Diarrhea with a watery consistency: Causes and methods to alleviate it

Diarrhea with a watery consistency: Causes and methods to alleviate it

Persistent or recurring watery diarrhea in adults can be a concerning health issue, often indicating an underlying medical condition. When diarrhea lasts more than four weeks, it's considered chronic and typically requires medical attention to identify and treat the underlying cause.

Common causes of chronic watery diarrhea in adults include a variety of underlying conditions and factors. These can range from chronic infections, inflammatory bowel diseases, malabsorption syndromes, endocrine disorders, and medication side effects.

One of the most common conditions is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), particularly the diarrhea-predominant type (IBS-D), where gut nerves and digestion are overly reactive, often triggered by stress, diet, or hormones. Inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis also cause inflammation of the digestive tract, leading to ongoing diarrhea.

Malabsorption syndromes, including celiac disease (gluten intolerance) and lactose intolerance, interfere with nutrient absorption, resulting in watery diarrhea. Chronic infections, including persistent bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections, can also cause long-term diarrhea.

Microscopic colitis, an inflammation of the colon visible only under a microscope, is another cause associated with chronic watery diarrhea. Endocrine disorders such as hyperthyroidism, Addison’s disease, carcinoid tumors, VIPoma, and others can alter gut secretions and motility, leading to diarrhea.

Medications, including antibiotics, magnesium-containing antacids, heart or blood pressure medicines, chemotherapy drugs, and others, can cause diarrhea as a side effect. Bile acid malabsorption, where bile acids irritate the colon leading to secretory diarrhea, is another less common cause.

Other, less common causes include diabetes, cystic fibrosis, diverticular disease, bowel cancer, and complications from bowel surgery. Acute causes such as infections with norovirus, rotavirus, enterotoxigenic E. coli, cholera, and parasites usually cause short-term diarrhea but may persist or recur in some cases.

In summary, persistent watery diarrhea in adults is most often due to chronic conditions affecting bowel function or absorption, chronic infections, medication side effects, or endocrine disorders, and requires medical evaluation to identify and treat the underlying cause.

It's essential to seek medical help if diarrhea does not improve in 2 days for adults, and parents or caregivers should contact a doctor if a baby or young child has diarrhea for more than 24 hours, or if the diarrhea is severe, frequent, the child has vomited more than 3 times in 24 hours, the child has stopped drinking fluids while ill, the child is under 12 months old and has any worrying symptoms, or if any of the following accompanies diarrhea: signs of dehydration, a fever, black, tarry, or bloody stools, severe pain in the stomach or rectum, significant weight loss, or difficulty staying awake.

Infections can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites, and food poisoning is a common cause of watery diarrhea. To reduce the risk, foods should be stored at the correct temperature, washed thoroughly before preparing or eating, kept separate, and cooked thoroughly. Handwashing is crucial in preventing the spread of infections, and it should be done in soapy water for at least 20 seconds, or if soap and water are unavailable, a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol should be used.

Infants should receive the first dose of the rotavirus vaccine before 15 weeks of age and the second dose before 8 months. Complications of diarrhea can include dehydration and intestinal malabsorption, and medical treatments for diarrhea may include antibiotics for bacterial or parasitic infections, antidiarrheal drugs, medication adjustments, treatment of digestive disorders, fluid replacement, and others depending on the underlying cause.

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