Diarrhea and fever

introduction

Diarrhea is an irregularity in the bowel movement in which the amount of fluid in the bowel movement is significantly increased. This leads to liquid stools, which can occur more frequently (at least three times a day). In addition, the total amount of stool and its weight is often increased.

If there is also an increased body temperature of at least 38.5 ° C, it is called a fever. On the other hand, between 37.5 ° C and 38.5 ° C, the temperature is subfebrile, i.e. below the fever. If the two symptoms occur in combination, one speaks of diarrhea and fever.The most common causes are inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

The reasons

The causes of diarrhea and fever are usually different triggers for gastroenteritis - an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. What exactly is the basis of the disease is not always directly recognizable for the development and connection of the complaints. However, the inflammation in the bowel area means that more fluid remains in the bowel, which causes diarrhea. If the inflammation is so severe that the body's entire immune system is fighting the infection, it can lead to an increase in body temperature and thus to a fever.

Typical triggers for such gastroenteritis are bacteria and viruses. The most common viruses, depending on age, are mainly rotoviruses and noroviruses. Different germs play a role in bacterial diarrheal diseases. Hundreds of different bacteria are naturally present in the digestive tract. In a healthy state there is a balance between the different species. However, if there is an imbalance in the bacterial colonization in the intestine, this can also cause diarrhea and fever. A typical example of this is the infection with clostridia, which is often triggered by antibiotic therapy. Other bacteria such as campylobacter, Shigella, Yirsenia and Vibrio cholerae can also cause diarrhea and fever. Occasionally, the symptoms also occur in combination, if spoiled food has been consumed, for example with salmonella.

Another cause of diarrhea and fever can be inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In some cases, diarrhea and fever can also be caused by localized inflammation of the appendix, for example.

These articles might also interest you:

• Norovirus - How Dangerous Is It?
• The inflammatory bowel disease

The accompanying symptoms

The symptoms that accompany diarrhea and fever are usually other general symptoms. Diarrhea is often associated with abdominal pain and flatulence. The abdominal pain can be so severe that stomach and abdominal cramps develop.

Headaches can also occur, especially if insufficient fluid is absorbed due to the infection. Fever also often leads to tiredness, exhaustion and aching limbs.

Read more about the topic here: The symptoms of diarrhea.

The pain in the limbs as an accompanying symptom

Aching limbs combined with fever are a typical symptom of infectious diseases caused by bacteria or viruses.

With diarrhea and fever and additional pain in the limbs, gastroenteritis (gastrointestinal inflammation) or gastrointestinal flu is often the cause of the symptoms. The disease usually heals on its own after a few days. The most important therapy is the adequate intake of fluids, since a lot of water is lost through the diarrhea.

More information on the topic Gastrointestinal inflammation you'll find here.

The headache as an accompanying symptom

With diarrhea and fever, headaches can be triggered by various mechanisms. If you have caught a pathogen that causes diarrhea and fever, the whole body is usually occupied with the immune defense against this pathogen. This leads to complaints such as tiredness, exhaustion and poor performance, which are also associated with headaches.

In the case of diarrheal diseases in particular, headaches can be aggravated by another mechanism: Affected people lose a particularly large amount of fluid through liquid stool. The fever also exudes fluid. If it is not possible to drink and eat enough water, tea and soup to make up for this loss of fluids, headaches can also occur.

The abdominal pain as an accompanying symptom

Abdominal pain is a symptom that is very often associated with diarrhea. In the case of infectious diarrheal diseases, the pain can be localized at a certain point in the abdomen, for example in the stomach area, or it can also be distributed unspecifically in the abdomen. It is not uncommon for cramp-like pain to occur, which is triggered by the suddenly cramping intestinal muscles.

In addition to diarrhea and fever, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases often also cause abdominal pain. While the pain of ulcerative colitis can appear in different places, the symptoms of Crohn's disease often begin in the right lower abdomen. Even with appendicitis, the symptoms are in the lower right corner of the abdomen and can be uncovered by various examination methods.

The diagnosis

In many cases, the diagnosis of diarrhea with fever can already be made on the basis of the anamnesis (medical history). If symptoms such as increased stool frequency and body temperatures over 38.5 ° C occur, one speaks of diarrhea with fever.

The important further diagnostic steps initially include a determination of the volume status. The issue here is whether the affected person is drinking enough fluids, as they lose a particularly large amount of fluids through liquid stool and sweating with a fever.

In addition, an examination of the causative pathogen may be necessary. In mild cases that heal after a few days, this examination does not need to be carried out. However, in stubborn cases, pathogen diagnostics should be carried out in order to be able to initiate targeted therapy. For this, a stool sample is usually obtained, which is then examined in the laboratory for bacteria and, if necessary, for viruses.

The treatment

The treatment of diarrhea and fever is primarily aimed at keeping the fluid balance in balance. Through diarrhea and sweating with a fever, affected people lose several liters of fluid. Therefore, the therapy initially consists of drinking a sufficient amount of water. Tea and water are particularly suitable, but liquid foods such as soup are also a possible alternative.

In addition, the body loses important minerals and electrolytes (blood salts) through diarrhea. These can be resumed, for example, with sugared tea or eating pretzel sticks. In severe cases, fluids and the right amount of electrolytes can also be obtained through an infusion into a vein. If the diarrhea is particularly persistent and caused by bacteria, antibiotic therapy may be useful.

In order to reduce symptoms such as fever and abdominal pain, antipyretic drugs that are both pain reliever and anti-inflammatory at the same time can be taken. These include, for example, Ibuprofen®, Paracetamol® and Novalgin®.

If the triggering inflammation is in a certain section of the intestine, local therapy may be useful. For example, appendicitis often requires surgery. Usually three small abdominal incisions (one to three centimeters) are made through which instruments can be inserted into the abdomen and then the appendix can be removed. In the case of autoimmune diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, drugs are used that shut down the body's immune system.

Learn more about: The home remedies to treat diarrhea.

The duration

How long the symptoms of diarrhea and fever last depends heavily on the cause. Infectious triggers such as spoiled food and viruses are usually healed without consequences after a few days. Bacterial diarrheal diseases also usually heal within seven to ten days without complications; sometimes antibiotics are necessary for this.

An appendicitis can also heal with antibiotics and wait-and-see behavior, but this often leads to complications (including inflammation of the entire abdominal cavity), so that the usually uncomplicated appendectomy has a better prognosis and also leads to the infection heal after a few days.

Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, on the other hand, are diseases that can often be treated well symptomatically, but which are often present in the body for a lifetime and can repeatedly cause complaints.

Also read the article: The duration of diarrhea.

The course of the disease

The diarrhea usually starts suddenly, nausea and vomiting may occur beforehand, and a fever develops in the following period. Severe diarrhea occurs over a few days (usually shorter with viral pathogens than with bacterial pathogens), and bowel movements can occur up to ten times a day.

After a few days, the symptoms improve, so that the disease is usually completely healed after one to two weeks.

How contagious is that?

In most cases, diarrhea and fever are particularly contagious because they are caused by bacteria or viruses. The pathogens can be transmitted through contaminated water or food. Infection through a smear infection, for example when shaking hands or infection via contaminated surfaces, is possible.

For this reason, strict compliance with hygienic measures is particularly important in the case of infectious diarrheal diseases. This includes frequent hand washing and, if necessary, disinfecting the hands. Affected persons are not allowed to go to community facilities (kindergarten, school, nursing homes), they have to be isolated in the hospital. In many cases, this can prevent the pathogens from spreading.

Find out more about the topic here: Which diarrhea is contagious?