Loose motions (Diarrhea): Causes, Diagnosis , Treatment and Symptoms

A medical term for loose motion is diarrhea, which is a condition identified by passing two to three bowel movements per day, occurring when the large intestines are unable to absorb water and nutrients from the food passing through. It is mostly a temporary self-resolving issue, but severe diarrhea may require a visit to your specialist.

Most common loose motion symptoms:

• Loose watery stools that are more frequent and watery than usual.
• Abdominal cramps, pain, or discomfort in the lower abdomen.
• Sudden and strong need to perform bowel movements.
• Feeling of fullness or tightness in the abdomen.
• Nausea and vomiting.

Causes of Loose Motion

Diarrhea is often caused by several contributing factors, but most importantly, if you experience ongoing loose motions, blood or mucus in your stool, high fever, unexplained weight loss, and nighttime diarrhea, consult with your specialist immediately.

• Food intolerance
• Stress
• Infectious causes like viral, bacterial or parasitic.
• Consuming contaminated food and experiencing food poisoning
• Food intolerance towards certain foods like gluten, specific sugars or dairy products.
• It is commonly caused by antibiotics
• Other medications, like magnesium-containing antacids or specific diabetes medications.
• Underlying health conditions.
• Excessive consumption of caffeine
• Psychological factors like stress and anxiety
• Mostly due to underlying conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and malabsorption.

Visit your specialists in the cases of:

• Signs of severe dehydration.
• If loose motions last for more than 2 days.
• Severe episode of diarrhea that doesn’t improve with frequent treatments.
• High fever of 101 degrees Celsius or higher.
• Nocturnal diarrhea (diarrhea at night).
• Severe abdominal pain.
• Stools containing blood or pus.
• Black or tarry stools.

Don’t wait for signs to grow severe. Consult our Specialists today.

Patients who are at high risk of diarrhea:

• Dehydration in infants or young children.
• Pregnant individuals.
• Elderly people.
• People with a weakened immune system.

Signs of dehydration in infants and young children:

• Fewer than 6 wet diapers in 24 hours.
• Dry mouth and tongue.
• Crying without tears.
• Irritability and drowsiness.
• Children become unresponsive to calls.
• Sunken eyes and cheeks.

Diagnostic Approach for Loose Motion

Involves a specialist taking a detailed medical history, including travel and sick contacts, followed by checking any vital signs and signs of dehydration, as well as assessing the abdomen and rectum. The specialist may even visualize the colon and also assess the stomach and duodenum.

• Medical history and physical exam
• Stool test
• Blood test
• Hydrogen breath test
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy
• Biopsy test
• Video-assisted capsule endoscopy
• Abdominal CT scans

Types of Loose Motion

By Duration:

• Acute Diarrhea (lasting days)
• Persistent Diarrhea (lasting 2-4 weeks)
• Chronic Diarrhea (over 4 weeks)

By Cause:

• Infectious Diarrhea
• Non-infectious Diarrhea – occurs with chronic conditions such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis,
• certain medications, or malabsorption.
• Osmotic Diarrhea – where undigested food draws water into the intestines due to lactose intolerance or certain laxatives.
• Secretory Diarrhea – inflammation of the intestines seen in cases such as cholera
• Fatty Diarrhea – presence of excess fat in the stool when the body rejects the fats.

By Symptoms:

• Watery Diarrhea – liquid bowel movements seen in cases like cholera.
• Bloody Diarrhea – A.k.a dysentery, involves pus and blood in the stool.

Treatment for Loose Motion

Loose motion is usually managed by simple home remedies and lifestyle modifications, like oral rehydration methods can prevent dehydration and can also help firm up stools while being smooth on the digestive system. Other remedies can also help restore gut health via healthy bacteria, etc.

• Avoid spicy, greasy, and dairy-heavy foods and start the BRAT (Banana, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast) Diet.
• Drink plenty of fluids like water, clear broth, and stay hydrated.
• Consume yoghurt to restore the beneficial bacteria.
• Drink ginger tea to soothe the digestive system or pomegranate juice to reduce inflammation.
• Soaked or powdered fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds with their anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
• Mix honey with cinnamon or lemon juice.

What if Loose Motion is Left Untreated?

If left untreated, it can cause severe life-threatening complications, especially for the infants and elderly, and they are therefore advised to seek professional help when noticing these symptoms that last for several days and signs of severe dehydration.

• Severe dehydration
• Malnutrition
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Shock and organ damage
• Secondary infections

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