Excessive Diarrhea Causes

Diarrhea can be described as a condition where loose bowel movements take place due to some abnormality in the intestines. Many people wrongly assume it to be a disease, but actually it is a symptom that indicates an underlying health problem in the body.

When the loose bowel movements occur several times in a day, then it is considered as excessive diarrhea. It is often accompanied by bloating, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, etc. When a large amount of fluid is lost from the body, excessive diarrhea causes dehydration.

Viral Infections: When excessive diarrhea is caused by a virus, it is commonly referred to as stomach flu or viral gastroenteritis. The infection causing virus enters our body due to consumption of contaminated foods or drinks.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): It has been found that the most common excessive diarrhea causes are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, which are the two different forms of inflammatory bowel disease. In this condition, the immune system starts attacking the digestive tract.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): This is one of the key causes. This is triggered by irregular contractions of the intestines. As a result, one suffers from severe diarrhea over a period of time. In such cases diarrhea and constipation occur alternately.

Side Effects of Medications: Certain medicines like antibiotics can cause severe diarrhea. This happens because these medicines disturb the balance of good bacteria and bad bacteria that exist in our body by destroying the helpful bacteria along with the harmful ones.

Other Causes: Some infections caused by protozoan parasites giardiasis and amoebiasis can be responsible for this condition. Some other underlying health problems like gallbladder disease, liver disease, diabetes, and malnutrition are the other excessive diarrhea causes.

Excessive diarrhea is often treated with the help of medicinal treatment as well as home remedies. The treatment is mainly based upon the cause. It is identified with laboratory tests like stool sample tests, X-ray, colonoscopy, etc. Anti-diarrhea drugs are usually prescribed.

If any bacterial infection is detected then they are treated with antibiotics. In some cases, anti-parasitic medicines are given. If the ailment has resulted from antibiotic medicines then doctors suggest the use of acidophilus in tablet or liquid form along with that medicine.

This medicinal treatment is often accompanied by some remedies. You have to stop eating solid foods for a few hours in order to provide the much-needed rest to the digestive system. During this time, a rehydrating solution should be taken several times to prevent dehydration.

It is prepared by adding 4 tablespoons of sugar, half teaspoon of table salt, and half teaspoon of baking soda into four cups of plain water. This mixture should be taken in small sips after a gap of every few minutes.

As the symptoms subside, you should increase the fluid intake which can be in the form of plain water, clear broth, weak tea, apple juice, and so on. It should be followed by a diet suitable for excessive diarrhea, which consists of bananas, rice, applesauce, dry toast, and soda crackers. It should be continued for a couple of days or one week, which depends on the doctor's instructions.

Some of the key causes can be prevented with the help of good hygiene. You must wash fruits, vegetables, raw meat, etc., thoroughly before cooking. Wash your hands properly with antibacterial soap and water after handling these food items and also before eating. While washing the utensils, clean them with water in such a way that no residue of soap is left behind as it can trigger diarrhea too.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.