Why does diarrhea occur at night?

Why does diarrhea occur at night?

Diarrhea at night, unfortunately, is not very uncommon. Many factors can provoke its onset:

1. Exacerbation of dysfunction of many organs and systems of the digestive tract. This problem occurs equally often in children and adults; manifestations at night are unexpected and spontaneous. Nocturnal diarrhea is a consequence of intestinal dysfunction; the causes may be allergic reactions, poisoning and improper use of medications.
2. Toxicosis, manifested against the background of hormonal imbalance in the body. The result may be disruption of the functioning of the endocrine system, increased hormonal tone of the thyroid gland. The situation is aggravated by an increase in goiter, general nervousness, irritability, nervous and mental disorders.
3. Diarrhea at night is often a consequence of insufficient functioning of the adrenal glands. This condition is facilitated by the development of the tuberculosis virus, disease and disruption of the normal functioning of the immune system, as well as ulcerative lesions of the intestines. Associated symptoms of the described condition are gastritis, enzyme deficiency, as well as malfunctions of internal organs.
4. Diabetes mellitus can cause loose stools at night. In this case, the secretory function of the pancreas is disrupted; the reason may be poor-quality nutrition or slagging in the body.

A combination of several reasons is possible for provoking watery bowel movements at night, so it is important to begin treatment as their definition is determined.

Features of diarrhea at night in children

If a child’s diarrhea in the late evening or at night is not accompanied by other symptoms, then this is considered normal and is explained by the immaturity of the children’s gastrointestinal tract. But if an intestinal disorder is accompanied by the following symptoms: frequent regurgitation, vomiting, fever, this is a sign of impaired functioning of the child’s body. The reasons may be:

• incorrect introduction of complementary foods,
• infectious, viral diseases,
• binge eating,
• dysbacteriosis,
• taking medications,
• hereditary diseases.

In school and adolescence, I have diarrhea at night mainly from unhealthy food: chips, fast food. For children aged 2 to 8 years, it is important to follow the regimen and dosage of food intake. Overeating and poor nutrition can lead to disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract and pancreatic diseases. Chronic diarrhea that lasts several weeks may indicate a child has gluten intolerance or lactase deficiency.

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If a nursing mother violates the diet recommended to her and takes inappropriate food, the baby may experience loose stools, along with other unpleasant symptoms. Often in children, the disorder occurs when bacteria enter the body. This occurs due to contact with animals and poor hand hygiene. If defecation problems are detected in a child, you should consult a doctor.

Causes with associated symptoms

Correct diagnosis is one of the most important steps on the path to recovery, especially when it comes to symptoms that have multiple readings. Below are some of the most typical cases of determining causative diseases by the symptoms accompanying diarrhea.

Loose stools and vomiting at night

Most often, the combination of diarrhea and vomiting indicates food poisoning. Children can be susceptible to this, and symptoms can be episodic or observed over a long period of time.

Most often, poisoning occurs during the daytime, causing disruption of the digestive system. In all such situations, dehydration is especially dangerous against the background of copious vomit and fecal discharge. It is important to avoid dehydration by taking saline solutions or appropriate pharmaceuticals (Disol, Trisol). If a detailed combination of symptoms occurs at night, it makes sense to call an ambulance if the patient’s general condition worsens.

Stomach pain and diarrhea at night

This condition can also indirectly indicate food poisoning, but in its initial stage. In addition, the reason may be the penetration of infections into the liver or bladder area, or infection of the kidneys. In children, such signs may be the result of poor relationships with peers or teachers at school, general irritability and childish sensitivity.

More precisely, the doctor will be able to determine the disease based on the location of the pain, its intensity and development. If the abdominal pain intensifies and diarrhea does not go away, it is better to call an ambulance.

Loose stools with abdominal cramps often indicate indigestion. Daggering pains, indicating the acute course of the disease, are the most dangerous. This can result in attacks of appendicitis, stomach blockages, and intestinal obstruction. Other types of gastrointestinal disorders may manifest themselves in a similar way.

Night temperature with diarrhea

In an adult, temperature at night, manifested against the background of diarrhea, may indicate all sorts of diseases and deviations from the normal state in the digestive system. This combination of symptoms is most typical for food poisoning.

The process of intoxication of the body takes from one to twelve hours, after which toxic diarrhea develops. This is possible after eating a low quality product.

We can speak with confidence about poisoning if the temperature remains at 37-37.5°C, the patient feels weak and nauseated, and has diarrhea at night. If such symptoms are accompanied by loss of consciousness and vomiting, an ambulance should be called immediately.

Less commonly, the combination of night temperature with loose stools is associated with pancreatitis or other disorders of the digestive tract. This may occur due to poor nutrition – low quality of food consumed. If this happens, you need to drink as much fluid as possible and try to avoid eating for about a day.

Features of childhood nocturnal diarrhea

Loose stools in children, unfortunately, are not uncommon, even at night. It is explained by functional disorders and may be accompanied by additional symptoms: high fever, pain in the abdomen and sides, vomiting, weakness and dizziness.

In the first year of a child’s life, nocturnal diarrhea is not a significant deviation. These are the features of the functioning of his digestive system, the consumption of liquid food and the mother’s violation of the rules of a personal nutritious diet. At an older age, the cause of this may be nutritional disorders, consumption of low-quality foods and raw nutritional mixtures.

However, it is worth understanding that no matter what the root cause of the baby’s stool liquefaction, one must be wary of dehydration. If signs of such a condition are present, you should immediately consult a doctor for help.

Another danger is frequent diarrhea, which disrupts the child’s sleep patterns. The consequence of this development of events may be increased irritability and nervousness of the child, disorders of his psyche and nervous system.

When urgent medical attention is required

Sometimes critical situations arise that require urgent medical attention. Especially with diarrhea at night, when it is not possible to contact your local doctor. This:

1. A combination of profuse diarrhea and vomiting. The situation can quickly lead to dehydration, which will cause additional problems. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to give the victim a certain amount of pure distilled water to drink, followed by calling an ambulance if there is no change for the better.
2. Urgent medical attention is required in cases where diarrhea at night is combined with a temperature above 38 degrees. The situation can be aggravated by the fact that in the absence of means of reducing fever, irreversible consequences are possible, especially if the cause of what is happening is pathological internal changes.
3. Another danger may be diarrhea with severe pain in the right side. This is possible during sudden attacks of appendicitis; calling an ambulance in such situations is necessary.

Treatment

Treatment of this unpleasant situation can be carried out with medications and traditional medicine. Everything is determined by the severity of the patient’s condition and the external manifestations of the pathology.

Medications

Among the traditional restorative preparations, powders for saline solutions, such as Regidron and Hydrovit, stand out. Replenishing the water balance is carried out regularly until complete recovery. Subsequently, the prescribed treatment is determined by the reasons that cause the diarrhea. It is prohibited to take fixative medications until the causes are diagnosed.

If we are talking about the need to remove toxic substances from the body, then Smecta is suitable for this.

ethnoscience

Among folk remedies, it is necessary to note those that can qualitatively restore intestinal motility and do not have a harmful effect. In addition to drinking plenty of water, it is recommended to use infusions of chamomile, calendula, and jelly.

Of all the variety of juices, a child should drink only apple juice. Astringent folk remedies that can effectively resist the development of nocturnal diarrhea are rice water, oak bark tincture, and blueberry tincture. Anti-diarrhea medications should only be taken as prescribed by a doctor. If there is any suspicion that the patient’s condition may worsen, medical assistance should be called to the home.

Treatment of diarrhea in adults

Drinking plenty of fluids, removing toxins to relieve the symptoms of diarrhea using activated charcoal or Smecta, as well as restoring the balance of fluids and salts in the body using Regidron or Electrolyte saline solutions are the most important things to do when loose stools appear. Further treatment of diarrhea depends on the reasons that caused it, which can only be determined after laboratory tests. Therefore, you should not take medications to prevent loose stools, as this can harm the body. Thus, liquid feces help cleanse the intestines of toxic substances, which is very important in case of poisoning, infectious diseases, and parasitic infestations. For bacterial infections, antibiotic therapy is prescribed, in parallel with which probiotics are prescribed to restore and maintain the intestinal microflora. For chronic diarrhea, it is recommended to take drugs that affect intestinal motor function, the action of which is based on suppressing secretions and increasing absorption capacity, for example, Imodium.

Recommendations

Following some practical recommendations will help to effectively eliminate nighttime diarrhea and avoid the possibility of its recurrence.

Correct mode

1. Washing your hands before eating eliminates the risk of contracting an intestinal infection.
2. Eating at the same time every day. A child’s adjusted regimen becomes the reason for the regular functioning of his digestive system, which eliminates the subsequent possibility of stool liquefaction in the future.
3. Eating high quality foods is also important in preventing nighttime diarrhea. Parents should pay special attention to the expiration date of purchased products.

Nutrition

If nocturnal diarrhea occurs, special attention should be paid to diet. Foods that can irritate the gastric mucosa should be completely excluded from the diet. These include fried foods, dairy products, flour products, sweets and smoked foods, as well as everything salty and sour.

Causes of diarrhea (diarrhea)

Diarrhea in most cases is caused by the following reasons:

• eating disorder

  . Diarrhea can occur as a result of overeating, abuse of fatty and sweet foods, or an excess of vegetables and fruits in the diet. Unusual cooking or eating incompatible foods can also cause diarrhea;

• intestinal infections, food poisoning

  . In this case, as a rule, diarrhea is accompanied by abdominal pain and often vomiting. Your temperature may rise;

• intestinal dysbiosis

  . Digestion of food in our body is carried out with the help of special bacteria. Disturbance of the microflora in the intestines (for example, as a result of the use of antibacterial drugs) leads to stool disorder. With dysbacteriosis, bursting pain in the abdomen, intensifying in the evening, and flatulence (excessive accumulation of gases in the digestive tract) are also observed. There may be skin manifestations in the form of various rashes;

• inflammatory bowel diseases

  (colitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis);

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• intestinal parasites

  (worms, lamblia and some others);

• food allergy

  ;

• enzyme deficiency

  (lactose deficiency in infants, pancreatitis, mucoviscytosis and other diseases);

• vitamin deficiency

  ;

• hormonal disorders

  ;

• irritable bowel syndrome

  , in which stool disorder occurs in response to psychosomatic stimuli (for example, to exciting life situations - the so-called “bear disease”). Severe stress can also lead to intestinal dysfunction.

• Stool disorder is often observed with ARVI. In this case, diarrhea accompanies the catarrhal symptoms typical of ARVI.

Infants suffer especially often from bowel disorders. Their body reacts in a similar way to almost any irritant (changes in food, infection, teething, emotional stress, etc.).