A chronic diarrhea can manifest in several manners. Firstly, it may be a loose stool which bothers you for more than four weeks, coming and going, being constant or slowly getting worse. Also, a chronic diarrhea can be a state of having increased number of bowel movements during the day or having more of these occurrences than the possible amount of food you have consumed beforehand. All these disorders are signs of an underlying health issue such as an illness, an infection etc.
Reasons behind Chronic Diarrhea
One of the common reasons behind diarrhea is one's organism's incapability of digesting certain food properly. These may be issues with digesting carbohydrates, fats or some other types of nutrients. However, consuming alcohol excessively may lead to diarrhea as well.
Secondly, stomach diseases like the irritable bowel syndrome, thyroid or pancreas problems or a weakened immune system, all can lead to diarrhea which can end up being chronic. Alternatively, viral, bacterial or fungal infections of the digestive system cause diarrhea too. Parasitic infections belong to the list as well.
Medications Side Effects and Muscle Injury
In some cases, diarrhea is triggered by medications you may be using for treating constipation or some other health problems you might be facing. In fact, numerous medications cause diarrhea as a side-effect, including heart medications and mineral supplements.
Finally, injury of a muscle which controls the passing of the stool may be causing your diarrhea. Also, if this phenomenon occurs after a surgery, there is a high likelihood that this procedure is the cause.
Treatment for Chronic Diarrhea
After consulting with your doctor, you may try to fast for a short while. If a certain type of food is causing your diarrhea, it will stop once you cease the consumption of the food responsible.
Alternatively, you may opt for antidiarrheal medications which decrease the liquidity of the stool you are passing, possibly removing diarrhea completely. Yet, take these medications only after consulting with your medical care provider. If bacteria are behind the diarrhea, antibiotics will deal with them.
Also, your doctor may prescribe you an oral rehydration solution which you can buy over-the-counter or create on your own. This solution allows your body to make up for the fluid losses which strike it during diarrhea.
IV Tube and Proper Diet
If you are having more than 10 bowel movements a day, you may need to be hospitalized and attached onto an IV tube which rehydrates you. In some cases, two days of constant or very frequent diarrhea may be enough for you needing IV treatment.
Finally, when suffering from diarrhea, stay away from fatty, sweet or oily food, as well as dairy products.
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