Infectious diarrhea - recognize the signs to avoid dangerous complications

The article was professionally consulted by BSCKI Le Huu Dong - Head of Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

Infectious diarrhea is very common, especially in the developing world. The disease occurs in both adults and children, easy to appear in the summer. The most dangerous is that the disease can develop into a large epidemic if we do not detect and treat it in time. They will cause many complications such as paralysis of muscles, limbs, bleeding, even life-threatening.

Infectious diarrhea is the common name for a group of diarrheal diseases caused by microorganisms. Infectious diarrhea includes “diarrhea caused by bacteria”, “diarrhea caused by viruses” and “diarrhea caused by parasites or fungi”. Differentiate from non-infectious diarrhea such as diarrhea caused by endocrine disorders, due to improper eating. Many microorganisms including yeasts, parasites, viruses or bacteria can cause intestinal infections. These organisms are present in food due to poor hygiene, so humans are susceptible to infection when exposed to microorganisms. The severity of the infection will depend on the type of pathogen causing it.

At the onset of the disease, the patient will have symptoms such as: Fever and diarrhea. In the full-blown disease stage, the following symptoms will appear:
Severe diarrhea: As pathogens move further in the digestive tract, they can cause diarrhea. In case of cholera, the patient may have bowel movements 20-50 times/day. Watery stools, cloudy stools or the color of rice water or clear. In the feces there are many white scales, these scales carry many cholera bacteria. The stool has an unpleasant fishy odor and is not mixed with blood. Patients with a lot of vomiting combined with a lot of diarrhea easily make their body dehydrated, which makes the patient appear emaciated, sunken eyes, lethargy, weak heart beat and hypothermia. Abdominal pain is common in cases of increased bowel movements or diarrhea caused by agents invading the intestinal wall, abdominal pain along the colonic frame is a manifestation of damage to the large intestine. Straining is a manifestation of damage to the rectum. As the infection worsens, patients often experience pain or bloating in the abdomen. The severity of this pain will depend on the location and cause of the infection. Loss of appetite: This is a common sign of infectious diarrhea as well as other types of gastrointestinal infections. Spasms: Bacterial infections often cause contractions in the abdomen. Each episode will usually last 3 to 4 minutes, and can become more severe. Nausea: due to loss of appetite often accompanied by nausea. Depression: People with yeast infections may be at increased risk for depression. Sleep disturbances: Discomfort related to intestinal infections will make it difficult to sleep. This can also be a sign that the liver is working too hard as it tries to get rid of infectious agents. Teeth grinding: In rare cases, people with infections will grind their teeth while sleeping. Headaches: Dehydration or the presence of irritants such as yeast in the digestive system increases the risk of ongoing headaches. Respiratory viral infections - viral pathogens that cause intestinal infections that can affect other parts of the body. You may develop an infection or cough when an infection occurs.

Children or the elderly are the two most susceptible subjects, because their immune systems are often weaker than adults. People with part of their stomach removed, immunocompromised... are also susceptible.

The most common cause of infectious diarrhea is pathogens that enter through the mouth. Other causes such as exposure to contaminated water and poor sanitation can also cause infectious diarrhea. Foreign pathogens enter the body and irritate tissues in the digestive tract. The digestive tract can become inflamed and painful. Because food that is not hygienic or undercooked often contains salmonella bacteria that causes food poisoning when we eat it. This is the cause of many mass poisoning cases. Infectious diarrhea is also common in patients who eat foods such as meat and fish that contain staphylococcal toxins. Staphylococci when cooked will be destroyed, but the toxins they secrete have absorbed into the food, causing diarrhea. Clostridium bacteria are the third leading cause of infectious diarrhea. They prefer an oxygen-free environment, so they often appear in canned meat and canned goods. Clostridium toxin not only causes diarrhea but also leads to muscle paralysis. In addition, raw vegetables are not clean due to irrigation with dirty water, fresh feces will transmit E.coli bacteria, helminths. In dirty water environment, major epidemic diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid are easy to break out. Listeria disease is also recorded in the world, although it is relatively rare. They often cause disease in people with weak resistance such as pregnant women (especially the last 3 months of pregnancy), infants. The disease is usually sporadic, but can sometimes become epidemic if contaminated food is eaten, especially unpasteurized cow's milk. Contaminated water: Exposure to contaminated water can also lead to infectious diarrhea. So we should drink boiled or sterilized water thoroughly. Poor hygiene: This can also spread bacteria that cause infectious diarrhea. Therefore, it is necessary to wash hands thoroughly after going to the toilet and before eating to avoid bacteria entering the body.

Personal hygiene and eating: Eat well, cover food to avoid flies, in which washing hands with water and soap is the simplest and cheapest but most effective measure to prevent diarrhea. Wash your hands before cooking, before eating, before feeding or feeding a baby, after changing a baby's diaper, after using the toilet, and immediately after being soiled. For infants: When breastfed for at least 6 months, up to 2 years old reduces the risk of diarrhea. Giving vitamin A to young children can also help prevent diarrhea. Measles vaccination is also an indirect measure to prevent diarrhea because diarrhea often occurs when children have measles. When coming into contact with sick poultry or animals, we must use protective gear, clothes, and shoes when entering the barn. Avoid hugging or being close to pets when they are sick. Wastes of livestock and poultry... need to be treated and safely isolated from the place where we live, to avoid causing disease-causing microorganisms from the outside environment to attack humans.

Infectious diarrhea, if mild, requires rest and replace lost fluids and electrolytes. However, infectious diarrhea remains the leading cause of death for children. Therefore, if we see an abnormal bowel movement, it is best to take the child to a reputable medical facility for examination and treatment.
For more detailed information as well as to be examined and consulted by a team of highly specialized and experienced gastroenterologists, customers can contact Vinmec Health System nationwide or register Register online on the website to be served.