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Overview for Dietary and Lifestyle or Treatment info
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The medical view of this condition is defined by an increase in stool
weight to more than 300g in twenty-four hours. To most people, however,
it manifests itself as loose motions, occurring precipitately. Acute
diarrhoea may result because of a dietary indiscretion like bacterial
food poisoning, acute gastroenteritis, traveller's diarrhoea due to
anxiety or after or during a course of antibiotics. If symptoms persist
for more than two weeks, the situation is defined as chronic diarrhoea.
Diarrhoea and vomiting, a symptom associated with it, may result in
severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance if not corrected.
Bacterial food poisoning is becoming quite common. Symptoms generally
last for less than 48 hours and are caused by a pathogenic bacteria.
If unresolved, however, the acute phase may become chronic and antibiotic
treatment must be commenced. It is also important to trace which food
may have triggered the episode. Tests will be carried out and the
correct antibiotic will be determined by the bacterial examination
of specimens taken.
Traveller's diarrhoea is also commonplace to those visiting foreign
countries. Organisms sometimes linked to this are enterotoxic strains
of Escherichia coli, Shigella sonnei (may cause mild dysentery) and
various other often unidentified viruses. Infantile diarrhoea may
occur at the time of weaning when infants are exposed to a wide range
of micro-organisms when their immune system is still immature. Although,
children in the Western world are affected by this, the incidence
and severity is much greater and life-threatening in developing countries
with poor sanitation.
Other possible causes of diarrhoea include:
- inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative
Colitis
- bowel cancer
- conditions affecting absorption such as Coeliac Disease and pancreatic
disorders.
- conditions affecting the motility of the gut, such as thyrotoxicosis
(overactive thyroid gland)
- laxative abuse
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