Loose stools can be caused by infections, inflammatory bowel disease, medication, and systemic disorders. Acute diarrhea is usually caused by viral, bacterial, or helminthic infections, while chronic diarrhea may be due to inflammatory bowel disease. Treatment depends on the cause.
Loose stools, also known as loose bowel movements or diarrhea, are caused by infectious agents, inflammatory bowel disease, taking various medications, and systemic disorders. When a person has loose stools for less than two weeks, the condition is said to be acute. If it occurs for two to four weeks, it is said to be persistent, while if it goes beyond four weeks, it is said to be chronic. The duration of the condition is often a clue as to what is causing the problem.
Most cases of acute diarrhea are due to viral, bacterial or helminthic infections. In acute diarrhea, frequent stool passage is often accompanied by symptoms of vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain. Infectious agents are usually introduced by the fecal-oral route if contaminated water or food is consumed.
The five groups most at risk of infectious diarrhea are travellers, those who eat undercooked meat, children in daycare centers (and their families), people who are institutionalized and those with suppressed immune systems or who are taking steroid therapy, such as patients with HIV/AIDS. The specific infections that cause the condition vary among the five groups. Although the infectious causes may vary, the pathophysiology of acute diarrhea is basically hypersecretion of the small intestine in response to bacterial toxins or adherence of pathogens to the intestinal mucosa.
Other causes of this condition include lactose intolerance and stress. When stress is the cause of loose stools, the condition is termed psychogenic or emotional diarrhea and is caused by overstimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system. Chronic loose stools may be due to an inflammatory bowel disease called ulcerative colitis, in which the colon becomes inflamed and ulcerated. In ulcerative colitis, the ulcerated large intestine has increased motility and increased secretions, leading to frequent loose bowel movements.
A person who suffers from frequent passing of loose stools is treated according to the cause. For example, most cases of infectious diarrhea receive supportive treatment through fluid and electrolyte replacement. Antibiotics or antiprotozoal drugs are rarely used. For lactose intolerance and stress, the key is avoiding dairy products or situations that precipitate stress. Treatment for inflammatory bowel disease involves medical control of the inflammation and/or surgical removal of the defective part of the intestine.
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