Causes of abdominal pain with diarrhea

Pain in the abdomen and diarrhea is one of the most popular problems associated with human health. A combination of these two symptoms, many of us associate with food poisoning. In fact, the cause of the appearance of the symptom complex does not always indicate a violation of digestion, not to mention that a similar combination of symptoms in addition to food poisoning is typical for many diseases of organs that make up the gastrointestinal tract, and not only.

In most cases, pain in the abdomen in combination with diarrhea occurs against the backdrop of the development of various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. And this is not surprising, because irritation of the mucous stomach, intestines, pancreas under the influence of bacterial or viral infection, hydrochloric acid, which is part of gastric juice or other provoking factors is always accompanied by inflammation of the tissues. It is clear that under such conditions, the affected organs of the digestive system and the organs associated with them, can no longer function as before.

At what diseases you can expect the appearance of  abdominal pain and diarrhea :

• Food poisoning. Symptomatology of the disease can cause pathogens, multiplying inside the poor-quality products. Such a situation can arise when the food is stored incorrectly, which causes them to deteriorate, i. E. The ingression and multiplication of bacteria that make these foods unsuitable for food. And also in violation of the technology of cooking, as a result of the microbes present in the products do not perish, but pass into the human gastrointestinal tract, where they begin to actively multiply, poisoning the body with the products of their vital activity. In this case, they talk about food poisoning, as a result of which pathogens enter the intestine and cause irritation, accompanied by abdominal pain and diarrhea.

But not always the cause of poisoning are microbes. A person can accidentally swallow the poisonous substances contained in the product. Most often it concerns poisonous fungi and plants, as well as fish products (for example, some exotic fish and shellfish contain poison when cooked) and some food additives. Toxins can also form in foods due to improper storage or preparation for consumption (for example, sprouted potatoes are considered unsuitable for food).

• Intestinal infections. The risk factors in this case will be:

• the use of water that has not undergone special treatment (such water can be accidentally swallowed while swimming in open water, the same applies to water from contaminated wells and springs located within the city),
• the use of raw tap water, which is not always distinguished by sufficient purification from pathogens,
• the use of certain products without sufficient heat treatment (this applies to milk, eggs, unroasted meat and minced meat),
• cooking and eating with unwashed hands,
• use of unwashed or poorly washed vegetables and fruits,
• joint storage of incompatible products (for example, fresh meat or fish next to dairy products and fruits, consumed without heat treatment).

So far, we have talked about bacterial infections (salmonella, staphylococcus, dysentery bacillus, etc.), but certain types of viruses (usually rota- and enteroviruses) can become pathogens of the disease.

The defeat of rotavirus causes symptoms of gastric (intestinal) flu, among which there is abdominal pain and diarrhea. It is with him that the development of such a disease as enteritis is associated, the clinical picture of which is due to inflammation of the small intestine. Like common influenza, the disease can be transmitted by airborne droplets, but most often the infection occurs through dirty hands and food. It is a combination of symptoms of ordinary flu and intestinal infection.

Enterovirus infection, considered relatively safe, can cause epigastric pains and diarrhea in small children with an unformed immune system that can not withstand the disease, and people with very weak immunity caused by HIV infection, severe chronic pathologies, and cancer.

Enteroviruses can enter the body both by airborne and by food (unwashed hands and products), affecting various organs and systems. Symptoms of enterovirus infection can be very diverse, depending on the localization of the affected area. If enteroviruses enter the digestive tract, in addition to other symptoms, abdominal pain and diarrhea occur.

• Colitis and enterocolitis. These diseases are associated with inflammation of the intestinal wall. In the first case, the distal part of the organ (large intestine) is affected, in the second case the thick and small intestine is affected. The cause of inflammation of the intestine can be getting into it pathogenic bacteria from the stomach and duodenum, which happens when poisoning by poor-quality and spoiled products and toxic infections, as well as in violation of the microflora of the intestine (the immune forces to fight the multiplying pathogenic bacteria and develop the inflammatory process that represents a protective reaction).
• Parasitic infections. Glistes, lamblia, ascarids and other parasites that enter the intestine cause its inflammation, releasing toxic products of vital activity. They enter the body mainly through unwashed hands (often after contact with animals) and foods containing eggs and larvae of parasites.
• Appendicitis. The most dangerous disease, which in the absence of emergency care can cause peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum) and death of the patient. This is an inflammatory process in the appendix, which is sometimes called a vermiform appendage. This rudimentary organ does not play an important role in digestion, but can accumulate in itself badly digested food particles trapped in the gastrointestinal tract of bacteria, foreign bodies, parasites, which in most cases provoke tissue inflammation. There is an opinion that acute inflammation of the appendix can be caused by abdominal injuries, blood circulation disorders in the appendix as a result of vasospasm, compression of the appendix with other organs, increasing in size with inflammation and tumor processes, adhesions, etc.

Risk factors are infectious and inflammatory and parasitic pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, impaired intestinal peristalsis and constipation, overeating, defects in the structure of pelvic organs, deficient states, stresses, etc., which do not contribute to the health of the appendix, which seems to be involved in endocrine and immune processes. Risk factors can be considered pregnancy and gynecological diseases, characterized by an increase in the uterus, squeezing the process.

• Irritable bowel syndrome. This pathology is characterized by the regular appearance of the symptoms in question, although there are no organic lesions in the digestive and other systems that can provoke epigastric pain or stool disorders. It can not be said that the pain in the abdomen and diarrhea in patients are constantly present. But under the influence of provoking factors, the main one of which is considered stress, a person has symptoms similar to a stomach disorder. Influence of infectious pathologies, the use of inferior foods, fatty foods and food causing excessive gas formation, abuse of caffeine-containing and alcoholic beverages, overeating, lack of dietary fiber stimulating the intestinal tract, etc., are not excluded in the development of IBS.
• Inflammatory diseases of the stomach and duodenum. Stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer, gastritis (inflammation of the walls of the stomach), duodenitis (inflammation in the duodenum), gastroduodenitis (inflammation of the stomach and duodenum), gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and small intestine) with exacerbations are always accompanied by pain in the abdomen of different locations and force. Acute inflammation of the tissues of the digestive organs leads to a decrease in their functions, stagnant processes, intoxication and, as a result, to digestive disorders, which can manifest as diarrhea or constipation.
• Diseases accompanied by insufficient production of digestive enzymes. These diseases include inflammation of the pancreas ( pancreatitis ) and gallbladder (cholecystitis). In pancreatitis, even there is a condition called pancreatic diarrhea, which is accompanied by severe spasmodic pain in the lower abdomen.
• Oncological pathologies. Soreness in the lower abdomen and liquid, hard-restrained stools, alternating with episodic constipation, are possible with tumor processes in the large intestine.
• Hereditary and acquired pathologies, accompanied by digestive disorders. Among them are:

• Cystic fibrosis. This is an incurable disease caused by a gene mutation. Because of it, the organs that secret a secret secretion are affected: bronchi, pancreas, intestine, sweat, salivary, sex glands, etc. With intestinal and mixed pathology, the functionality of the pancreas (lack of enzymes), liver and gallbladder (stagnant phenomena) is violated, so it is not surprising the appearance of such symptoms as abdominal pain and diarrhea.
• Celiac disease (a rare chronic disease, in most cases detected in childhood). The clinical picture of the pathology, including the symptomatic complex in question, reminds oneself after eating foods that contain a lot of gluten. That is, we are talking about gluten protein intolerance, so the disease is sometimes called gluten enteropathy.
• Disaccharidase -deficient enteropathies (digestive disorders associated with inadequate production of certain enzymes in the small intestine (lactase, invertase, maltase, etc.), resulting in impaired digestibility of lactose, sucrose, maltose). The use of products containing disaccharides is accompanied by symptoms of intolerance, including epigastric pain and diarrhea.
• Addison's disease. This rare acquired disease, which has a chronic course and is characterized by a violation of the functionality of the adrenal cortex. Among the multiple specific and nonspecific symptoms, one can see episodic abdominal pains and diarrhea.

In women and young girls, lower abdominal pain and diarrhea are not always associated with any pathology. Such symptoms can accompany menstrual flow. Symptomocomplex can appear both during menstruation, and a few days before they begin.

The appearance of pulling or contracting pain of varying intensity is due to spasms of the smooth muscles of the cervix. The appearance of diarrhea is due to vegetative reflexes, in particular viscero-visceral, when irritation from one internal organ (in this case, the uterus) spreads to the other along the path of vegetative nerves (we have the intestine).

In response to irritation of the intestine, we gain an increase in its peristalsis, which is associated with more frequent desires for defecation and liquid, sometimes even completely unformed stools. The hormone progesterone, which during menstruation is produced in large quantities, does not stand aside, forcing the body to purge.

Sometimes the cramping pains in the abdomen and diarrhea begin to complain to future mothers on the eve of childbirth. At someone poorly expressed diarrhea and abdominal pain during pregnancy appear even at 38-39 weeks, and someone suffers from a liquid stool on the eve of the most anticipated moment. The appearance of the symptom complex during this period indicates the preparation of the organism for childbirth and does not pose a danger. It will only be necessary to listen carefully to your feelings, so as not to miss the moment of the beginning of fights.

But the same symptoms in pregnant women at the beginning and in the middle of the term may indicate poisoning, rotavirus or parasitic infection, which during this period can be particularly painful due to hormonal changes in the body and malfunctions in the immune system.

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