- 1. Viruses, bacteria and parasites
- 2. Prolonged use of medicines
- 3. Lactose intolerance
- 4. Intestinal disorders
- 5. Food allergies
- 6. Cancer of the intestine
Constant diarrhea can be caused by a number of factors, the most frequent being infections by viruses and bacteria, prolonged use of medications, food allergies, intestinal disorders or diseases, which generally cause other symptoms such as malaise, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
Treatment depends on the root cause but for all of them it is very important to avoid dehydration by drinking fluids or oral rehydration solutions. There are also remedies that can help stop diarrhea, but that should only be used on medical advice, and home remedies should be preferred.
1. Viruses, bacteria and parasites
Infections with viruses and bacteria usually cause sudden onset of severe diarrhea, accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, headache and muscle pain, fever, chills, loss of appetite, weight loss and abdominal pain. However, in the case of parasite infections, these symptoms take longer to appear and last longer, and may lead to the onset of constant diarrhea.
This type of infections usually occurs due to ingestion of contaminated water, raw or undercooked fish that is contaminated or by handling food without washing your hands well. Some of the most frequently contaminated foods are milk, meat, eggs and vegetables. Learn how to identify the symptoms of a food poisoning.
How to treat
In case the infection is caused by viruses, the treatment consists of preventing dehydration, through the ingestion of fluids and oral rehydration solutions. In more severe cases, it may be necessary to administer fluids into the vein.
The treatment of food poisoning by parasites and bacteria depends on the severity of the infection, and although it can be cured at home, ingesting lots of fluids and avoiding foods with fat, lactose or caffeine, in many cases it is necessary to consult a gastroenterologist to start treatment with antibiotics and antiparasitic drugs.
2. Prolonged use of medicines
Some medications, such as antibiotics, cancer drugs or magnesium-containing antacids can cause diarrhea. Diarrhea caused by antibiotics happens because they attack the good and bad bacteria in the body, thus destroying the intestinal microbiota and hindering digestion. Depending on the type of medication, diarrhea can be constant, especially if the medication needs to be taken daily for a long time.
How to treat
In the case of antibiotics, a good solution to prevent or alleviate diarrhea is to take a probiotic, which has good intestinal bacteria in its composition that will help restore the intestinal flora. See other benefits of probiotics. In the case of magnesium antacids, the ideal is to opt for combinations that in addition to this active substance, also contain aluminum, which helps to reduce diarrhea.
3. Lactose intolerance
Lactose is a sugar that can be found in milk and dairy products. Some people are intolerant of this sugar because they do not have or have an insufficient amount of an enzyme called lactase, which is responsible for breaking down this sugar into simpler sugars, to later be absorbed. Therefore, in these cases, if you frequently eat dairy products, the development of constant diarrhea is common. Here's how to know if you have lactose intolerance.
Babies can also have diarrhea when they ingest lactose because as their digestive system is still immature, they may not have enough amounts of lactase to properly digest milk, so it is important that the mother who is breastfeeding reduces the intake of dairy products.
How to treat
To avoid the gastrointestinal effects caused by lactose, one should reduce the consumption of milk and dairy products or opt for those that do not have lactose in the composition, in which it has been industrially degraded into simpler sugars. There are also remedies like Lactosil or Lactaid, which have this enzyme in the composition, which can be taken before meals.
4. Intestinal disorders
People with intestinal disorders and diseases such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease or irritable bowel syndrome, often have episodes of constant diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, especially in situations where there is a consumption of stronger or contraindicated foods. these disorders.
How to treat
Many of these diseases have no cure and treatment usually consists of relieving symptoms with medications for abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting and oral rehydration solutions.
In addition, depending on the type of disease in question, foods with caffeine should be avoided, raw vegetables and unpeeled fruits, dairy products, oats, fats and fried foods, sweets or red meats, for example.
5. Food allergies
Food allergy is an overreaction of the immune system to certain foods such as egg, milk, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish or seafood for example, which can manifest itself in various regions of the body such as skin, eyes or nose and cause vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. It is important to know how to distinguish food allergy from food intolerance, since allergy is a more serious situation, which can be life-threatening. Learn how to identify a food allergy.
How to treat
The treatment for food allergy depends on the severity of the symptoms, and can be done with antihistamine remedies like Allegra or Loratadine or with corticosteroids like Betamethasone. In the most severe cases, when anaphylactic shock and shortness of breath occur, it may be necessary to inject adrenaline and use an oxygen mask to aid breathing.
In addition, foods that cause food allergy should be avoided. To find out which foods can cause allergies, a food intolerance test can be performed. Learn more about treatment.
6. Cancer of the intestine
Usually bowel cancer causes frequent bloody diarrhea, associated with belly pain, tiredness, weight loss with no apparent cause and anemia. If these symptoms persist for more than a month, you should go to the doctor for treatment to be established as soon as possible. Check out 8 symptoms that may indicate intestinal cancer.
How to treat
Treatment for bowel cancer can be done with surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy, depending on the location, size and development of the tumor.
Watch the following video and see what to eat during periods of diarrhea:
