Chronic diarrhea treatment and medication must be sought out after healthcare professionals following a series of tests have agreed upon a diagnosis of the condition. Diarrhea is often identified as chronic if it occurs three or more times a day within a period of more than four weeks. Generally, this condition occurs as a result of an infection, illness, or alternative condition, such as a reaction to a certain food.
There are a number of medical conditions that may cause chronic diarrhea, such as pancreas and thyroid disorders, as well as a number of different cancers. What’s more, some autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease can lead to chronic diarrhea.
Diagnosing Chronic Diarrhea:
Before chronic diarrhea treatment and medication can be obtained the condition must be accurately diagnosed. For this to happen, your healthcare provider will conduct an examination and ask you extensively about your symptoms. You will need to tell him or her if you have noticed an unusual smell or color in your bowel movements. Your doctor may also ask you whether you notice particular symptoms after eating certain foods, and you should tell him whether you have been travelling recently.
To diagnose chronic diarrhea, your doctor may advise the following tests: blood tests to check whether certain organs (such as the kidneys) are working properly, bowel movement samples to determine the cause of your condition, or X-rays to get a better look at your abdomen. In some cases, you may be asked to get a CT scan to get a more comprehensive picture of what’s going on within your stomach, or there may be a need for a colonoscopy to examine the inside of your colon.
Chronic Diarrhea Treatment and Medication:
Your treatment will depend largely on the condition responsible for your chronic diarrhea. For example, treatment may include oral rehydration therapy, which is a therapy wherein you are required to drink more liquids as a way of replacing the fluids lost during bouts of diarrhea. In some circumstances, you may be given an antidiarrheal medicine, which is used to decrease the amount of diarrhea you’re having by coating the inside of your bowel and making bowel movements less liquid.
How You Can Manage Diarrhea Symptoms:
Besides obtaining treatment and medication for your chronic diarrhea, there are also some steps that you can take to help reduce your symptoms. For example, most doctors recommend staying away from foods that may cause your condition to flare up. If you don’t know which foods are leading to bowel problems for you, then you should keep a food diary to see whether your symptoms are caused by certain foods which you can then bring to your doctor in follow-up visits.
Another important measure to take in looking after your health and body is washing your hands frequently. With soap and water, make sure that you wash your hands often and use germ-killing hand gel if you’re in an area where clean water is readily available. Be sure to wash your hands every time you use the bathroom, change a diaper, prepare food, or sneeze.
