What is frothy diarrhea?
Foamy diarrhea refers to a subclassification of diarrhea. The following changes in the bowel movements are classified as diarrhoea: One speaks of diarrhoea if there are more than three bowel movements per day or if the bowel movement contains at least 75% water or the weight of the bowel movement exceeds 250g. Foamy diarrhea usually occurs in connection with particularly thin-bodied bowel movements. In addition to the usual soft to liquid consistency, there are also foamy deposits on the bowel movements. In addition, the color and odor of the defecation can also be changed by frothy diarrhea.
What causes foaming diarrhea?
Foamy diarrhea occurs mainly in infectious changes of the gastrointestinal tract. The changes in the composition of the intestinal bacteria are usually responsible for the changes in the stool. For example, a bacterial or viral infection of the digestive tract can lead to an imbalance of the intestinal bacteria.
This can cause frothy diarrhea. In addition, complaints such as abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting can occur. Fungi and parasites can also change the intestinal flora and thus cause foaming diarrhoea.
In particular, pathogens from the yeast species can cause foaming diarrhoea due to a fermentation reaction in the digestive tract. However, chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract can also be accompanied by foaming diarrhea. The reason for this can also be a change in the composition of the bowel movement.
If the body can only process and absorb certain components of food with difficulty, these components are excreted in larger quantities. If liquid bowel movements occur together with a high protein content, this can make the diarrhoea foamy. Fungi and parasites can also change the intestinal flora and thus cause foaming diarrhoea.
Especially the pathogens from the yeast species can cause the foaming diarrhea by a fermentation reaction in the digestive tract. However, chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract can also be accompanied by foaming diarrhea. The reason for this can also be a change in the composition of the bowel movement.
If the body can only process and absorb certain components of food with difficulty, these components are excreted in larger quantities. If liquid bowel movements occur together with a high protein content, this can make the diarrhoea foamy. Fermentation is a form of converting food components into energy that is frequently used by bacteria.
By definition, no oxygen is needed for this type of metabolism. In the intestine, many bacteria can use fermentation for digestion and energy production. Especially when pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria enter the digestive tract, the proportion of digestion carried out by fermentation increases.
This often results in a liquefaction of the stool, often additional foamy deposits can occur. Foamy diarrhea initially indicates a change in the gastrointestinal tract. Diarrhea can be caused by a variety of factors, but foamy diarrhea is usually associated with a change in the intestinal flora (intestinal bacteria).
In most cases, this change is due to an infectious cause. However, other diseases can also influence the bowel movement. These include chronic inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis, which can increase the risk of bowel cancer. Foamy diarrhea, together with a variety of other symptoms, can therefore basically also be an indication of cancer.
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