chronic diarrhea Archives - Healthhype

Chronic Stomach and Bowel Infections – Symptoms, Treatment

Jan Modric — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:49:28 +0000

Stomach Problems Due to Chronic Infections Stomach pain, bloating, belching, gas and diarrhea, lasting for several weeks or months may result from chronic infection by parasites, bacteria or, rarely, viruses or yeasts. There is often no fever in these infections. Parasites Intestinal parasites, like giardia or intestinal worms, may cause long term loose stools with mucus or blood and abdominal bloating. Pale skin and tiredness are due to iron-deficiency anemia caused by impaired iron absorption due to intestinal inflammation, and blood loss due to bleeding ulcers, or blood sucked by intestinal worms. Diagnosis is made by finding parasites by stool Ova & Parasites test. Treatment by anti-parasitic medications usually results in full recovery in few days. Infection may recur if it was not completely treated or if source of parasites (pets, food or water poisoning) still exists. Bacteria Infection with Helicobacter pylori bacterium is common and appears worldwide. Symptoms include bloating, feeling of pressure in upper middle abdomen, nausea, early satiety, belching and heartburn, but infected person may have no symptoms at all. H. pylori can cause chronic gastritis (inflammation of the inner layer of the stomach) or peptic ulcer in the stomach or duodenum and thus upper middle abdominal pain. Diagnosis is made by urea breath test, blood or stool test or [...]

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Diarrhea Due To Unknown Causes (Idiopathic Diarrhea)

Dr. Chris — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:23:59 +0000

Normal Gastrointestinal Motility Food that is consumed undergoes both mechanical and chemical digestion in the alimentary tract. Nutrients are absorbed in the process and water and mucus are mixed with the ingested food at almost every part of the alimentary tract. Large amounts of water are then absorbed in the large intestine thereby transforming the liquid residual matter that enters the colon into a firm yet soft material by the time it reaches the descending colon. This residual and waste material is known as feces and is subsequently evacuated from the body during defecation. In order to facilitate this process, food, chyme (digested food) and residual nutrients with waste has to pass from the mouth to the anus. This movement is achieved by the action of the muscles throughout the alimentary tract in a coordinated process known as peristalsis. Gastrointestinal motility is largely the same in every part of the alimentary tract as described under esophageal motility, intestinal motility and colonic motility. It is also similar in the stomach although the action of the pyloric pump in gastric emptying regulates the passage of chyme into the duodenum of the small intestine. The time that it takes for food to move [...]

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HIV Diarrhea Symptoms – Causes of Watery, Bloody Stool in AIDS

Dr. Chris — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:24:19 +0000

Managing diarrhea in HIV/AIDS may be more complicated than in immunocompetent (not immunocompromised) patients as it may be caused by many rare opportunistic infections that would not otherwise be immediately considered. Chronic diarrhea may begin in the mildly symptomatic stage of the infection and persist through to the onset of AIDS. The complications associated with chronic diarrhea is one of the more common causes of mortality in HIV/AIDS. What is HIV Diarrhea? Diarrhea is defined as the passage of more than 200g (grams) of stool per day in adults. However, in the case of watery stools a volume greater than 200ml (milliliters) is considered as diarrhea. For infants, more than 10g (grams) per kg (kilogram) of body weight will be considered as diarrhea. Diarrhea stool may be firm, soft or loose and/or watery. This consistency is not a sole indication of diarrhea. Frequent large volume/weight (>200g/200ml) bowel movements is considered as diarrhea. More than 3 bowel movements per day may also be considered as diarrhea unless the total daily volume is within the norm. Persistent diarrhea usually lasts for more than 14 days and any case of diarrhea that is ongoing for more than 30 days will be considered as [...]

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Uncontrollable Diarrhea Causes, Diet, Remedies

Dr. Chris — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 18:01:20 +0000

Diarrhea by its very nature usually means uncontrolled bowel movements to some degree. However, there are instances where diarrhea can be considered severe to the point that even this drastically impaired bowel control appears to be totally lost. It leads to people soiling their clothing and surroundings before they can reach the toilet. It can also refer to diarrhea that does not abate despite medical treatment and cessation of solid foods. In whichever way it is defined, uncontrollable diarrhea is often seen as the worse case scenario for altered bowel habit. Cannot Hold Back Stool Fecal incontinence is the term for being unable to restrain the stool for a sufficient duration to have a bowel movement in a toilet. Although fecal incontinence is a broad term that can also apply to normal stool consistency and bowel habit, it is considered to be present in only the most severe forms of diarrhea. Most people who have diarrhea can restrain themselves for a short while until they reach a toilet. With incontinence there is no such restraining ability. A person cannot hold back the stool. The moment the urging occurs the stool is expelled. Sometimes there is no urging and a person [...]

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Loose Bowel Movements – Diagnosis of Causes Based on Symptoms

Jan Modric — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:45:10 +0000

The term loose bowel movements refer to watery stool and abnormally frequent bowel movements which are collectively referred to as diarrhea. There are many different causes of diarrhea and it can be difficult to isolate the exact cause in acute cases. Most of the time the diarrhea passes after a few days without any complications. However, understanding the cause of the diarrhea can help with the treatment and prevention of future episodes. Read more on watery stool. Find the Cause of Diarrhea from Symptoms It is difficult to isolate the exact cause of diarrhea solely based on the symptoms. There is a large degree of overlap of the concomitant symptoms among the different causes of loose bowel movements. The only way to know the exact cause of diarrhea is to conduct the relevant tests for diarrhea. Causes of Diarrhea in Newborns A newborn normally psses stool up to 8 to 10 times a day. Diarrhea with the following symptoms may be due to causes discussed below: Fever and vomiting with diarrhea is usually due to infections and particularly viral infections (rotavirus) and less commonly due to other microbes. Mild diarrhea: overfeeding. Skin rash, strain to vomiting (gagging), irritability, diarrhea:allergy to [...]

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Diarrhea for a Week – Causes and How Long Should It Last

Dr. Chris — Sat, 15 Apr 2017 22:30:44 +0000

Most of the time diarrhea is acute. This means that it arises suddenly, is often intense and resolves quickly within a few days. Sometimes no treatment is necessary for it to ease and eventually stop. However, when diarrhea continues for longer than a few days and persists up to a week or more then it becomes a cause for concern for most people. Diarrhea for a week or longer usually indicates a more serious cause and there is also a higher risk of complications like dehydration setting in. How long should diarrhea last? There is no definitive period for how long diarrhea should last. It is only a symptom of some underlying disorder, usually involving the bowels. Depending on the duration, it may be classified as acute, subacute or chronic. Acute diarrhea lasts for up to 2 weeks. Subacute diarrhea persists for 2 to 4 weeks. Chronic diarrhea continues for more than 4 weeks. While most of us expect sudden and severe diarrhea to ease and possibly fully resolve within a few days, it can persist for a week or more and still be considered acute. The duration that diarrhea lasts depends on a host of factors such as the [...]

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Abdominal Pain with Diarrhea – Causes and Other Symptoms

Dr. Chris — Sun, 02 Apr 2017 11:32:05 +0000

Diarrhea and abdominal pain are two common symptoms associated with the digestive tract. Often these symptoms may occur together and it can be difficult to isolate abdominal pain with diarrhea due to a specific cause. Diarrhea occurs for a variety of different reasons as does abdominal pain, and without considering other symptoms as well as conduting diagnostic investigations, it can be difficult to identify the underlying cause. Stomach Pain with Loose Watery Stool Abdominal pain is often incorrectly referred to as stomach pain. However, the stomach is a specific organ that lies in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. Nevertheless many people commonly refer to abdominal pain as stomach pain. With the abdominal cavity having so many different organs within it, abdominal pain on its own can be difficult to diagnose unless other symptoms are present. Read more on stomach pain. Diarrhea means passing more than three bowel movements in a day where the stool is often loose and of a watery consistency. The majority of diarrhea cases are due to a disease or disturbance within the digestive tract, particularly the lower tract such as the small and large intestines (bowels). As with abdominal pain, diarrhea is due to [...]

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Causes of Chronic (Prolonged, Persistent, Constant) Diarrhea

Jan Modric — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:40:01 +0000

Diarrhea is a common digestive symptom that affects every person at some point in life. It may occur several times in a year. Usually diarrhea is acute meaning that it lasts for a short period of time but tends to be severe. Acute diarrhea usually lasts for only a few days and often resolves on its own. However, there are instances where diarrhea persists and this may be referred to as chronic diarrhea. Definition of Chronic Diarrhea Diarrhea (loose bowel movements) is considered as chronic when it lasts for more than 2 weeks (1). It is important to understand what the term diarrhea means, whether it is acute or chronic. Diarrhea is defined as having more than three bowel movements in a 24 hour period where the stool is of a liquid or watery consistency. Another definition is the passing of more than 200g (grams) or 200mL (milliliters) within a 24 hour period. Therefore chronic diarrhea is the passage of watery stools in more than three bowel movements within 24 hours that extends for more than two weeks. Depending on the underlying cause, chronic diarrhea can lead to dehydration, malnutrition or nutritional deficiencies and failure to thrive (FTT) in young children. In [...]

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Stress Diarrhea – Causes of Loose Bowel Movement with Stress

Dr. Chris — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 23:02:04 +0000

Most of us think of an agitated emotional state or mental strain when we hear of stress. This is known as psychological stress. However, the body can also undergo physical stress like with a severe disease, major surgery and extensive inury. This is known as physiological stress. It is now known that psychological stress is not isolated to just emotional or mental symptoms. Sometimes psychological stress can lead to physical symptoms, like diarrhea. What is stress diarrhea? Stress can refer to either physiological or psychological stress. However, since most people associate “stress” with mental and emotional strain, the focus for this article is diarrhea due to psychological stress. Diarrhea is an alteration in bowel habit where a person passes stool more than three times in a day. Most of the time the stool is watery in consistency or entirely liquid. Diarrhea can at times occur during periods of psychological stress yet may not be due to the stress itself. Most of the time diarrhea is acute meaning that it arises suddenly and lasts for a short period of time. These acute episodes of diarrhea are often due to infections with viruses, bacteria or protozoa, or the toxins produced by these [...]

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Diarrhea FAQ – Is Diarrhea Normal? Can Diarrhea Kill?

Dr. Chris — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 23:25:14 +0000

Diarrhea is a common condition. It is not a disease but a symptom of several diseases. These diseases are sometimes referred to as diarrheal illnesses but in most cases diarrhea is not the only symptom. Most people do not seek professional medical attention for every instance of diarrhea. However, when diarrhea is severe, bloody, persisting or worsening then it requires immediate medical attention. It is important to understand the various facets of diarrhea, from its causes, to the mechanism, treatment and prevention. There are several misconceptions about diarrhea and sometimes this can prolong or even worsen the diarrheal illness. Some of the common and uncommon questions about diarrhea have been answered below. However, it is important to seek professional medical advice for any diarrheal illness. Why does diarrhea occur? Diarrhea is a symptom of some underlying disturbance of the digestive tract, particularly of the bowels (small and large intestines). This may occur for many reasons. Acute diarrhea is where the diarrhea occurs suddenly and is usually severe but only lasts for a short period. Most of the time acute diarrhea is due to infections with viruses, bacteria or protozoa, or it is caused by the toxins from these infectious agents. [...]

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