Consider These Benefits of Working with a Medicare Provider
Older adults and some adults with disabilities qualify for the federal medical program Medicare. Discover what Medicare is and why you should work with a Medicare provider.
Is Your Lifestyle Fueling Your Diarrhea Symptoms?
Experiencing an episode of diarrhea is unpleasant, uncomfortable, and sometimes embarrassing. While occasional diarrhea is frustrating enough, getting regular diarrhea can start to disrupt your life.
Sometimes, diarrhea is a symptom of a more serious condition, but according to Thomas Nguyen, MD, from Nguyen Medical Group in Boynton Beach, Florida, other times recurring diarrhea can occur because of your lifestyle. Learn how your lifestyle can impact diarrhea, and what you can do to reduce your number of episodes.
Understanding diarrhea
Diarrhea occurs when you have a bowel movement with stools that are watery or loose. Before having diarrhea, you often feel abdominal discomfort and have a difficult time resisting the urge to use the bathroom.
Everyone can get occasional diarrhea, but chronic diarrhea can become disruptive or even dangerous. Diarrhea can lead to problems like dehydration and be a symptom of an infection, chronic condition, or general problems in your gut health.
The link between diarrhea and lifestyle
Diarrhea has several possible causes, but many of them are linked to your lifestyle. By making changes, you can often reduce or eliminate diarrhea.
Many of the following can cause diarrhea:
Gut health
Experiencing regular diarrhea can be a sign your gut health is poor, which can mean your overall health needs to be checked. Making general lifestyle changes and sometimes taking medication can help get your gut back into balance.
Diet
Eating certain types of foods can put you at a higher risk of getting diarrhea. A diet high in fiber, spicy foods, and liquids can lead to chronic diarrhea.
Drinking excessive caffeine or alcohol can also cause diarrhea. Changing your diet can get rid of the problem.
Hygiene
Certain hygiene practices make it more likely you’ll get an infection that leads to diarrhea. For example, if you wipe from back to front after a bowel movement, that can cause you to come in contact with bacteria that causes diarrhea.
Other hygiene risks that can lead to diarrhea include not washing your hands thoroughly enough, especially after handling raw meat, using the bathroom, or changing a diaper.
Travel
If you travel regularly, you’re at risk for traveler’s diarrhea from coming into contact with foods and water your body isn’t used to eating. It’s especially important when you travel to many destinations to only drink bottled and purified water to prevent diarrhea.
Medication
If you take certain medications for other medical conditions, they can cause you to have regular diarrhea. Some examples of medications include certain antibiotics, antidepressants, laxatives, proton pump inhibitors, and herbal remedies.
Treating diarrhea
Our team performs a full evaluation, which can include your medical history, an examination, and lab tests, to determine the cause of your diarrhea. Based on the results, we recommend treatment to reduce your symptoms of diarrhea.
Your treatment plan is personalized based on your evaluation results and personal needs. Treating diarrhea can involve making lifestyle changes, taking medication, and managing any conditions that are causing your diarrhea.
For more support with diarrhea, constipation, or other bowel problems, contact us today.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Lifestyle Changes That Help Alleviate Arthritis Pain
Arthritis pain can be debilitating and make it hard to go about your usual routine, but straightforward lifestyle changes help many people. The following lifestyle changes can alleviate your arthritis pain.
Are Your Immunizations Up to Date?
In adulthood, you sometimes need to update old vaccines and get new immunizations to fight off disease and stay as healthy as possible. Keep reading to find out when you need to update immunizations as an adult.
Comprehensive Senior Care: 5 Invaluable Benefits of Medication Management
When you enter your senior years, your medical needs can become more complex than when you were younger. Learn 5 important benefits seniors get from medication management.
Skin Tags and Diabetes: What's the Connection?
If you have diabetes, it can affect your body in all kinds of unexpected ways. Read on to learn about the connection between skin tags and diabetes and what you can do.
5 Subtle Signs of an Underactive Thyroid in Women
If you’re a woman with hypothyroidism, it can be easy to attribute its symptoms to conditions like menopause, your menstrual cycle, or even stress. In women, these 5 subtle symptoms can indicate you have an underactive thyroid.