Do you or people around you have to use the washroom immediately after eating? Well, this is alarming if you experience this often. People who have to use the loo after eating are experiencing a fatal disease. This disease is known as postprandial Diarrhea or PD. Moreover, PD results in diarrhoea after eating. This type of diarrhoea is not very common and may negatively impact the patient’s help. This is something that requires immediate attention. We are going to discuss everything about diarrhoea after eating in this article.
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How long does diarrhoea after eating lasts?
We can define diarrhoea as loose and watery stools resulting in painful bowels. Diarrhoea is a very common type of disease. Millions of people suffer from watery stools every year. However, it doesn’t last more than two weeks.
What if it lasts more than 14 days? Is it alarming or something with worrying? If you have diarrhoea after eating and it lasts more than 14 days. It will turn into chronic diarrhoea.
If not treated, postprandial Diarrhea or PD may last for a week or longer.
Moreover, long-lasting PD is the symptom of IBS, aka Irritable Bowel Syndrome. IBS results in killer cramps that require urgent medical attention.
Let us discuss types of diarrhoea after eating and their causes:
Types of Diarrhea after eating:
Acute Diarrhea:
Acute diarrhoea is a very known condition that may last not more than 15 days. Generally, there is no certain cause of diarrhoea. It can be a result of any virus, infection, or allergies. However, acute diarrhoea does not last long or require any serious attention. It gets better without any medical assistance. Moreover, diarrhoea results from strong and painful contraction that speeds up the bowling movements. However, the problem is self-treated and does not have any serious conclusions.
Chronic Diarrhea:
Chronic diarrhoea is a serious condition that needs immediate attention. Moreover, diarrhoea that may last more than 14 days may turn into chronic diarrhoea. If not treated, it may even turn into colon cancer. Therefore, it is very necessary to treat chronic diarrhoea. Furthermore, the most common cause of chronic Diarrhea is Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS. It is not good to leave diarrhoea untreated if it persists for more than 14 days. It may worsen the symptoms causing gas and stronger cramps. Chronic diarrhoea can damage your intestine and causes inflammation.
What are the causes of diarrhoea after eating?
Many factors can cause diarrhoea after eating. However, the main cause of diarrhoea is unknown. Let us discuss some of the prime causes that may result in Diarrhea:
- Infections are responsible whenever you catch a cold, cough, or fever. A virus is like a small bug that enters the human body and causes infections. They attack any particular part of your body and cause sensitivity. Similarly, if a virus attacks your stomach, it weakens and makes the contractions faster. As a result, the stomach empties itself faster than expected.
- The second important reason behind diarrhoea after eating is food allergies. For example, If someone is allergic to gluten, there are chances of suffering from PD after eating that particular bread. Lactose-intolerant people who cannot digest dairy properly can immediately experience stomach cramps or diarrhoea.
- Moreover, food poisoning may also be the main cause of diarrhoea. Sometimes, we get food poisoning when consuming any contaminated or bad food. Furthermore, the body tries to recover from bad food and contamination as soon as possible. One can get diarrhoea or food poisoning in the process.
- You may not know about this, but some people can not digest sugars. Sugars such as fructose or glucose in sugar are not digestible for some people. As a result, the intestine can not digest it and cause diarrhoea. Also, people who drink juices or eat sweets with high amounts of sugar can often face diarrhoea issues.
- Furthermore, it is very common for toddlers to have foodborne parasites. Tapeworm is one of the parasites that may cause diarrhoea. Tapeworm causes infection in the toddler’s body and absorbs all the nutrients. Also, high magnesium doses are another cause of diarrhoea.
What are the possible ways to treat diarrhoea after eating?
Though the exact cause of diarrhoea-causing components is unknown, possible ways to treat it, also, you need not go to any doctor. You can treat it just by making minor changes in your lifestyle.
- You can treat your diarrhoea completely by making some changes in your lifestyle. Lifestyle changes such as regular exercise and proper sleep effectively treat issues like Diarrhea, IBS, or PD.
- The other effective way of treating diarrhoea is to avoid fried food or foods that trigger it. Fried foods, sweets, or cold drinks with a high amount of sugar are harmful to the stomach. Therefore, it is not advisable to stay away from these foods, which may trigger the condition.
- Another effective way is to stay hydrated. When you have diarrhoea, your body cannot absorb any nutrients from the food you eat. Therefore, it is important to stay hydrated. They say to drink 7-8 glasses of water every day. This can save you from dehydration and diarrhoea too.
- Furthermore, if you are lactose intolerant or have food allergies, please avoid consuming such food. If your body is resistant to eating or drinking something, it will remain undigested in the body. Also, semi-digested food can cause acidity and diarrhoea.
- Fatty, fried, or dairy have high fats and carbs. It is very easy to get diarrhoea while eating these. Therefore, one should stick to a low-calorie and high protein diet. This diet will help you lose weight and treat your diarrhoea.
- Sometimes, half-cooked or raw foods may result in stomach cramps. Therefore, it is necessary to cook the food properly or at a perfect temperature.
How do we know the condition is serious?
Diarrhoea is not limited to watery stools and dehydration. There is much more to this condition. It is not easy to self-diagnose the type of diarrhoea. Moreover, Chronic Diarrhea is very alarming and needs immediate attention from a doctor. However, Acute diarrhoea is easy to treat and self-diagnosed. If you have either of the symptoms mentioned below; it is better to see a doctor:
- We have discussed it many times before too. Acute diarrhoea is not a serious condition and lasts less than two weeks. However, if it lasts more than 15 days, please visit your doctor immediately.
- Furthermore, if you are experiencing strong and painful cramps with diarrhoea, it is important to visit your nearby doctor. This is because painful cramps and diarrhoea may result in Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS.
- Diarrhoea can cause colon cancer or even ovary cancer in women for a longer period. Therefore, treating it at an earlier stage is wise.
- Fever can make the condition worse. You seek immediate medical help if you have diarrhoea along with a high fever.
- Dehydration, feeling thirsty every time, stomach and muscle cramps, vertigo, smelly and dark urine are the signs of diarrhoea. Your body is telling you to visit a doctor immediately.
- Also, if you have colour-changing stools, it is important to visit a doctor. Sometimes, people who do not get their diarrhoea treatment start getting stools full of blood. This can cause cancer and needs urgent attention.
If you have either of these symptoms, hurry up and make an appointment with your doctor.
Signs that you have diarrhoea after eating or Prandial Diarrhea or PD.
- If you have to use the washroom after eating on an urgent basis, it is one of the most basic ways to diagnose PD.
- Also, those suffering from PD will experience strong and forceful contractions. Moreover, it becomes difficult to pass the stool accompanying a large amount of gas.
- In some cases, Postprandial Diarrhea is temporary. It often resolves after using the washroom once or twice. However, the problem becomes permanent if the problem persists again and again.
- Blood or mucus in the stool is a very symptom. However, it is something not to ignore. It may harm your body in a very bad way.
- Other important signs of diarrhoea are bloating, nausea and vomiting. Diarrhoea can also result in fatigue and dehydration. Moreover, some people start feeling tired severely. Due to this, one may feel unconscious anytime. Therefore, it is important to take an oral rehydration solution or ORS now and then.
- Chronic diarrhoea occurs when you have to pass faeces more than three times a day. Also, the issue gets worse if it is followed by rectal pain.
Conclusion:
Finally, I hope we are all aware of the term postprandial diarrhoea. It is a very rare condition that results in the immediate use of the restroom after eating anything. However, it is important to get the treatment on time before it worsens. I am going to end this article on that note now. Thank you and take care!