Diarrhoea and Constipation
We will digress a bit from the UROLOGY bit and try to answer a more Gut-spilling Problem:
Your Bowels of Course!
I will in this edition, discuss common problems like Diarrhoea & Constipation and may be in a later edition go on to Irritable Bowels, Bowel Cancer etc; lets see how we go with 'FAQ's
Normal Bowels may vary from 3 times a day to 3 times a week( especially with the western diet, but not probably in the predominantly Veggy diet in India!) I will try to explain how the normal Bowel handles solids and liquids to form normal stools and how things can go wrong to cause diarrhoea or constipation. We will then discuss the two abnormal conditions separately.
How the Bowel Works
The Bowel
- Receives solid food and liquids from the diet
- Absorbs most of the food and drink from the bowel into the bloodstream
- Passes 'secretions' into the bowel for digestion. This increases with infection or irritation and is an important cause of diarrhoea.
- Propels its contents from the stomach down the length of the bowel to the anus
- Excretes waste material
Normally by the end point, enough of the fluid is absorbed so that it is solid but moist.
Diarrhoea results if:
Too much secretion is passed into the bowels.. as seen in Gastro-enteritis/Laxative use etc. Bowel movement is too fast and so little fluid is absorbed into the blood.. seen in Anxiety. More liquid than the bowl can cope is taken.. say excessive BEER intake
Constipation results if:
Bowel moves too slowly and too much liquid is absorbed into the bloodstream
Poor fluid intake
FIBRE acts as a blotting paper and holds sufficient moisture in the stools to soften them
Diarrhoea
May be Acute (sudden and lasting short while) or Chronic (affects over a long period of time)
What causes Acute Diarrhoea?
1.Food Poisoning: Diarrhoea+/- Vomiting produced by toxins from bacteria in food(poorly cooked meat or improperly washed vegetables
2.Gastroenteritis: Infection of the bowel. Sudden Onset of fever, nausea vomiting and then diarrhoea. *This is infectious... good hygiene is important.
3.Anxiety. Most of us know exam nerves(also in work or domestic stress induced)
4.Antibiotics:some may cause temporary looseness of stools (avoid milky drinks)
5.Alcohol: Large volumes of BEER may overload the gut and cause diarrhoea.
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