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What causes constant loose stools? Diarrhea for a long time in an adult

29.03.2017

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

Symptoms of chronic diarrhea

With chronic diarrhea, the patient experiences systematic loose stools 3 or more times a day for at least 3 weeks. If diarrhea persists for no longer than 3 weeks, it is referred to as acute diarrhea. With diarrhea, emergency, sometimes uncontrollable, urges occur. Frequent loose or pasty stools are accompanied by flatulence (increased gas production), rumbling, and abdominal pain. With diarrhea, fever and general weakening of the body may occur.

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

With diarrhea, food becomes liquefied and incompletely digested, so pieces of food may be present in the feces. Depending on the pathogenesis, stool characteristics may vary.

Pathogenesis

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

Secretory diarrhea is profuse (more than 1 liter) watery diarrhea, usually painless. Prolonged diarrhea is accompanied by an increase in body temperature, the frequency of stool increases up to 15 times a day, no false urges are observed.
Osmotic diarrhea is a profuse, foamy stool in which inclusions of semi-digested food may be observed. Prolonged diarrhea is accompanied by abdominal cramps.
Exudative (invasive) diarrhea is liquid, light feces, in which pus and bloody discharge are often observed.
Motor diarrhea - moderate discharge with particles of undigested food.

Diarrhea can be infectious or non-infectious. Diarrhea is often provoked by long-term use of medications: antibiotics, magnesium-containing antacids, various laxatives, non-steroidal drugs. Medicines can cause mixed type diarrhea (exudative-secretory, motor-secretory, etc.).

Osmotic diarrhea

Due to an 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 cessation after 2-3 days of fasting.

Secretory diarrhea

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

infectious diseases (toxicoinfection, salmonellosis, cholera, yersiniosis, E. coli, staphylococcus),
hormonally active tumors (carcinoid, gastrinoma, VIPoma),
hereditary diseases (for example, chloridorrhea),
non-infectious causes: long-term use of medications and laxatives, acute poisoning with arsenic, mushrooms, salts of heavy metals, alcohol.

After eliminating the enterotoxin, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract improves, and the incessant diarrhea goes away.

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

Exudative diarrhea

Persistent 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 intestines,
ulcerative colitis,
radiation colitis (radiation exposure),
vasculitis,
Crohn's disease
adeno- and rotoviruses,

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

Motor diarrhea

Irritable bowel syndrome occurs due to increased bowel movements. Often observed after removal of the stomach or parts of it. Food enters the intestines faster, and diarrhea occurs due to insufficient digestion.

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

Treatment of diarrhea

Since the causes of persistent bowel movements vary, it is necessary to determine the mechanism of diarrhea before treatment. If diarrhea does not go away 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 diarrhea does not stop for this reason, surgical removal of the tumor will be required.

What to do for different types of diarrhea:

For secretory diarrhea, Smecta, Enterol, Bifidumbacterin, Furazalidone, Baktisubtil are prescribed.
For osmotic diarrhea, Imodium, Loperamide, Regidron, Codeine phosphate are prescribed; antibacterial drugs, for example, biseptol.
For motor diarrhea, Imodium and astringent adsorbents, for example, bismuth preparations, are used.
For 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 diarrhea lasts for a long time, 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. Add a tablespoon of salt and 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar to a liter of water, mix with a spoon 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 disruption of the natural microflora, therefore the use of prebiotics and probiotics, for example, Hilak forte, is indicated.

Diet for diarrhea

For prolonged diarrhea, you should adhere to a special diet. Diarrhea for several days or longer is provoked by foods with a laxative effect. Following a diet will help speed up treatment. A gentle diet is especially indicated for secretory diarrhea.

During treatment, the patient needs to exclude from the menu fatty and dairy dishes, alcohol, herbs and spices, spicy foods, plums, beets, sweet foods, sauces, and black bread. Boiled white rice, white bread crackers, boiled or steamed low-fat meatballs, meatballs or cutlets, apple and potato puree are allowed.

Stomach pain and diarrhea occur most often due to indigestion and toxins entering 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 or intolerance to dairy products. With this pathology, milk should be excluded from the diet, in which case the diarrhea will go away in the near future.

What to do if diarrhea occurs away from home? A special form of intestinal disorder is traveler's diarrhea. Stool upset occurs due to changes in climatic conditions, food unusual 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 filters for water purification, antibiotics and prebiotics. You should avoid dishes with raw meat and fish, unwashed vegetables. If the temperature rises above 38 degrees and bloody diarrhea appears, you should seek medical help for common viruses and microorganisms that travelers bring from vacation - Giardia, dysenteric amoeba, enterovirus, rotavirus, norovirus.

If an adult has loose stools for a long time, it is imperative to look for the reasons. Some begin self-treatment, but the failure of such an attempt often leads to the need to seek help from specialists.

Due to the protracted nature of diarrhea, disruptions in the functioning of some body systems occur. Lack of proper treatment leads to persistent forms of the condition. In this case, the stool has a liquid consistency, and bowel movements occur more than twice a day. This pathological condition is called chronic diarrhea.

Factors that cause loose stools

Loose stools can occur in an adult for a long time due to a number of reasons. By stopping the effects of certain factors, it is possible to restore stool consistency. Some reasons are temporary, and during this period you just need to help the body a little to restore the correctness of the bowel movement. However, some factors are pathological in nature, in which diarrhea cannot go away without a diagnosis and further treatment.

The reasons for the manifestation of loose stools, which are disturbing for a long period, include:

infections;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract);
disorders in women due to physiological reasons;
stress.

Influence of nutrition

Diarrhea that persists for a long time may be caused by poor diet. In a completely healthy person, after a large amount of fatty foods, flavored with spicy or hot seasonings, as well as foods that contain a lot of fiber (vegetables and fruits), loose stools may occur. If such nutrition is repeated every day, then long-term diarrhea should be expected.

Also one of the reasons for loose stools are sweeteners, which are contained not only in the corresponding tablets, but also in cakes, sweets and even sweet carbonated drinks.

Mint. To prepare the decoction you will need up to 6 leaves of the plant and 2 cups of water. Boil and leave for an hour. After straining, drink after meals up to three times a day.
Pour 2 tablespoons of potato starch into a glass of warm water. Mix well. Drink half a glass of solution four times a day.
Take 5-6 blueberries, add a glass of water and cook for 5 minutes. Strain and let cool. Use the decoction instead of tea throughout the day.
Dry the pomegranate peel, and then boil three tablespoons of the product in crushed form for 20 minutes in two glasses of water. After straining and cooling, drink three spoons 30 minutes before meals.
Boil chamomile in the amount of one spoon for 15 minutes in 200 g of water. Allow the broth to cool, strain, and take 100 g a quarter of an hour before eating.
Boil dried bird cherry fruits in the amount of one spoon in 200 g of water. After letting it cool and straining, take the broth in small sips throughout the day.
Infusion of oak bark. Bring one spoon of bark to a boil in 200 g of water, use according to the previous recipe.

It is also possible to use decoctions of thyme, St. John's wort and a number of other plants.

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.
Nonspecific ulcerative colitis, which is a disease of 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 is celiac disease, in which the human body is very sensitive to gluten (gluten), which leads to damage to the 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 taking 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. The normal state of baby stool is yellow, sour odor, white lumps in the stool, and 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. The most common disease in children under one year of age that causes diarrhea is gastroenteritis, characterized by symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, especially in the morning, and fever. The stool with this disease is liquid, even watery, with blood and an unpleasant odor.

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 has diarrhea constantly, 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 the baby's parents observe liquid feces.

There are a number of demonstrative features of intestinal disorder in children, which should be a signal for an urgent medical examination of the 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. A gentle diet with frequent and small portions, eating 5-6 times a day, helps to get rid of non-infectious diarrhea.

If the reason why the baby has 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 still has liquid stool after treatment, 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;
overeating;
intestinal infections, showing liquid stool sometimes mixed with greens and mucus;
poisoning;
chronic gastrointestinal diseases;
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, leading 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 the water-salt balance of the 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 or 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 adhering to certain rules that children and adults must follow 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 clean 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 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 for treating 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, to promptly 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 that attack the digestive organs.

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

Food poisoning that occurs as a result of eating low-quality food that has expired or has violated storage conditions is very common. 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. Changes in stool can also be affected by stressful situations, which result in changes 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 (disturbance of intestinal microflora), caused by various reasons, including: changes in diet, taking antibiotics and a decrease in 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 stool can 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 formula), 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.

With viral and bacterial infections in the intestines, diarrhea is accompanied by hyperthermia (high temperature), and there may be flatulence and pain 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 by 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 the hands can enter the 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 children 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, unhealthy diet 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.

In case of loose stools, a pregnant woman 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. Drinking plenty of fluids is recommended to replenish the body's water resources.

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 of getting rid of 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 of weakness;
Dry 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 acquires a 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: acute abdominal pain, high temperature, and 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 an ambulance immediately if:

Unformed, odorless feces are 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 quickly find out the exact cause, determine the diagnosis and prescribe comprehensive 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! If treated incorrectly, 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 of 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.

With the correct diagnosis and compliance with 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 foods, baked goods, carbonated water, and 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 regularly, the symptom requires surgical treatment.

Who doesn’t know from television advertising what to do if diarrhea occurs in adults? Take a “magic” pill that will instantly stop diarrhea! However, any doctor will say that such “treatment” will not help at best, and will do harm at worst. Firstly, medications for diarrhea do not act instantly, they only reduce it, and secondly, the use of such medications is contraindicated for a number of diseases. What to do when you suffer from loose stools?

Diarrhea is not a disease, but a symptom that indicates problems in the gastrointestinal tract or in the body as a whole. Therefore, it is impossible to cure diarrhea without knowing what causes it. Diarrhea is defined as the passage of loose stool either once or with an increased frequency of bowel movements. If such a violation goes away within 2-3 weeks, we are talking about acute diarrhea, over 21 days - chronic.

In a normal state, the body of a healthy adult excretes 100–300 g of formed feces daily or at other intervals that are comfortable for a particular gastrointestinal tract. Liquefaction and accelerated evacuation of stool occur due to a sharp increase in water content: with diarrhea, stool is 90% liquid. The amount of feces suggests the etiology of diarrhea:

disturbances of intestinal motility usually do not increase the daily volume of feces; it is excreted often, but in small portions;
if the problem is in the absorption of substances by the intestinal wall, there is a significant increase in the volume of feces due to the mass of undigested food.

The main causes of loose stools in adults:

Such diarrhea usually goes away within 3-4 days, and the patient will most likely be able to associate the onset of diarrhea with previous events.

However, the causes of diarrhea in an adult can be more serious:

infection with bacteria, viruses, protozoa (dysentery, salmonellosis, intestinal flu);
inflammatory diseases of the digestive system (gastritis, hepatitis, ulcers);
functional organ failure (deficiency of certain enzymes);
gastrointestinal diseases of unknown etiology (Crohn's disease);
toxic damage (poisoning with lead, mercury).

In such cases, it is not enough to simply stop the diarrhea: a diagnosis must be made and qualified treatment must be carried out, often in an inpatient setting. As for the clinical manifestations of diarrhea, they may be mild. This applies to ordinary indigestion, when in addition to loose stools, cramping pain in the abdomen and dyspeptic symptoms (boiling, bloating, etc.) may be observed.

In case of food poisoning, the pain is accompanied by weakness, fever, nausea and vomiting, refusal to eat, and the temperature may rise. Similar symptoms are accompanied by intestinal infections and viral diseases.

Alarming signs that require immediate attention are symptoms of dehydration. Dry skin and mucous membranes, cracked lips, severe thirst, rare urination, darkening of urine occur with debilitating diarrhea, and this condition poses a great danger: the pulse increases, blood pressure drops, and muscle cramps may begin.

What to do for diarrhea in an adult - first aid

To prevent dehydration, the water and salts lost by the body must be compensated by drinking plenty of fluids: it is best to take rehydrating solutions (Rehydron and analogues); in their absence, you can drink saline solution, salted water, chamomile tea. Prevention of dehydration should begin as soon as it becomes clear that loose stools are not an isolated case.

Especially if the diarrhea is profuse and constant, has been going on for several days, and is accompanied by vomiting. It is also necessary to pay attention to the presence of blood in the stool. It can appear with dysentery, ulcerative colitis,.

Depending on the diagnosis, the doctor will select a specific treatment, but there are general rules that must be followed in any case of diarrhea. This is dietary nutrition, taking adsorbent drugs, enzymes.

Diet for diarrhea in an adult

The nature of the diet obviously influences bowel movements. Many foods have an irritating effect on peristalsis, and during diarrhea you should forget about them until complete recovery. These are spices, raw vegetables, plums and other laxatives.

Some foods have a fixing effect, so in the first few days of the diet you should limit yourself to the following set of dishes:

wheat bread crackers;
vegetable purees;
slimy porridge;
pureed meat and fish of lean varieties (steamed, boiled);
tea, blueberry jelly, bird cherry fruit infusion, rice infusion.

You can start the diet on a “fasting” day: drink only strong sweet tea (8-10 cups during the day).

If diarrhea is caused by lactose or gluten intolerance, then diet is the main, and often the only, factor in treatment. For these diseases, a therapeutic diet is prescribed that completely excludes products containing milk sugar and the cereal protein gluten.

Diet is important: you need to eat often (every 3 hours) and in small portions.

The diet must be followed throughout the treatment and beyond, but after the first “hard” days, you can remove the restrictions and expand the diet, adhering to the following principles:

Thus, we list the prohibited products:

any fried meat;
offal;
rich broths;
fatty fish cooked in any way, and lean fish if it is fried, canned, smoked;
milk, high fat cream;
scrambled eggs, hard-boiled eggs;
cabbage in any form, beets, spicy root vegetables, turnips, radishes, cucumbers;
canned vegetables;
mushrooms;
sour berries and fruits;
pastries and bread;
carbonated drinks, kvass, cold drinks.

What then can you eat for diarrhea in adults? Here is an approximate list of dishes from which it is recommended to create a diet menu:

steamed minced meat cutlets, meat puree (can be from “children’s” jars), soufflé;
boiled fish (such as pollock, cod), fish balls, steamed cutlets;
cereal cooked in water; you can add a little milk and a piece of butter to the finished porridge;
rice pudding;
puree soups with vegetable or weak meat broth;
boiled pasta;
fermented milk drinks;
fresh cottage cheese;
omelet, soft-boiled eggs;
boiled, baked or pureed vegetables: potatoes, pumpkin, zucchini, green beans;
baked fruits in compote, some fresh strawberries;
jellies and mousses from berries and fruits;
white bread croutons, dryers, “Maria” cookies;
water, tea, compote, cocoa without milk.

In addition to diet, it is important to organize the correct drinking regime. The fluid entering the body should be several liters in volume in order to fully compensate for the loss of water through diarrhea.

Since microelements are washed out with loose stools, plain water is not very suitable for drinking. It is better to take glucose-salt drinks, which will replenish the loss of electrolytes, maintain normal blood sugar levels, and salt also promotes fluid retention in the body.

There are special preparations for preparing rehydrating drinks, these are Regidron, Citroglucosolan, Gastrolit, but if they are not available, you can prepare the liquid yourself by diluting it in a liter of water:

Instead of potassium chloride, you can pour a decoction of dried apricots and freshly squeezed orange juice into the solution. You need to drink in small portions, but constantly throughout the day.

Medicines to treat diarrhea in adults

As an important piece of advice, it should be noted that diarrhea in an adult that has not gone away within 3 days is a reason to consult a doctor. Chronic diarrhea can indicate the presence of serious illnesses, it even occurs with some forms of cancer.

It is also worth seeing a doctor if the temperature rises above 38 during diarrhea, signs uncharacteristic of indigestion or poisoning appear: rash, yellowness of the skin and eyes, dark urine, sleep disturbances. Constant excruciating pain in the abdomen should not be the norm (spastic pain before and during bowel movements is acceptable).

Black or green diarrhea, vomiting mixed with fresh or coagulated (dark) blood, fainting, signs of severe dehydration indicate that the situation is critical: it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance.

Loose stool in an adult for a long time not only causes inconvenience in everyday life, interferes with work and forces you to stay at home. It should be considered as a symptom signaling health problems that require identification of the cause and targeted treatment. Acting at random, taking folk recipes, antidiarrheal drugs without knowing the reason is irrational and can be dangerous. With these actions you are only stalling for time, but you need to act wisely.

Let's look at what could be the reasons for constant loose stools and what to do at home, what sequence of actions needs to be carried out.

The normal functioning of the digestive organs can be judged by the regular act of defecation, which normally occurs more often than once, sometimes twice a day or every other day. In this case, feces are shaped, colored in different shades of brown, and do not have a very pungent putrefactive odor.

Chronic diarrhea

If you experience constantly loose stools for a long time, which occurs almost without symptoms, every day or at frequent intervals, you must definitely look for the cause before a dangerous state of dehydration and deficiency of microelements necessary for normal functioning in the body occurs.

Acute diarrhea, in contrast to prolonged loose stools, is characterized by repeated frequent bowel movements, accompanied by abdominal pain, fever, deterioration of general condition, and sometimes nausea and vomiting.

Clinical symptoms of chronic loose stools:

defecation of liquid stool more than 3 times a day for 4 days in a row or more;
abdominal pain, flatulence, rumbling;
coated tongue, dry oral mucosa, viscous saliva;
skin tone is reduced;
lethargy, weakness, headache;
sometimes increased body temperature;
irritation of the anus - hyperemia, small painful cracks.

Acute diarrhea is called acute diarrhea if the diarrhea does not go away for a week; longer-term intestinal upset is chronic; in some cases, the disease becomes permanent with some interruptions. And this is a clear signal of problems in the body; it is necessary to identify the cause of prolonged loose stools, this will help in its proper treatment.

Causes of long-term diarrhea

Systematic long-term diarrhea can be a consequence of chronic diseases of internal organs - hepatitis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, thyroid diseases. In addition, the causes of prolonged diarrhea can be:

Irritable bowel syndrome. Functional disorders are usually hereditary in nature or appear against a background of constant stress. The disease is indicated by symptoms - unexpected sharp cramps in the lower abdomen, increased gas formation, bloating, loud rumbling in the intestines.

Dysbacteriosis. This is a reduction in the intestines of microorganisms involved in the process of digesting food. As a result, food is subjected to putrefactive processes, and inflammation of the intestinal mucosa occurs throughout. Dysbacteriosis can be caused by long-term treatment with antibiotics, which have a detrimental effect not only on pathogenic microflora, but also on normal ones. Dysbacteriosis usually manifests itself as loose stools until the normal microflora in the intestines is restored.

Some kidney diseases also cause digestive upset.

Constant consumption of low-quality, expired products or water. Such nutrition leads to irritation of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract, destroys normal microflora, and the intestines react to this with disorder.

Ulcerative enteritis or colitis. Inflammation of the mucous membranes of the small or large intestine. Along with prolonged loose stools, the patient loses weight, complains of pain in the abdomen, often below, on the left; over time, streaks of blood and mucus appear in the stool.

Individual sensitivity to certain foods, most often fresh milk protein, gluten (cereal protein), or lactose, which is present in many medications. In addition to lingering loose stools without abdominal pain, the patient is worried about nausea and flatulence.

Crohn's disease. The disease is characterized by ulcerative lesions of all parts of the digestive tract, starting with the oral cavity. The cause of the pathology is a hereditary predisposition, and provoking factors are general infectious diseases of the body, including the digestive organs, or stressful situations.

As you can see, there are quite a few reasons, some of them require accurate diagnosis, instrumental examination of the body, blood and stool tests.

What to do if diarrhea does not go away

If diarrhea persists for more than a week, choosing the right treatment strategy requires finding the source of the problem.

First you need to measure your body temperature, if it is elevated, suspect an inflammatory process in the internal organs. Perhaps pathogenic bacteria, fungi or protozoan microorganisms have entered the intestines, causing inflammation and disrupting its functioning.
Look at the stool, determine its color, consistency, and the presence of blood or mucus.
Observe whether the problem is connected with psycho-emotional experiences or stress.
Analyze your diet. If the quality of food and water is beyond doubt, remember whether fresh milk, cream, ice cream or baked goods or pastries were consumed. Some people have an inability to digest milk protein and gluten.

The basis of nutrition during the period of indigestion should be porridge with water from rice, semolina, oatmeal, boiled or baked potatoes. Soups based on vegetable broths without beets and cabbage. Meat can be boiled or baked chicken, turkey, rabbit. Low-fat boiled fish - pike perch, pollock, hake - are allowed. You can have stewed and boiled potatoes, zucchini, carrots, applesauce. Day-old white bread.

For the entire period of treatment and for some time after, you should refrain from raw vegetables and fruits, dairy products, anything fatty, fried, spicy, salty, or pickled. And in the future it is better to refuse all those products to which the body responds with an allergic reaction.

Then consult a doctor with the results of independent observations. A gastroenterologist can determine the cause of prolonged diarrhea and, after an examination, prescribe the treatment necessary in this case.

Treatment of long-term diarrhea will consist of the following:

You need to start treating long-term diarrhea on your own by replenishing the fluid and microelements lost during the period of illness. For this purpose, pharmacies have a large number of over-the-counter rehydration drugs: Regidron, Trihydron, Gidrovit and others. Also drink more sweet tea, rosehip infusions, herbs, and still mineral water.
Enterosorbents - Polysorb, Smecta, activated carbon, Enterosgel - can be used to effectively help the intestines. These drugs bind toxins and waste products of pathogenic microorganisms and, together with feces, remove them from the intestines. They should be taken 1-2 hours before or after meals or other medications.

Why does diarrhea persist for 3 or more days?

If, after using rehydration agents and enterosorbents, diarrhea does not go away and continues for 3-4-5 days or more, you should consult a doctor.

Since a prolonged intestinal disorder can be caused by various diseases, drug treatment should be prescribed by a doctor depending on the type of pathology. Loose stools for a long time in an adult are a dangerous syndrome and should not be ignored. This may be a sign of serious changes in the internal organs, especially the digestive tract or endocrine system, and “non-intervention” can lead to serious health problems.