Management of Diarrhea

-->

Management of Diarrhea

 

            According to Ahmed’s suggestion, my blog today is going to be about diarrhea. Diarrhea is a very common gastrointestinal disease. It is usually not a serious condition and most people have it at least once or twice per year. It ranges from a simple bowel movement to more dangerous condition such as bleeding and severe dehydration. Usually, it lasts two to three days and it can be treated by over the counter medications OTC medications and some appropriate measures such as fluid intake. Diarrhea can be classified as osmotic, secretory, and exudative.

1. Osmotic diarrhea occurs when there is something in the intestine that is drawing water into the bowels. Sorbitol, for example, is not absorbed by the body which means that it will stay in the intestine and draws water with it which will cause diarrhea. This type of diarrhea is very common after chewing gum that contains sugar substitutes such as sorbitol.

2. Secretory diarrhea means that there is abnormal increase in water secretion in the bowel due to many causes such as infections and the use of some medications.

3. Exudative diarrhea occur when there is a blood and pus in the stool due to some inflammatory bowel diseases and infections.

The most common cause of diarrhea is virus infection, usually mild and last two to three days, which is sometimes called intestinal flu. There are some other causes which include:

• Infection by bacteria (it is the common cause of food poisoning)
• Infections by other organisms such as parasitic infections
• Laxative abuse; some people use laxatives excessively which cause diarrhea
• Eating foods that upset the digestive system
• Allergies to certain foods
• Medications
• Digestive tract surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Diseases of the intestines which accompanied by inflammation, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
• Malabsorption (defect in the body’s absorption of some nutrients)
• Alcohol abuse
• Hyperthyroidism (abnormal increase of thyroid hormone secretion in the body)
• Some cancers (especially cancers that affect the bowel)

Prolonged diarrhea can deplete water and electrolytes from the body causing dehydration, which can cause severe complications if not treated. There are some symptoms of dehydration and when it occur, it is very important for the patient to seek a medical intervention. These symptoms include:

1. in adults:

• Dark urine
• Small amount of urine
• Rapid heart rate
• Headaches
• Dry skin
• Irritability
• Confusion

2. in young children:

• Dry mouth and tongue
• Sunken eyes or cheeks
• No or decreased tear production
• Decreased number of wet diapers
• Irritability
• Skin that stays pinched and does not  flatten out after being pinched

Diarrhea in mild cases usually goes away without any need for medications. However, there are a number of over the counter medications that can be used such as Pepto-Bismol, Imodium A-D, and Kaopectate, which are available as liquids or tablets. It is very important to prevent dehydration by drinking a lot of fluids, at least eight glasses per day, such as fruit juice without pulp, broth, soda (without caffeine), Chicken broth (without the fat), tea with honey, and sports drinks. In some cases diarrhea is dangerous and need medical intervention. For example, when it affect very young or very old people, continues for many weeks, or contains blood. 

References:

Johnson, K. (2012, July 20). Diarrhea Causes and Treatments - WebMD. WebMD - Better information. Better health. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-diarrhea?page=2

Motarjemi, Y., Steffen, R., & Binder, H. J. (2012). Preventive strategy against infectious diarrhea--a holistic approach. Gastroenterology, 143(5), 516-9.

Sandhu, D. K., & Surawicz, C. (2012). Update on chronic diarrhea: a run-through for the clinician. Curr Gastroenterol Rep, 14(5), 421-7.