Why does diarrhea burn
Diarrhea is a common stomach disease. It is characterized by loose watery stools, abdominal pain, fever and bloating. Nausea and vomiting are some other symptoms of diarrhea. This condition may cause the body to lose significant amounts of water and salts. Under normal circumstances, medication is not required because the immune system deals with the problem efficiently. However, if the symptoms persist for more than 3 days or blood passes in the stool or severe dehydration occurs, medication is needed.
Causes of diarrhea
- Virus
Rotavirus, herpes simplex virus, Norwalk virus, hepatitis virus and cytomegalovirus can cause diarrhea. - Bacteria
Contaminated food and water can introduce Escherichia coli, salmonella, campylobacter and shigella bacteria into the body that can cause diarrhea. - Parasites
Cryptosporidium and Giardia lamblia can also cause diarrhea. - Medications
Often, medicines as antibiotics cause diarrhea. Antibiotics work against both good bacteria and bad bacteria. As the result, the intestinal flora is disturbed. In such a situation, the bacteria called Clostridium difficile can cause diarrhea.
Other causes of diarrhea are surgery, especially abdominal surgery, and digestive disorders like celiac disease, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. At times, artificial sweeteners found in chewing gums, lactose and fructose can also cause diarrhea. No matter what the cause of diarrhea might be, but it is usually associated with burning sensation in the anal region.
As the food passes through the gastrointestinal tract, digestive enzymes are secreted, which breakdown the complex food into simpler compounds that are easily absorbed by the small intestine. In the large intestine, all the water is absorbed from the undigested residue and the enzymes are also degraded. In the case of diarrhea, the situation is slightly different. The contents move rapidly through the intestine, and because of that neither the water is absorbed nor the enzymes are degraded. These active enzymes act upon the sensitive tissues of the anus and produce the burning sensation.
Yet another reason for the burning sensation during diarrhea is capsaicin. Certain food items as chilli and cayenne are said to be hot because of the presence of this substance. Capsaicin is not easily digested; throughout the digestion process it remains intact, and when it passes through the anus, it binds with the pain receptors that send signals to the brain and you feel burning sensation around the anus.