What Are the Main Causes and Effects of Diarrhea?
Diarrhoea or Diarrhoea is discomfort caused in the stomach usually due to a virus or contaminated food. It is a disorder related to irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease. Diarrhoea Symptoms include watery stools, stomach pain, loose and frequent sensation for stool. Some Diarrhoea infections require the need of antibiotics to make people better and severe cases lead to more dehydration that may require intravenous fluids to be administered for recovery. So, we can conclude that the following Diarrhoea Symptoms occur if one suffers from Diarrhoea.
Loose or thin stools
Watery stool
Cramp or Abdominal pain
Bloating in the belly region
Urgency for bowel movement
Nausea and vomiting
Some of the other severe Symptoms of Diarrhoea include weight loss, fever and blood or mucus in the stool. We often treat Diarrhoea at home with precautionary measures, drinking ORS and avoiding oily food; however, if Diarrhoea is not treatable for long days and causes much dehydration, it is best to visit a nearby hospital or take help from the doctor.
What is Diarrhoea?
Diarrhoea is a disorder caused due to bowel infection or gastroenteritis which can be majorly because of a virus such as rotavirus or a norovirus as well as bacteria such as E.coli and Clostridium difficile.
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What Causes Diarrhoea?
Diarrhoea is caused by various factors but it does not occur due to any underlying disease. The primary reason for this is the reduction in the absorption of fluid by the intestines and also an increase in the secretion of fluid or liquid and speedy passage of bowel waste through the intestines. Some of the Causes of Diarrhoea are listed below.
Excess liquid diet
Alcohol abuse
Food intolerance
Stress/Anxiety
Use of laxatives
Food allergies
Diabetes
Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
Spicy food not suited for the digestive system
Food poisoning (bacterial infection)
Overactive thyroid or hyperthyroidism
Certain medications
Radiation therapy
Skin cancers
Malabsorption
Surgery related to digestive disorders
Types of Diarrhoea
There are majorly two types of Diarrhoea, namely-
Acute Diarrhoea
Acute watery Diarrhoea lasts for 2-3 days and is not a life-threatening condition. It also includes cholera and acute blood Diarrhoea known as dysentery that may last for several hours or days. It can be cured with the help of prescribed medications.
Chronic Diarrhoea
It is persistent Diarrhoea that can last for 14 or even more days and it is caused due to some underlying gastrointestinal disorder.
Some of the Other Types of Diarrhoea Include the Following:
Secretory Diarrhoea– It is the secretion of excess fluid into the intestines.
Osmotic Diarrhoea– It is caused when excessive water is drawn into the bowels.
Motility-related Diarrhoea– It is the condition where intestines are highly active and transport intestinal contents with high speed, there is not enough time for absorption of water and electrolytes. It results in watery and loose stools.
Collagenous Colitis– Here, the intestinal lining is damaged and it cannot absorb water and electrolytes.
Inflammatory Diarrhoea– It is caused when intestines are damaged due to bacterial or fungal infections.
Treatment of Diarrhoea
Usually, acute Diarrhoea can be treated within 2-3 days depending upon the controlled diet or regime. It is best to take some suggestions from a physician if it's bothering you for long. Some of the beneficial steps are having plain food without spice and taking oral electrolyte solutions. Doctors may suggest some of the following treatments for Diarrhoea:
Antibiotics are helpful for the symptoms caused by bacterial or parasitic infections.
Water containing salt and electrolytes help in replacing the lost fluids, eg: ORS solution.
Certain medications may treat Diarrhoea symptomatically.
Signs of Diarrhoea When it’s Must to Visit Doctor
Many times, we take Diarrhoea lightly and think it will be normal within a few days. However, we should observe the symptoms when it is long-lasting and go to the doctor for suggestions instead of trying ineffective medications at home.
Following are some of the severity observed in Diarrhoea that is a sign for fastest doctor visit:
Blood in stool or tarry and black stool
Fever that lasts for over 24 hours
Excess throwing up and nausea prevent you to eat or drink anything
Severe abdominal pain or rear portion
Diarrhoea after coming back home from foreign places
Dark coloured urine
Rapid heart rate
Headaches
Dry skin
Crankiness
Confusion
Points To Remember
Diarrhoea was derived from the Greek words, ‘Dia’ and ‘Rhein’ which means flowing through.
Diarrhoea is a condition that is not life-threatening, however, the symptoms vary depending on the factors.
It happens when the intestines absorb the fluids significantly less or if there is an increase in the secretion of fluids.
There are two kinds of Diarrhoea.
Acute Diarrhoea can last for a couple of days or so but not more than a week.
Chronic Diarrhoea tends to last longer for weeks and it can also happen due to underlying gastrointestinal diseases.
Secretory Diarrhoea occurs when there is more secretion of fluids.
Osmotic Diarrhoea occurs when there is excess water drawn in the bowels.
Motility-related Diarrhoea occurs when the intestines are overly active in transferring the contents, giving it less time to absorb the water and electrolytes.
In Collagenous colitis, the intestinal lines are damaged so they fail to absorb the fluids.
If the walls of the intestines are damaged by fungal or bacterial infections then it is known as inflammatory Diarrhoea.
Antibiotics, salt, and medicines that treat symptomatically can greatly help someone who is suffering from Diarrhoea.
Quick Ways to Understand this Chapter
Biology is a subject that some students find tough and some find it easy because it has more things to remember in this subject and there are practical things that are done in the lab. It is vast but it is an interesting subject. In order to ace in this chapter, students might follow the tips given below -
Be Attentive in Class
Students might think they know the chapter and might not be attentive to which they will be left behind with many doubts later or may not understand the chapter. It is a lengthy chapter with so many points so it is essential to pay attention in the classes.
Read the Chapter
Students should keep in practice to always read or study the chapters after it is taught in the class. This will help the students to get whether they have understood the topic or not. It will get vast and confusing if the students don’t follow a routine in studying.
Write Down the Doubts
After studying the topic students might have some doubts which they should write it down so that they can ask their teacher later. Noting the doubts helps students understand where they stand with the chapter and know if it is too hard or easy for them. It gives an overall idea of the topic.
Make Notes
Students should always make notes while the teacher teaches in class. They can make the notes in short but in a way that they can understand and will be easy to revise just by reading the notes. They can always make their own notes by referring to the book and notes. This will help the student to learn and remember in the process of making the notes.
Practicals
Students should be attentive while the practicals are done in the lab, by watching the experiments they can get the knowledge of the topic. This has helped many students to remember the topic.
Study to Understand
Don't just read the powerpoints, notes, and books. Try to understand the topic while reading it. It will develop a sense of understanding that will help the students during any exams in the future.
Discuss With Friends
Discussing with others on any topics makes the topic more interesting because this will be more interactive. Friends can also share knowledge which might be important. It will help the students memorise the topic more effectively after discussing the correct and wrong answers with their friends.
Try to Test the Knowledge
After completing studying a topic students should take a test for themself which will make the student know which concepts are not clear and can be cleared with the teachers or tutors.
Solve the Questions From the Textbook, Sample Papers, and Practice Papers
After completing the chapter a student should try to solve the questions given at the back of the chapter. This will cover half of the chapter’s topic and will help the students to know the type of questions are present in the chapter.
Solve Previous Year’s Question Papers
This step will help the students who will appear for the board exams. They should collect the last year's question papers and try to solve the answers by themselves. This will give them some idea about the pattern of the question paper and the questions which are important.
Students can always download the study materials from Vedantu regarding any topic of Biology from the website. The previous year's question papers are also available on the website of Vedantu and can be downloaded in PDF form. If they still have any doubts then they can join the online life - classes in Vedantu.
FAQs on Diarrhea: Biology Overview, Causes, and Prevention
1. What exactly is diarrhea?
Diarrhea is a condition where you experience loose, watery bowel movements three or more times a day. It happens when your intestines are unable to properly absorb water and electrolytes from the food you've eaten, causing it to pass through your body too quickly.
2. What are the common causes of diarrhea?
Diarrhea is most often caused by an infection in the digestive system. The main culprits include:
- Viruses: Such as Rotavirus or Norovirus, which are very common.
- Bacteria: Like Salmonella, E. coli, or Campylobacter, often from contaminated food or water.
- Protozoa: Microscopic parasites like Giardia that can live in water.
3. What are the main symptoms associated with diarrhea?
Besides frequent watery stools, the most common symptoms include abdominal cramps, bloating, an urgent need to use the toilet, and sometimes nausea. The biggest risk associated with these symptoms is dehydration, which is the loss of body fluids.
4. Why does an infection cause stools to become watery in diarrhea?
When harmful germs like bacteria or viruses infect your intestines, they can damage the intestinal lining. This damage interferes with the intestine's main job: absorbing water from digested food. Instead of being absorbed, the excess water is expelled from the body along with the stool, making it loose and watery.
5. What is the main difference between diarrhea and dysentery?
While both are intestinal issues, the key difference is severity and symptoms. Diarrhea involves watery stools. Dysentery is a more severe form of diarrhea where there is inflammation of the intestine, leading to stools containing blood and mucus. Dysentery is almost always caused by a bacterial or parasitic infection and requires medical attention.
6. How does maintaining good hygiene help prevent diarrhea?
Diarrhea-causing germs are often spread through the fecal-oral route, meaning germs from feces get into someone's mouth. Good hygiene, like washing hands with soap after using the toilet and before eating, breaks this transmission cycle. Cooking food thoroughly and drinking clean, purified water also kills these germs before they can enter your body.
7. Why is ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) recommended during diarrhea?
The main danger of diarrhea is not the loose stool itself, but the loss of water and essential salts (electrolytes). ORS is a scientifically formulated mixture of clean water, salt, and sugar. The sugar helps the small intestine absorb the salt and water more effectively, rapidly replacing the lost fluids and preventing dangerous dehydration.
8. How does severe diarrhea affect the body's normal functions?
Severe diarrhea leads to significant dehydration. When the body loses too much water and electrolytes, it disrupts its balance. This can lead to extreme weakness, dizziness, and muscle cramps because electrolytes are crucial for nerve and muscle function. In critical cases, severe dehydration can impact kidney and heart function, which is why rehydrating is so important.
