Prolonged diarrhea: What could it be? (Pidgin)

Wetin be prolonged diarrhea 

Diarrhea na passage of loose or watery stools many times pass usual. Experts consider diarrhea say na stooling 3 or more times in one day. Usually, people with diarrhea dey pass watery or loose stools.   

 
Diarrhea fit be acute, persistent or chronic depending on how long e last. 

Acute diarrhea dey usually last for few days; 
Persistent diarrhea dey lasts for about 2-4 weeks.
Chronic diarrhea dey lasts for one month or more. 

Acute diarrhea dey typically caused by viruses or bacteria wen dey infect the gut from contaminated food and drinks, and e dey usually resolves on em own; but when diarrhea lasts for more than few days, water don pass garri . 

  
Causes of prolonged diarrhea na    

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): This na disorder of the gut wen get diarrhea or constipation as em major feature. Diarrhea in IBS dey usually reoccur and fit last for prolonged periods. This syndrome dey identified by combination of symptoms (abdominal pain, abdominal distension, etc.) in the absence of identifiable disease. It na one of the common causes of prolonged diarrhea and e dey associated with psychological disorders including depression.   

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): for IBD, damage dey to all or part of the digestive tract. IBD dey characterized by diarrhea, blood in stools, abdominal pain, fatigue, and weight loss. The cause of IBD nor dey known but some risk factors include heredity, age (common in 15-35 years), race, cigarette smoking and use of over-the-counter pain killers, like Ibuprofen and Diclofenac.   

• Malabsorption syndromes: These ones na conditions wen dey prevent absorption of nutrients through the small intestine. These diseases dey result in bloating, weight loss and diarrhea. The causes dey range from infection, surgery, worm infestations, and prolonged antibiotic use to digestive disease( like celiac disease, chronic inflammation of the pancreas).

• HIV/AIDS: Acquired Immune deficiency syndrome dey use up the body immune system, e go come make all parts of the body open to minor infections. For the gut, immune cells go become used up and infections including worms go infect the gut and cause prolonged diarrhea wen nor go stop until the virus dey subdued and the immune system dey boosted.   

• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO): This disorder dey happen wen abnormal increase for the overall bacterial population for the small intestine dey . SIBO dey usually occur when slowing of food and waste products dey as dem dey pass through the digestive tract and this one fit be due to disease processes or surgical complications. Symptoms na loss of appetite, diarrhea, bloating and unintentional weight loss. E dey usually treated with antibiotics and surgery.    

 
Diarrhea na very common symptom and for most cases e go resolve on em own or with just rehydration; but, diarrhea fit last several weeks. For this case, e dey usually caused by serious condition wen need to dey addressed first. If you notice continuous stooling, especially if e dey watery or loose, visit your doctor for evaluation and treatment.