Chronic diarrhea is diarrhea that lasts longer than 2 weeks. Diarrhea is a symptom of a digestive tract disorder that causes a person's stool to turn watery and watery. In addition to changes in the shape of the stool, diarrhea is also characterized by heartburn due to the movement of the digestive tract which becomes more active.
Diarrhea of short duration is usually not a serious medical condition. On the other hand, diarrhea that lasts a long time and is not treated properly can be life threatening.
Causes of Chronic Diarrhea
Chronic diarrhea is a symptom of a disease. Therefore, it is very important to identify the cause of this condition. Some diseases that can cause chronic diarrhea are:
- Irritable bowel syndrome, which is a collection of symptoms of the digestive tract without any abnormalities of the organ.
- Inflammatory bowel disease, namely ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
- Diseases that can interfere with the absorption of food, for example lactose intolerance celiac, and Whipple's disease.
- Chronic gallbladder disease, eg gallstones
- Bacterial infections, such as infections Salmonella or E. coli
- Parasitic infections, such as cryptosporidiosis and amoebiasis
- Side effects of drugs, such as antibiotics, laxatives, ulcer drugs, and chemotherapy drugs.
- Side effects of abdominal surgery.
Symptoms of Chronic Diarrhea
In addition to loose stools and an increased urge to defecate, chronic diarrhea can also be accompanied by:
- Bloated
- Nauseous
- stomach cramps
- Severe stomach ache
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Vomiting blood or bloody stools
- Pale
- Sweating at night
Diagnosis of Chronic Diarrhea
The diagnostic process aims to find the cause of chronic diarrhea. In addition to symptoms, medical history, and physical examination, additional investigations need to be carried out. Among them:
- Stool test.
- Blood test.
- Biopsy, by taking certain tissue samples from the digestive tract.
- Endoscopy, which is a visual examination of the condition of the digestive tract with a special tool called an endoscope.
- Scans, such as X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs.
Chronic Diarrhea Treatment
Treatment of chronic diarrhea is done by treating the disease that causes diarrhea, as well as administering drugs to relieve the symptoms, such as: bismuthh and loperamide. Chronic diarrhea due to bacterial infection can be treated with antibiotics. While diarrhea that appears due to parasitic infection, can be treated by using antiparasitic drugs.
If chronic diarrhea occurs due to intestinal inflammation, treatment can include anti-inflammatory drugs, drugs to lower the immune system, to surgery.
Doctors will also recommend patients with chronic diarrhea to change their diet, either to treat the cause of the diarrhea itself or help cure it. Patients who suffer from chronic diarrhea due to impaired absorption of nutrients, will be asked to avoid foods that can trigger diarrhea. An example is avoiding dairy products for people with lactose intolerance. Meanwhile, in patients with chronic diarrhea due to celiac disease, doctors will recommend avoiding foods that contain gluten, such as bread.
In addition, people with chronic diarrhea are recommended to:
- Eat low-fiber foods
- Drink lots of water to avoid dehydration
- Avoid caffeinated and alcoholic drinks
- Don't overeat
Complications of Chronic Diarrhea
The main complication that can arise from chronic diarrhea is dehydration due to loss of large amounts of fluid. Dehydration that is not treated properly can be life threatening. Patients with chronic diarrhea should be alert and consult a doctor immediately if symptoms of dehydration appear, such as:
- Dark urine
- Often feel thirsty
- Fever
- Throw up
- Dizzy
- Weak
Prevention of Chronic Diarrhea
Chronic diarrhea caused by infectious diseases, especially bacteria or parasites, can be avoided by taking the following steps:
- Drink clean or boiled water.
- Clean food ingredients well before cooking.
- Cooking food, especially meat, to perfection.
- Wash your hands after using the toilet, changing diapers, or visiting sick people.
