Loose stools, diarrhea after eating: the causes of its occurrence and how to treat it?

Diarrhea after eating troubles many people.

Perhaps you too have experienced the feeling that after eating, the food just passes through the digestive tract and is immediately expelled from the body out in the form of diarrhea.

Even if you feel that all the food has gone out immediately after eating, it is not so.

Digestion is a longer process of processing food and the whole process from swallowing the food to eliminating the stool takes 2 to 5 days. Of course, it depends on the individual person.

Women generally have slower digestion as opposed to men.

The diarrhea that comes after eating is an unpleasant and restricting feeling. It makes people refuse to eat anything, for example, before leaving the house or before travelling. It makes them feel uncomfortable with the fear of diarrhea and finding the toilet.

Sometimes these problems occur at different intervals (immediately after eating, an hour or two after eating, with a time gap) and sometimes every day.

In digestive diseases, cramps and pain in the stomach area may occur after eating, and diarrhoea may be present.

Sometimes diarrhoea also occurs after a dietary error, for example, after eating fatty foods, foods that are difficult to digest, and also with food intolerance.

What is diarrhoea?

Diarrhoea is the passage of thin, watery stools, which can occur unexpectedly three or more times a day.

It can cause abdominal pain and other accompanying unpleasant symptoms.

Depending on the duration, it is divided into acute (lasting only a few days) and chronic (lasting weeks to months).

Read: Diarrhoea: What causes loose stools and what are the symptoms?

Digestive system

The digestive system consists of the digestive tube and the digestive glands.

The digestive tube is a long section of the digestive tract where food is processed and nutrients are absorbed from it.

It consists of:

• the oral cavity
• the pharynx
• the oesophagus
• the stomach
• the small intestine
• colon
• rectum

The digestive glands are attached to the alimentary canal and include:

• salivary glands
• liver
• pancreas

What is the function of the digestive system?

The basic function of the digestive system is to take in and process food, which is a source of energy.

As food passes through the digestive tract, it is mechanically and chemically processed and broken down so that nutrients can be absorbed and utilized. The unconsumed food residue is eliminated from the body in the form of stool.

Once the stomach is filled with food, the gastrocolic reflex occurs, which activates colonic movements. This leads to the urge to defecate. This is a physiological reflex.

Types of diarrhoea

Diarrhea is divided into several groups according to the amount, coloration and the causative agent.

Secretory diarrhoea

Secretory diarrhea is caused by increased excretion of water and electrolytes.

It is characterised by the secretion of watery diarrhoea. Starvation does not relieve it.

It is caused by diffuse intestinal disease, infectious diarrheal diseases, excessive secretion of certain hormones and inflammatory bowel disease. It can also be induced by laxatives.

Osmotic (resorptive) diarrhoea

Osmotic diarrhoea is caused by inadequate absorption of substances that bind water to themselves, thereby increasing the volume of watery stools.

It is often accompanied by abdominal pain and cramps.

Diarrhoea is in quantities of less than 1 litre per day.

Starvation improves it.

It occurs, for example, with food intolerance, such as lactose, sorbitol, fructose, and with diseases of the small intestine (celiac disease), diabetes, pancreatic insufficiency, taking laxatives.

Stools may be colored yellow from inadequate absorption of fats and bilirubin.

Motor diarrhoea

Motor diarrhea is caused by impaired motility of the small intestine, colon, or anal sphincter dysfunction.

Typical stool output is less than 1 litre per day and fasting does not improve it.

Increased motility leads to premature stool elimination. It is typical of irritable bowel syndrome.

With reduced motility of the small intestine, the absorption of fats, sugars and bile salts is impaired, leading to diarrhoea. Disruption of the anal sphincter leads to spontaneous leakage of faeces.

Exudative (inflammatory) diarrhoea

Exudative diarrhea is caused by mucosal damage with increased secretion of mucus, protein and sometimes blood.

Starvation does not improve diarrhea.

It is typical of inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, infectious diseases such as salmonellosis, clostridia and others.

Digestive disorders

Some digestive disorders, foods and psychological conditions can trigger particularly strong reactions from the body.

These include:

• Anxiety
• Stress
• Celiac disease
• Crohn's disease
• Fatty foods
• Food intolerances and allergies
• Inflammation of the stomach
• Irritable bowel syndrome - IBS
• Inflammatory bowel disease - IBD

When the condition worsens, there is abdominal pain, a feeling of bloating which may be relieved by the release of gas, flatulence, diarrhoea, constipation or alternation of these, mucus in the stool.

Read also:

• What is celiac disease? Briefly about the cause, symptoms and treatment?
• Celiac disease - is life with it easy?
• How should patients with celiac disease eat? + Important restrictions
• The most common inflammatory bowel diseases. Do we know their symptoms?
• Irritable bowel syndrome and stress: How to fight it?
• The most common inflammatory bowel diseases. Do we know their symptoms?

Diarrhoea that is not related to indigestion can be triggered by the urge to have a bowel movement. This lasts only a few days.

When diarrhea and indigestion persist, there may be a cause:

• Viruses
• Bacteria
• Use of medicines, especially antibiotics
• Food intolerances and allergies
• Consumption of artificial sweeteners
• After abdominal surgery and gallbladder removal
• Digestive disorders

Incontinence (spontaneous leakage) of stool can also trigger the urge to pass stool.

People with incontinence are not able to control the excretion of stool and stool is passed out of the body in small amounts. It is usually caused by damage to the muscles of the rectum or damage to the rectal nerves.

Why do I have to run to the toilet after every meal?

Elimination of stool after eating is a reaction of your body.

After eating and filling the stomach, hormones are released from the body that encourage the colon to move stool and expel it from the body. This seems to create more space for food intake.

This reflex is called the gastrocolic reflex. It can vary in intensity from mild to moderate to severe.

Some digestive disorders speed up the movement of food through the colon, such as irritable bowel syndrome - IBS.

Diarrhoea after eating

The sudden urge to pass stools and diarrhoea after eating is referred to as postprandial defecation - PD. This is an exacerbated gastrocolic reflex (a reflex triggered by the filling of the stomach after eating, which causes increased peristalsis of the colon).

It is a type of diarrhea that is very restrictive, unpleasant. It comes on unexpectedly, often right after eating, with a strong urge to stool.

It may be accompanied by painful stools.

Often there is also a feeling of tightness in the abdomen, with or without bloating, irregular stools rather with diarrhoea, loud gurgling in the abdomen caused by peristalsis of the intestines and overflow of thin intestinal contents.

What can cause diarrhea after eating?

Diarrhoea after eating can also be triggered by stressful situations and anxiety.

This condition is uncommon. Diagnosing it is usually quite difficult as it may be a symptom of another health problem, such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Viral infections affecting the stomach and intestines (stomach flu, intestinal flu) cause sensitivity of the digestive tract. The triggers for diarrhoea are, for example, rotaviruses, noroviruses and enteroviruses.

Diarrhoea also causes fever, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, headache and lack of appetite. It lasts for several days, sometimes longer after the other symptoms have subsided.

Read our article.

Lactose intolerance occurs when your body cannot digest the lactose contained in dairy products. Symptoms that appear after consuming dairy products include diarrhea, bloating, abdominal cramps, and gas.

Read: Lactose intolerance

Food poisoning. After consuming spoiled food, the body immediately tries to expel it from the digestive tract. This can cause diarrhea and vomiting within an hour of eating and persisting for several days.

The diarrhea may be with or without blood. Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps and fever also occur.

Read: What is food poisoning and dirty hands disease (+ symptoms and first aid)

Sugar malabsorption is a condition similar to lactose intolerance. The body cannot process sugars such as lactose, fructose and sorbitol.

If the sugars get into the intestine, they cause diarrhea and indigestion. Fructose causes watery diarrhea.

Foods that contain sugars and are difficult to digest include: berries, beans, eggplant, onions, squash, garlic.

Food allergies and intolerances. An allergy occurs as an overreaction of the immune system to a particular substance.

It can be various foods such as shellfish, nuts, eggs, milk, fish, wheat, soy, and after eating them, diarrhea appears, often with additional symptoms: skin rash, difficulty breathing, cough, itchy throat, swollen tongue, red and itchy eyes, stuffy nose, sneezing.

All these symptoms of an allergic reaction to food are very serious. They can indicate anaphylactic shock and such a condition requires immediate medical attention.

The occurrence of parasites in the digestive tract, such as tapeworms, can cause diarrhea after eating even with other symptoms.

Magnesium overdose. High levels of magnesium cause diarrhea.

Side effects of antibiotics.

Chronic long-term problems with diarrhea after eating can be caused by the following

Irritable bowel syndrome, which also causes other gastrointestinal problems: diarrhea, bloating, gas and abdominal cramps.

It can be diagnosed as functional diarrhoea or irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhoea. The only difference is that functional diarrhoea does not have abdominal pain.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that causes damage to the intestines. It manifests itself in diarrhea after eating foods containing gluten.

Microscopic colitis is a disease causing inflammation of the colon with symptoms of diarrhea, flatulence and abdominal cramping. These symptoms may come and go depending on the state of inflammation.

Bile acid malabsorption, where bile acids are improperly reabsorbed, can irritate the colon. This leads to watery stools and diarrhea. Bile acids help digest fats.

Excessive amounts of bile acids secreted when bile acids enter the intestine lead to bloating and diarrhea.

Removal of the gallbladder in the first weeks to months after surgery can cause diarrhea by directly secreting bile into the intestine.

Dumping syndrome is the rapid emptying of the stomach after eating, which triggers the bowel emptying reflex.

Food that is not sufficiently digested passes more quickly into the small intestine. The small intestine is unable to absorb nutrients.

Symptoms appear especially after a meal high in sugars, within 30 minutes to 2-3 hours after eating. In addition to diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, weakness, dizziness and sweating also occur.

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). Pancreatic juices help in digestion of food.

In exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, these enzymes are not enough and food is improperly digested. This condition is often caused by other diseases such as diabetes, pancreatic disorders, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis.

How to relieve diarrhea after eating?

Try to avoid foods that provoke diarrhea. If you can not determine the cause, keep a diary and find out after what foods diarrhea appeared. It can be milk, fatty food, fiber.

Before eating, wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, observe hygienic habits of washing hands before eating.

Cook foods, such as meat, long enough and store them in the refrigerator after cooking so that they do not spoil.

Eat smaller portions of food. Instead of three large meals, divide them into six smaller portions throughout the day.

Try to limit stress. Stress affects the gut.

When to see a doctor?

If diarrhoea occurs from time to time, it does not immediately mean a serious problem. However, it is a good idea to see a doctor to find out the cause.

See a doctor if:

• Diarrhoea appears several times a week for three weeks or persists for three days in a row.
• If fever appears.
• Severe abdominal or rectal pain.
• If symptoms of dehydration appear, such as extreme thirst, confusion, muscle cramps, and browning of urine. Diarrhea causes the body to excrete water and electrolytes, which can cause dehydration.
• When stools change color. If black, gray, or bloody stools appear, it may indicate a serious digestive tract disease.
• Decreased urination, sunken eyes.
• Weight loss.
• Pallor.
• Dry skin.
• Severe nausea.

Treatment of diarrhea

With diarrhea, observe an increased drinking regime. Fluid loss through diarrhea increases the risk of dehydration of the body. Fluids containing mineral substances, such as mineral water, but also plain water, black tea are recommended.

Suitable foods are: bananas, rice, applesauce, crackers, carrots, potatoes, crackers.

It is best to prepare food by steaming.

Taking probiotics relieves symptoms of diarrhea and helps restore the balance of bacteria in the gut.

Avoid foods that provoke stool elimination and digestive problems: coffee, caffeinated drinks, dairy products, alcohol, cocoa, artificial sweeteners.

Avoid foods that bloat, especially cabbage, legumes, fruit juices, fizzy drinks.

Read:

• How (not) to eat during acute diarrhea + Appropriate diet + Causes
• Probiotics.

Taking probiotics, prebiotics and symbiotics

Probiotics are live micro-organisms with positive effects on health. They improve digestion and relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and intestinal dyspepsia.

Prebiotics promote the growth of beneficial bacteria and activate their metabolism. They are essential for probiotics. Sources of prebiotics are seeds, chicory roots, garlic, asparagus, barley, rye. They are especially useful for severe constipation.

Symbiotics are a combination of probiotics and prebiotics. They are recommended for irritable bowel syndrome with predominant constipation. They soften stools and speed up bowel passage.

Treatment with medication

Antidiarrhotics with the active ingredient loperamide to treat diarrhoea. They slow the passage of stool through the intestine and increase water absorption in the intestine.

Intestinal absorbents containing activated charcoal are used in sudden diarrhea caused by dietary error, intestinal infection, indigestion.

Gulladotril if the cause of diarrhea cannot be determined.

Spasmolytics for abdominal pain and cramps.