What is Diarrhea?
Explosive Diarrhea is a severe form of diarrhea that causes frequent bowel movement with loudness. If you get 3 or more loose motion during a day then according to WHO you are suffering from diarrhea. Loose stools means most of your stools will be watery with very little solid components.
All components of your food including carbs, proteins, fats and other nutrients along with water and electrolytes pass through the large intestine. The fluid components along with electrolytes get absorbed by the large intestine making semi solid feces for normal excretion.
In the case of explosive diarrhea, the food moves too fast so the water doesn't get absorbed and gets into the small intestine to get expelled with solids. Some gases also get trapped in the small intestine.The volume of fluids,gas and solids in the small intestine grows larger than the small intestine can hold. Therefore the liquid stools come out frequently making thunderous noise.
That is why this type of diarrhea is called explosive diarrhea.
Main Causes of Explosive Diarrhea
Following are some of the main causes of this type of diarrhea.
- Food Allergies - If you have intolerance for certain types of foods then your risks of severe diarrhea significantly increase. Lactose intolerance or allergy to dairy products is one such widely known causes for this condition.
- Certain Medications - Antibiotics and certain other medications particularly taken for healing acid reflux, heartburn and ulcers and many other conditions of the intestine can cause different intensities of diarrhea in different people.
- Viral and Bacterial Infections - Norovirus, rotavirus and other viruses which cause stomach flu are responsible for severe diarrhea. E.coli and salmonella are bacteria that cause explosive diarrhea. So food and drinks from where these bacteria are infected and the air from which viruses are contracted are all big risk factors. If you have low immunity, ou can easily get infected. Some parasites like cryptosporidium and giardia lamblia found in contaminated water can also cause explosive diarrhea.
In addition to these causes certain conditions and diseases if intestine such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) crohn’s disease and celiac disease are some of the main causes of this type of severe diarrhea.
Symptoms of Explosive Diarrhea
Almost one thirds of the US population gets diarrhea at least once a year. The size and proportion of it are huge. Most Explosive Diarrhea are short lived. Following are clear signs and symptoms:
- Watery stools
- Loud bowel sounds
- Uncontrolled bowel movement
- Excessive gas formation propelling forceful defecation
- Abdominal pain and cramps
- Excessive sweating in some cases
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
Risks of Complications
Explosive diarrhea is generally short lived but in some cases it can cause complications if not treated well.
- Dehydration - The biggest danger with explosive diarrhea is dehydration. Since the large intestine does not absorb enough water you will get dehydrated. Children, elderly people and people with compromised immune system are at high risk of dehydration.
- Chronic Diarrhea - Sometimes you may get into a chronic diarrhea situation. This needs to be checked with a doctor and treated otherwise more complications may develop.
- Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome - This happens rarely but when it happens it can damage your Kidneys. This is usually caused by E coli bacteria. In addition to severe diarrhea and bloody stools you may get fever vomiting and decreased urination this condition should be immediately treated to protect your Kidneys.
Treatment of Explosive Diarrhea
Once you get severe diarrhea you can't do much. It is short lived and gets resolved on its own. What you can really do is to reduce its impact and make it bearable for you to feel a little more comfortable.
Some OTC products may help, but not in all cases. It is extremely important to ensure that your severe diarrhea has not been caused by the infections or toxins. If there are bacteria involved, then you will have to take antibiotics
Since you are losing water and electrolytes you have to continuously rehydrate yourself with electrolytes. Drink more water, sports drinks and fruit juices. Add some rock salt and lemon in the water and drink to compensate for the lost electrolytes.
You may prefer to go for a simple diet which is easy to digest. BRAT - Bananas , Rice, Applesauce and Toast is a very good option. .
Take sufficient rest
Precautions
You can certainly follow some precautionary measures to reduce risks of explosive diarrhea. Avoid contaminated foods. Of Course no one takes contaminated food knowingly but if you are susceptible to diarrhea then avoid eating out. If you are travelling to developing countries where these incidences are high, go well prepared.