Chronic diarrhea is one in which the increase in the number of bowel movements per day and the softening of the stool lasts for a period greater than or equal to 4 weeks and which can be caused by microbial infections, food intolerance, intestinal inflammation or use of medications, for example. example.
In order to identify the cause of chronic diarrhea and the proper treatment to be started, the person must go to the gastroenterologist to evaluate the symptoms and to request tests that can help in the identification of the cause, being usually the stool and blood tests.
Main causes
Chronic diarrhea occurs as a result of irritation in the gastrointestinal system which can be several causes, the main ones being:
- Food intolerances or allergies, such as lactose or gluten intolerance, or milk protein allergy, which can cause irritation and inflammation of the intestine and lead to diarrhea. Check out how to know if it is lactose intolerance; Infections, which can be caused by parasites, as in the case of giardiasis, amebiasis or ascariasis, for example, as well as infections by bacteria and viruses, mainly rotavirus; Irritable bowel syndrome, which is an alteration of the functioning of the intestine, which has its motility altered, which can lead to the onset of diarrhea as one of the symptoms of the disease. See treatment options for those who have this syndrome; Use of medications, which may have a laxative effect, resulting in diarrhea, or the increase in the number of bowel movements being a side effect of the medication; Autoimmune diseases of the intestine, such as inflammatory bowel disease, caused by Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, or like celiac disease, for example; Insufficiency of the pancreas, in chronic pancreatitis, which causes changes in the absorption of fats, leading to pasty, shiny diarrhea with a fatty content; Genetic diseases that alter the digestive tract tissue, such as cystic fibrosis, which alters the production of secretions in various organs; Intestinal cancer, which can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, weight loss, tiredness and bleeding in the stool, for example. Here's how to identify the symptoms of bowel cancer.
To diagnose the cause of chronic diarrhea, you should seek a general practitioner or gastroenterologist, who will be able to make a clinical evaluation, analyze the symptoms presented and request tests such as stool analysis, colonoscopy and blood tests, depending on each case.
How the treatment is done
To treat chronic diarrhea, initially, the doctor may indicate ways to prevent dehydration or malnutrition, providing guidance on how to increase fluid consumption and daily food. Then, the definitive treatment takes place according to the cause of the diarrhea, which may include the use of antibiotic or vermifuge remedies to treat infections, removal of drugs that may have a laxative effect or drugs with anti-inflammatory effects for autoimmune diseases, for example. example.
What to eat in chronic diarrhea
In chronic diarrhea it is important to eat foods that are easy to digest and absorb, such as:
- Cooked vegetable soups and purees, which do not stimulate the intestine such as pumpkin, carrot, zucchini, chayote, potato, sweet potato; Banana and boiled or roasted fruits such as apple or pear; Rice or corn porridge; Cooked rice; White meats boiled or grilled like chicken or turkey; boiled or grilled fish.
In addition, it is essential to drink about 2 liters of liquids a day such as water, tea, coconut water or strained fruit juices, for example. Check, in the following video, our nutritionist's guidelines of what to eat in diarrhea:
