Diarrhea with mucus is a specific symptom indicating the presence of an intestinal infection or a developing disease. This condition is usually short-lived and quickly disappears with adequate drug treatment. Often, loose stools with mucus are accompanied by other clinical manifestations of salmonellosis, gastroenterocolitis, helminthic infestation and other pathologies. The combination of clinical symptoms facilitates diagnosis, which allows you to immediately begin treatment for the disease and prevent complications from occurring.
What is considered abnormal stool?
It is clear that when an intestinal disorder with mucus and blood begins, a person will rush to the doctor for help. But such serious symptoms do not always appear immediately.
In adults, stool normally has a specific odor, is brownish in color and has a soft consistency. If the smell becomes foul, the stool becomes liquid, or acquires a yellow or green tint, this warns of pathology.
There may be mucus in the stool, but there should be little of it and there should be no other unpleasant symptoms. The frequency of bowel movements should be no more than 3 times a day. When diarrhea develops, the stool becomes loose or mushy. A person can visit the toilet up to 10 times a day. The condition is dangerous due to the risk of dehydration and loss of a large number of valuable compounds.
Complications
If parents did not take care of their child’s green stool in a timely manner, and its cause was one of the serious diseases, this may result in complications, including:
convulsions at high temperatures; dehydration of the body; dysbacteriosis can lead to dermatitis, bronchial asthma, chronic gastroduodenitis, intestinal dyskinesia, proctosigmoiditis; intestinal infections if left untreated can result in neurotoxicosis, cerebral edema, electrolyte disturbances, infectious-toxic shock, sepsis, hemolytic-uremic syndrome, toxic-dystrophic state; consequences of dysentery - intestinal bleeding, pericolitis, rectal prolapse, arthritis, neuritis, encephalitis, dysbacteriosis, malnutrition, hypovitaminosis, anemia, pneumonia, pyoderma, otitis media.
In order not to encounter these dangerous consequences, it is necessary to consult a doctor in a timely manner, and even better, to prevent this phenomenon. Prevention is always much more pleasant and easier than treatment.
Why does mucus appear?
Diarrhea with mucus develops in cases where intestinal upset is accompanied by severe irritation of the mucous membrane. This can happen due to eating too rough food, the influence of toxins, acids or the action of bacteria.
Mucus in diarrhea can occur in both small children and adults. The appearance of mucus in the stool most often indicates the penetration of infection into the body.
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Medicines for diarrhea
A list of drugs that will improve digestion within a few hours is presented below. It is important to remember that if there is a chronic problem (for example, pancreatitis or cholecystitis), the symptoms will appear again.
- "Levomycetin" is a cheap drug with an almost instant fastening effect.
- "Loperamide" - effective capsules against diarrhea for adults and children.
- Imodium not only quickly stops diarrhea, but also has a beneficial effect on the microflora of the mucous membrane.
- Lopedium is a drug for diarrhea in adults. The active ingredient is loperamide hydrochloride. This is almost a complete analogue of its pharmacological counterpart.
Causes of mucous diarrhea
Diarrhea with mucus can appear for various reasons. Some are more serious, others are only part of the physiological norm. Here are the most common causes of such diarrhea:
- food poisoning;
- infection;
- rotavirus;
- gastrointestinal diseases;
- enzyme deficiency;
- irritable bowel syndrome;
- antibiotics.
Stool with mucus in an adult appears after food poisoning. This reaction is caused by spoiled or expired food entering the digestive tract. Poor quality or incompatible foods can also cause similar symptoms.
When infected or when parasites penetrate, a lot of mucus is also released. This is due to the fact that the intestines are trying to get rid of negative compounds and produce a lot of mucus to protect the walls of the organ. There is especially a lot of discharge in dysentery and salmonellosis.
Intestinal flu and rotavirus infections also provoke additional production and secretion of mucus. This phenomenon is observed in diseases such as enterocolitis and colitis.
With a lack of certain enzymes, diarrhea with a large amount of mucus also develops. Symptoms appear especially often with a lack of lactose and gluten.
Although the causes of irritable bowel syndrome are not yet fully understood, this phenomenon causes a lot of discomfort for both adults and children. With this disease, mucus in the stool is observed quite often.
Drug therapy with a course of antibiotics actively affects both harmful and beneficial microflora. Upon completion of treatment, most patients experience intestinal dysbiosis. Until the normal microflora is restored, diarrhea will be contained.
Dangerous symptoms
There is a group of symptoms that cannot be ignored. A person always needs competent medical care. Treatment is usually prescribed after the necessary diagnostic procedures have been carried out.
You should immediately call a doctor at home or go to a clinic if the following symptoms are present:
- significant increase in body temperature;
- severe pain and spasms in the intestinal area;
- nausea and vomiting;
- defecation within 10 times of liquid stool;
- headache;
- bloating;
- green color of stool and foul odor.
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If you have several of the above symptoms, it is important not to ignore the condition, but to begin examining the body.
How to provide first aid to a child
If a child has green diarrhea and fever, it is necessary to call an ambulance to alleviate the baby’s condition as follows:
- Rinse the stomach with clean water at room temperature, induce vomiting by pressing on the base of the tongue.
- If there is no vomiting, give clean water without gas.
- Avoid any foods, milk, or sweets until consulting a doctor.
- A one-year-old child is given a light formula of no more than 50 ml at a time, being careful not to overload the stomach.
- At temperatures above 38°, you can give a dose of Paracetamol or Ibuprofen.
- Wipe the baby with water, moisten your lips more often.
It is possible to select a more precise treatment only after tests for microflora, staphylococcus, and ultrasound of internal organs. It is necessary to exclude gastric bleeding, an attack of appendicitis or severe indigestion.
The danger of parasitic disease and symptoms
Diarrhea with mucus inclusions can be caused by parasitic diseases. Many people underestimate the danger of this condition. When a pathogen enters the body, the intestinal environment becomes an excellent place for reproduction and procreation. In just a very short time, a person can become a carrier of an entire colony of harmful microorganisms.
Parasitic diseases have a number of distinctive symptoms:
- itching in the anal area;
- increased sensations at night;
- rumbling in the stomach;
- nausea and vomiting;
- pain in the lumbar region;
- watery diarrhea.
Depending on what kind of parasite was introduced into the body, the symptoms and severity may differ. In some forms of the disease, patients cannot even get out of bed and experience constant weakness, dizziness and headaches that are not relieved by anesthetics.
It is important to figure out what to do to alleviate the patient’s condition when severe symptoms appear. To do this, you should consult a doctor and undergo an appropriate examination.
Diagnostic measures
Upon contacting the hospital, the doctor may recommend the following procedures:
- coprogram;
- stool analysis;
- scraping;
- blood analysis;
- Ultrasound of the gastrointestinal tract.
Coprogram is a procedure that allows you to quickly determine the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in human feces. In some cases, such a detailed study makes it possible to determine how well the gallbladder and intestines cope with their functions.
Stool analysis can also reveal the presence of worms. However, the presence of smaller parasites in the body will not be known.
Scraping is carried out if enterobiasis is suspected. It will take some time to obtain reliable research results.
A blood test makes it clear how much damage the body has suffered due to exposure to harmful microorganisms. All parasites secrete toxic compounds that poison the human body. A lot can become clear from the blood picture.
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Diagnostics
One of the informative diagnostic methods for identifying the cause of intestinal disorders in children is coprogram. This analysis helps to establish the presence of dysfunctional disorders of the enzymatic system, analyze the quality of the pancreas, detect areas in which the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is impaired, and indicate the severity of the pathology.
The doctor also prescribes a stool test to identify dysbacteriosis. It is effective in determining the type of microbes that provoked digestive disorders. This helps to choose the right and effective treatment method. As a result of this analysis, it is possible to detect damage to the body by parasites such as staphylococcus, enterococcus, Klebsiella and Proteus.
The doctor necessarily prescribes a study, during which the sufficiency or deficiency of lactobacilli colonies in the intestines is determined. It takes a very long time to wait for results, up to a week and a half.
Treatment of the disease
What to do after all the necessary examinations have been carried out and an accurate diagnosis has been established? It is important to start treatment immediately.
The treatment method will directly depend on the cause of the diarrhea with mucus. In some cases, to get rid of the problem, it will be enough to adjust your diet. If pathological symptoms occur after taking antibiotics, therapy with probiotics, bifidobacteria and lactobacteria will be required.
When the cause of diarrhea with mucous inclusions is a parasitic disease, it is necessary to accurately determine the type of microorganism, as well as the organs that have suffered from it. The doctor prescribes suitable anthelmintic drugs. Auxiliary therapy may contain agents that help reduce intoxication and remove dead individuals.
In severe cases, hospital treatment may be recommended, especially if children are admitted with severe symptoms. In most cases, treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis.
It is important to take measures to prevent dehydration. Stick to your diet effectively. This allows you to recover faster.
Paying close attention to your body will prevent serious pathologies and notice any disorders in the early stages. This is the only way to maintain excellent digestive health for many years!
