order not to overload the gastrointestinal tract, give up fried, fatty, spicy, salty foods and smoked meats. Avoid sugary and carbonated drinks. Limit dairy products. The menu must be thermally, chemically and mechanically gentle. This means that dishes are best steamed, boiled or baked. Porridges, mashed potatoes, soups are welcome. Do not eat dry food, too hot or cold.
2. Organize a rational diet - in small portions, but often enough. In case of an infectious disease, eat according to your appetite.
3. Beware of dehydration. Together with liquefied stools, the body loses a lot of water and salts. Their deficiency must be filled. special solutions(Rehydron, Oralit). If it is impossible to drink the missing volume of fluid, intravenous saline is prescribed with the addition of potassium, calcium and other electrolytes.
4. Taking sorbents (Smecta, Polysorb, Enterosgel, activated charcoal) will make going to the toilet less frequent, since the drugs have a locking effect. They, like a sponge, absorb toxins and fragments of microorganisms, therefore they are especially successfully used for intestinal infections.
5. Enzymes are usually included in the complex treatment of diarrhea. Any failure of the gastrointestinal tract reduces the ability to digest and absorb food. The appointment of medicinal digestive substances allows you to maintain a weakened function.

What to do with diarrhea?

If stool thinning is not a single episode, there is an admixture of blood, mucus, pus in the feces, they have changed their normal color, consult a doctor. Acute diarrhea may be a reason for emergency hospitalization in the infectious diseases department of a hospital. If you feel satisfactory, consult a therapist or gastroenterologist, perform all the prescribed examinations.

If loose stools occur, do not resort to folk methods. Self-treatment is often not only useless, but also dangerous, as it delays the patient's request for qualified medical care. Every day of delay can threaten health and life.

Thank you

Loose stool, or diarrhea(from the Greek word "diarrheo", which means "I expire"), is called defecation more than twice a day, in which the feces acquire a liquid consistency. Diarrhea is not a disease in itself, it is a common symptom any malfunctions in the body, which are most often localized in the digestive system.

In order to successfully cope with this pathology, it is necessary to clearly determine its cause.

Bacterial infections
shigellosis dysentery
Bacterial dysentery is most often a sign of infection of the intestinal tract with bacteria of the genus Shigella. Incubation period in this case, it lasts from one day to a week. The typical form of dysentery begins acutely, and is manifested by fever, loss of appetite, headaches, low blood pressure, and signs of gastrointestinal damage. Pain in the abdomen at first dull, diffused throughout the abdomen, constant. Then they become more acute, cramping, and are already localized in the lower abdomen, more often above the pubis or on the left.

Tenesmus appears - painful false urge to empty the intestines, which are not accompanied by defecation. In addition, a pulling pain in the rectal region that radiates to the sacrum, which occurs during a bowel movement, and continues for 10-15 minutes after it, is characteristic. The chair becomes more frequent up to 10 times a day or more. Blood and mucus appear in the stool. In more severe cases, the amount of bloody mucus increases.

salmonellosis
A separate danger is a bacterial infection of the intestine caused by salmonella. The clinical manifestations of salmonellosis vary from severe forms, turning into blood poisoning, to asymptomatic carriage of infectious agents.

There are the following types of salmonellosis:
1. Gastrointestinal form
Salmonellosis in the gastrointestinal form most often begins acutely, accompanied by diarrhea (fetid greenish watery stools) and profuse vomiting.
The following symptoms are also characteristic:

• pain, rumbling and bloating;
• weakness;
• headache;
• temperature rise to 38-40°C;
• joint and muscle pain;
• cramps in the muscles of the limbs.

2. typhoid form
This form of salmonellosis begins in the same way as gastrointestinal, but it is characterized by fever for 10-14 days, an enlarged spleen and liver. In addition, the symptoms of general poisoning of the body are more intense: lethargy, headache etc. Also sometimes there is a rash on the skin.

3. septic form
The septic form of salmonellosis is considered one of the most dangerous, since with it, after a short and acute initial period, a picture of general blood poisoning quickly develops.

Viral infection
Viral bowel infections are the leading cause of loose stools in children under two years of age. Among the adult population given reason diarrhea is recorded less frequently, due to the higher activity of the body's immune system.

Rotavirus infection
The general course of the disease when affected by rotavirus is cyclical:
1. The incubation period is from 1 to 5 days.
2. Acute period- from 3 to 7 days (in severe cases - more than a week).
3. The recovery period lasts approximately 4-5 days.

In the acute form, this pathology manifests itself sudden pains(most often in the middle of the abdomen), vomiting, diarrhea, fever. In severe cases, there may be pronounced symptoms of general poisoning of the body, cardiovascular disorders, and even signs of dehydration.

At chronic enteritis patients complain of nausea, weakness, mild pain in the umbilical region, rumbling in the intestines and periodic diarrhea.

It must be borne in mind that in many cases these two diseases occur together, combining all the above symptoms. In a similar situation, they talk about the development of gastroenteritis.

Stomach ulcer
The main symptom of a stomach ulcer is pain in the upper abdomen in the center. As a rule, such pain occurs during a meal, or immediately after a meal. This symptom allows you to distinguish this pathology from an ulcer. duodenum, which is characterized by the so-called "hungry pains" that occur on an empty stomach and disappear after eating.

other signs peptic ulcer The following symptoms may serve:

• heartburn and/or sour belching;
• weight loss;
• nausea and vomiting after eating;
• loose stools due to indigestion.

Peptic ulcer of the duodenum
Peptic ulcer of the duodenum is characterized by pain in the upper abdomen and in epigastric region. The intensity of pain can be different: from slight severity to sharp, painful sensations. Pain usually appears or worsens with physical activity, long breaks in food intake, the use of spicy foods, as well as alcohol. In addition, there are digestive disorders, manifested by diarrhea. Exacerbations of this disease are often associated with the season, occurring mainly in the autumn-spring period.

pancreatitis
The inflammatory process that affects the pancreas is called pancreatitis.

In the acute form of this pathology, the constant and leading symptom is abdominal pain. Most often, it is permanent (defined as cutting or dull), and increases as the disease progresses, sometimes even leading to shock. The pain is localized more often in the left or right hypochondrium - high in the pit of the stomach. With the defeat of the entire gland, the pain is girdle in nature.
There are also symptoms such as:

• dry mouth;
• belching;
• nausea;
• frequent vomiting with an admixture of bile, which does not bring relief.

In addition, patients are concerned about liquid or mushy stools, in which undigested food particles are determined. Often the stools are bad smell and foamy texture.

In chronic forms of pancreatitis, patients (even during remission) sometimes feel dull pain, nausea, complain of constipation or, conversely, liquid, copious stools of a mushy "fatty" nature. Such bowel movements are difficult to wash off with water, which is directly related to the poor digestibility of fats. The occurrence of such diarrhea usually indicates a very serious violation of the digestive function of the pancreas.

Hepatitis
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver tissue. acute form this disease more typical for viral hepatitis, as well as for pathologies caused by poisoning with strong poisons.

The acute form of hepatitis is characterized by a noticeable deterioration in the general condition of the patient, the rapid development of signs of general poisoning of the body and impaired liver function. There is an increase in body temperature, and in some cases, the appearance of icteric coloration of the skin. Before use, you should consult with a specialist.