Know about Gastrointestinal Disorders : Diarrhoea, Dysentery and Dyspepsia

Symptoms, Causes and Treatment for Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea is condition when there is loose or watery stooling and one has to go to toilet many times.

Symptoms:

• Diarrhoea is mainly due to inflammation of the intestine
• Excessive production of watering mucous
• Over activity of the intestinal muscles

Causes:

• Inflammation may be caused by viruses, which will be responsible for many outbreak of gastro-enteritis, mainly in children.
• It also may be due to bacteria like bacterial food poisoning and bacillary dysentery.
• Larger parasites are also responsible for diarrhoea like amoebic dysentery and worm infestations.
• Irritant drugs and poisons
• Allergic reactions like food allergy, ulcerative colitis etc.
• Due to malabsorption and sprue

The functioning of the intestine is very much influenced by the nervous system and endocrine glands like thyroid and adrenal. If any disturbances occur in them, it results in diarrhoea. Sustained fear or anxiety will lead to over activity of the intestine. Irritable colon is the common complaint by the people who worry about their bowels and take laxative. Most of the common types of diarrhoea clear up in a day or two. If it continues beyond this period and is left untreated, it causes severe dehydration, in case if it is accompanied by vomiting also. So till medication is taken, sugar-salt water solution like cold drink, sharbat should be given to the sick.

Symptoms, Causes and Treatment for Dysentery

Dysentery is a condition in which the patient notices mucus and blood in the stool accompanied by abdominal pain and tenesmus (a painful endeavour to defecate and urinate).

Dysentery is a collection of symptoms indicating severe irritation in the large intestine.

Dysentery is of two types:

1. Amoebic dysentery: It is caused due to the infection of the large intestine with Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoa. The patient passes stool with mucus.
   

   English: Entamoeba histolytica is an anaerobic parasitic protozoan, part of the genus Entamoeba. It infects predominantly humans and other primates Français : Entamoeba histolytica, un protozoaire anaérobie parasite appartenant au genre Entamoeba. Cet amibe infecte principalement les humains et les autres primates. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Bacillary dysentery: It is caused due to infection of the intestine with bacteria, Shigella. The patient passes stool with blood.

Amoebic dysentery should be treated properly, otherwise if untreated it may lead to liver abscess and amoebic hepatitis.

Symptoms, Causes and Treatment for Dyspepsia (Indigestion)

Dyspepsia is indigestion of food in the stomach. It includes various symptoms arising from the stomach.

Symptoms:

• Discomfort
• Pain
• Flatulence
• Nausea

Sometimes dyspepsia may be due to gastritis or gastric ulcer. But mainly indigestion is due to interference with the normal working of stomach by

• Over eating
• Eating when appetite has been suppressed by worry, anger, drugs, heavy smoking
• Unsuitable meals