Constant Diarrhea: Diagnosis and Treatment

Posted on November 10, 2011 by

Diarrhea by definition means increased frequency of bowel movements if greater than three times daily or is referred as a decrease in the form of stool meaning greater looseness of stool. There are other medical conditions that are often accompanied by diarrhea but have different causes and treatments. Incontinence of stool is one condition where the person has the inability to control or delay the bowel movement until toilet is available and is not defined as diarrhea. Diarrhea is characterized by the consistency of stool, which is looser than normal. The looseness of stool is determined by the amount of water present in stool which is higher than normal due to improper absorption in the small intestine and colon. During normal digestion food is kept in liquid form, due to large amounts of water secreted by stomach, pancreas and intestines. Food that is not digested reaches the small intestine and colon in liquid form. Due to different causes like infections in the lining of small intestines, there is an increased amount of water in the undigested food that can not be absorbed by the intestines, resulting in loose stool.

Bacteria, viruses and parasites invade and cause inflammation of the lining of intestines and in response, more water is secreted Inflammation of small or large intestines reduce the time of food passage thru the system so less time for water absorption available.

Diarrhea may be acute and last a few days up to a week or chronic that may last up to three weeks. Acute diarrhea may be caused by a viral infection of the stomach, food poisoning and parasitic infections. Abdominal pain is common symptom accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Different types of drugs like nonsteroidal-anti inflammatory drugs, certain antibiotics, chemotherapy medication, high blood pressure and medication to control heart beat, induce diarrhea.

Chronic diarrhea is caused by several medical conditions. Irritable bowel syndrome is one and is believed that it may be due to inflammation of the intestines, which causes rapid passage of intestinal contents thru colon. Constant diarrhea may be defined as chronic since is recurrent and is caused by different diseases and conditions.

Constant diarrhea is part of your life and affects the daily activities; you are scared to leave the house in case an episode may come and there is no restroom available. Most common cause is allergy to certain type of foods, sensitivities to milk products called lactose intolerance. Gluten intolerance can cause constant diarrhea as well as sugar substitutes like fructose. If allergic to gluten avoid wheat, rye barley or better eliminate them from your diet. As long as you keep eating foods that you are sensitive too diarrhea will continue.

Diarrhea may cause complications if prolonged or severe. The main complication is dehydration when there is excessive loss of fluids and disturbance in the electrolyte balace.Dehydration may become severe when the intake of fluids is limited due to lethargy or nausea and vomiting is present. Moderate dehydration will lead to orthostatic hypotension, sudden drop in blood pressure with syncope and fainting. Prolonged diarrhea will affect the electrolyte balance since a lot of minerals like sodium and potassium lost with the water when diarrhea occurs.

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Anxiety: Vomiting a Potential Symptom

Posted on November 10, 2011 by

Anxiety vomiting are two words that may seem to have no connection with each other.
Anxiety mostly known as worry is a psychological and physiological state that involves various components related to the nervous system, also emotional and behavioral disturbances. Anxiety is the normal response or reaction to a stressor which may be physical: pain, noise, temperature, or social like a break up, major events like birth, marriage and death. Anxiety creates feelings of uneasiness, fear, expectations of worst possible events that you may encounter, either in the absence or presence of a stressor.

Anxiety may help overcome a difficult situation making the body ready to deal with the threat, helping you to focus and be motivated. When anxiety becomes overwhelming and interferes with daily functioning, it falls in the category of disorder.

Vomiting is caused by nausea, a sensation of discomfort and unease in the upper stomach accompanied by the urge to vomit. The most common causes of nausea that we all know about are digestive disorders like gastroenteritis, food poisoning; motion sickness, pregnancy also stress and depression. Same like “anxiety”, nausea is the body reaction to a stressor for example the bacteria present in the food that will cause the rapid onset of nausea one to six hours after contaminated food is ingested.

So it seems there is a strong connection between the brain and the gut (another term for intestines) that make anxiety and vomiting to relate to each other. There is a constant exchange of electric messages between neurotransmitters accompanied by the exchange of chemicals between the nervous system and digestive system. Therefore what ever affects the digestive system will affect the brain and vice versa. The gut is called the enteric nervous system and is embedded in the lining of the esophagus, stomach, intestines and colon. Almost any chemical present in the brain is located in the stomach including the hormones and neurotransmitters like Serotonin, Dopamine, GABA, and Norephinephrine.

Not a lot of us know that enteric nervous system exists in the lining of the digestive tract, therefore it is hard to understand the brain –gut connection and how the two can upset each other.

Stress and anxiety affect digestion causing indigestion, heartburn, ulcers that are accompanied by nausea and also disturb the peristalsis in the intestines leading to colon spasm. When anxious the central brain encounters increased tension that leads to release of stress hormones to prepare the body for fight and flight. The stomach lining contains the sensory nerves that will respond to the surge of hormones, giving the feeling of “butterflies” that results is diarrhea.

Anxiety vomiting can be short- lived or may be prolonged in excessive anxiety. Your state of mind has a powerful effect when experienced nausea and vomiting. A peaceful and friendly environment with appealing smells and sights promotes relaxation and may increase your appetite. Anxiety and depression have the opposite effect and exacerbate nausea, so slightly cooler easy to digest foods are well tolerated.

There is a natural balance of chemicals in the stomach lining that controls our emotions, pain, sleep and energy. Since a lot of medication stimulates the sensory nerves in the stomach area, they may cause nausea, constipation or diarrhea.

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