If stool frequency or bowel movement is more than 3, it's diarrhoea. Patient with diarrhoea have more than 3 bowel movements or motions in a day Infections are most common cause of diarrhoea, which last for less than 14 days Duration of chronic diarrhoea is more than 4 weeks Food indigestion is a common cause of diarrhoea Bile secreted by liver helps in digestion of food Small intestine and pancreas secrete enzymes to digest the food Digested food is absorbed by the small intestine Liver, pancreas and small intestine help in digesting the food loose motion are very common in small bowel problems Wheat allergy or celiac disease is a common cause of wheat allergy Our body becomes allergic to gluten in wheat.
Gluten causes injury to villi in small bowel. Small bowel is not able to digest the food causing diarrhoea Usually patient complains of 4-5 large volume motions in day with bloating There are deficiencies of iron causing anemia, calcium deficiency, and protein deficiency causing edema To diagnose celiac disease, blood test is done for antibody and biopsy is taken from small intestine Treatment of celiac disease is gluten free diet and nutritional supplements Parasitic infections interfere with food digestion and cause diarrhea HIV infection and immnosuppressive medications after liver and kidney transplant are common cause of low immunity and diarrhoea patients with CVID (Common variable immunodeficiency) had low antibody and recurrent loose motions, treatment is injections of antibody Patients with lactose intolerance has low lactase enzyme, which is necessary to digest lactose sugar in milk from the dairy In patients with SIBO (Small bowel bacterial overgrowth) which is common in diabetes, elderly and IBS, bacteria interfere with food digestion, and chronic diarrhea can occur In patients with IBS, diabetes and hyperthyroidism, movement of small bowel is increased, hence food not digested well, causing diarrhoea Chronic pancreatitis leads to low pancreatic enzyme and cause diarrhea.
Bile duct obstruction due to cancer or stricture cause low bile and loose stool Large bowel disease such as Inflammatory bowel disease or IBD can cause diarrhoea IBDis 2 types, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's Disease in ulcerative colitis, ulcers form in large bowel. Common symptom is diarrhea and blood in stool Mucus and urgency for stool are other symptoms Ulcerative colitis can be diagnosed by sigmoidoscopy and biopsy and is treated easily by medicines. Crohn's disease affect right side of colon and small bowel. Symptoms are weight loss, loose stool and lower abdomen pain Diagnosis is made by colonoscopy, CT scan. Condition is treated by medications. In India, TB or tuberculosis is a common cause of loose motions TB affect small. and large intestine. Symptoms are pain, fever, diarrhea.Diagnosis is by CT scan. and colonoscopy. Condition is treated by medications. Tumor can cause loose stool. Large polyp known as Villous adenoma can secrete mucus in colon and cause diarrhoea.
Colonic mucosa above the level of cancer can secrete mucus and cause diarrhea. outpouching in colon is know as diverticulum, diverticulitis is swelling in diverticulum, and can cause diarrhoea Radiation therapy given for pelvic cancer such as urinary bladder, prostate, uterus and cervix can lead to radiation colitis and loose motion. CMV virus can cause colitis and diarrhoea. CMV is treated by medications Microscopic colitis is common cause of painless diarrhea in middle aged female. Diagnosis is confirmed by biopsy and is treated by medicines IBS is common cause of diarrhoea Food intolerance, intestinal hurry, SIBO, celiac disease, lactose intolerance, pancreatic enzyme deficiency, post infectious IBS, and microscopic colitis are cause of diarrhea in IBS Hormonal imbalance is common cause of diarrhoea. Excessive thyroid hormone in hyperthyroidism, can lead to increase appetite, diarrhea and weight loss Addison disease is also a cause of diarrhea.
Less steroid forms in body, treatment is steroid replacement. Carcinoid tumor in pancreas and small intestine can lead to excess hormone production and can lead to diarrhoea. Rare tumor of thyroid medullary carcinoma of thyroid can lead to loose motion. Drugs such as BP or sugar medicines, chemotherapy or anti-cancer, antibiotics, acid suppressing medicines can lead to diarrhoea..
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