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Chronic Diarrhea and Its Causes

Diarrhea is often considered as something that is not that serious of a disease; however, it can be fatal and life-threatening if not treated well and at the right time. An individual, whether a kid, adult, or an elderly person can have diarrhea at any point of time if he or she doesn’t have purified water and the right amount of food well.

Chronic Diarrhea and Its Causes

Diarrhea is often regarded as a waterborne disease. In other words, the impurities and the germs in untreated water or water which you drink, if not filtered and purified, can make you prone to getting diarrhea at any time. There are many chronic diarrhea causes, but consuming untreated water remains on the top of all such reasons.

With technological advancements, water is purified by passing it through many layers of protection in a filter; however, boiled water is undoubtedly the best thing to have as boiling kills all the germs and impurities in water.

Diarrhea is quite common, but the severity of the disease varies from one person to another. If you are having loose, watery, and irritable bowel movements for a period of more than 2–3 weeks, then it can be a chronic situation. Chronic diarrhea needs medical intervention as ready-made medicines cannot help in such cases. This often results from severe underlying gastroenterological problems, which need proper care.

What are the common chronic diarrhea causes?
Chronic diarrhea can result from various day to day things and also medical factors. Listed below are a few possible chronic diarrhea causes.

Medications
Antacids which contain magnesium can be a common cause of diarrhea. The medicines with laxatives, digitalis, diuretics, and certain antibiotics can be considered as one of the common chronic diarrhea causes in people if they have a sensitivity to that drug. The drugs used in chemotherapies often result into the development of diarrhea in the patient. The medication given for lowering the levels of cholesterol, drugs to control TSH, and medicines with lithium, colchicines, or theophylline in its composition can also result in diarrhea.

Antacids which contain magnesium can be a common cause of diarrhea. The medicines with laxatives, digitalis, diuretics, and certain antibiotics can onset diarrhea in people if they have a sensitivity to that drug. The drugs used in chemotherapies often result into the development of diarrhea in the patient. The medication given for lowering the levels of cholesterol, drugs to control TSH, and medicines with lithium, colchicines, or theophylline in its composition can also result in diarrhea.

Infections
Infection caused by viruses and bacteria is one of the most common chronic diarrhea causes. As it is a waterborne disease, bacteria and viruses in the water you are consuming can trigger this disease in you. Norwalk virus, viral hepatitis, and cytomegalovirus are the most common viruses, which results in diarrhea in a person. In a child, rotavirus can be the virus which can cause diarrhea. Food and water contaminated with germs and bacteria can easily lead to diarrhea in a person.

Toxins or caffeine and alcohol
There are toxins like insecticides used in vegetables, arsenic from the water used for growing vegetables, and even psychedelic mushrooms can be among the top chronic diarrhea causes. Many people are sensitive towards caffeinated products as well as alcohol, and this can cause diarrhea if consumed without your body’s permission. Moreover, alcohol also influences diarrhea to grow.

Intolerance to lactose, fructose, artificial sweeteners, or sugary items
Many people cannot digest lactose, so when they have milk or dairy products, they become prone to getting diarrhea. Similarly, fructose and artificial sweeteners are difficult to digest for many people and consuming them without the knowledge or forcefully can be among the top chronic diarrhea causes.

Hormonal issues
Chronic diarrhea can be caused due to hypothyroidism, diabetic syndromes, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, as well as adrenal problems.

Surgeries
If there are surgeries in which your gallbladder or certain parts of the small intestine have been removed, you might have trouble in digesting and that can result in diarrhea.

Bowel diseases
Irritable bowel syndrome or ischemic bowel syndrome can cause blood in the stool and diarrhea, which are chronic in nature. If there is an ulcer or microscopic colitis or Crohn’s disease, the person becomes prone to having diarrhea.

Tumor and cancer treatments
Tumors like pheochromocytoma or carcinoid tumors can onset diarrhea in a person.

Symptoms of chronic diarrhea
The symptoms to predict whether a person has diarrhea or not are as follows:

  • Loose motions when the stool becomes unusually watery
  • Lower abdominal cramps or pain when a person has diarrhea
  • High fever without cold and cough
  • Continuous motion, which sometimes results in bloody stool
  • Bloating of the abdomen
  • Irritating and urgent bowel movements
  • Nausea

Chronic diarrhea leads to a lot of problems and is undoubtedly life-threatening as the body’s water content decrease drastically. But you can easily take a grab on it by maintaining a healthy and clean lifestyle. Your doctor might prescribe you antibiotics depending on the symptoms and the severity. If your body cannot take fluids directly, the doctor might provide fluids and required salts via intravenous methods. Doctors need to treat the underlying problem first. They can also change the medications if you have become sensitive to the medicines and have diarrhea because of such medicines.

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