Frequent Bowel Movements: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

How Do We Define Frequent Bowel Movements?

The bowel habits of an individual to include the frequency of bowel movements, its volume, and its type is highly variable. Thus, it is very tough to predict as to when an individual can definitely say whether he or she is having Frequent Bowel Moments. Frequent Bowel Moments literally means that an individual is having more bowel movements than is the norm for him or her. In most of the cases, Frequent Bowel Moments are accompanied by diarrhea or passing loose stools, which is quite common and can happen at any time. It is estimated that people in the United States have at least one episode of diarrhea in a year. There may be some other symptoms, which may also be observed with Frequent Bowel Moments like abdominal cramps, abdominal discomfort, stomach pain, nausea and sometimes vomiting. Frequent Bowel Moments can be caused by contaminated foods, some medications, infections or some pathological condition of the gastrointestinal tract. In some cases, if an individual tries a food which he or she is not used to then it may also cause Frequent Bowel Moments, especially when traveling abroad. This condition is also called as Traveler’s Diarrhea. In case, if an individual has stools which is oily and with an extremely bad odor then it may suggest a digestive system dysfunction. Frequent Bowel Moment usually is a self limiting condition and very rarely does it require medications or other form of treatment but in some cases where an individual has black tarry stools or blood in the stools then he or she need to contact the nearest emergency room immediately as it may suggest a potentially serious pathological condition.

Frequent Bowel Movements

What Are The Causes Of Frequent Bowel Movements?

Some Of The Causes Of Frequent Bowel Moments Can Be:

In certain instances, Frequent Bowel Moments may point to a potentially serious medical condition like:

What Are The Symptoms That May Be Experienced With Frequent Bowel Movements?

Some Of The Symptoms Which An Individual Can Experience With Frequent Bowel Moments Are:

  • Abdominal discomfort
  • Abdominal distension
  • Extremely bad smelling stools
  • Blood in the stools
  • Changes in the color of stools
  • Diarrhea
  • Loss of bowel control
  • Severe gas
  • Nausea which may be accompanied with vomiting
  • Painful when passing stools
  • Bowel urgency
  • Severe body aches
  • Dehydration
  • Fever
  • Generalized feeling of malaise
  • Weight loss.

Some Of The More Serious Symptoms Which Can Accompany Frequent Bowel Moments Are:

  • Blood in the stools
  • Altered level of consciousness
  • Mental status changes
  • High fever
  • Inadequate production of urine
  • Presence of pus in stools
  • Tachycardia
  • Severe rectal pain
  • Rectal bleeding
  • Hemoptysis.

Some Questions Which The Treating Physician May Ask Regarding Frequent Bowel Movements?

If an individual is experiencing Frequent Bowel Moments, the treating physician may ask the following questions:

  • When was the increased frequency of bowel movements observed?
  • Is there a change in the stool color and type?
  • Is there any pus, mucous, or blood present in the stools?
  • Is there any history of foreign travel or eating anything out of the ordinary?
  • Are there any chances of eating stale food?
  • Do the symptoms aggravate with certain specific types of foods?
  • Are there any other symptoms which accompany Frequent Bowel Moments?
  • Is there any specific medication that is being taken on a regular basis?

What Are Treatments For Frequent Bowel Movements?

Treatments For Frequent Bowel Moments Include:

  • Consume lots of fluids to keep the body hydrated
  • Take yogurt
  • Get plenty of rest
  • Medication like Imodium can be beneficial for diarrhea
  • Avoid dairy products except yogurt
  • Chamomile has shown to be beneficial for Frequent Bowel Moments.
  • Take foods like precooked rice or tapioca cereals which are good for the stomach
  • Taking blueberry root is an ancient way of stopping diarrhea
  • Tea made out of orange peels is also quite helpful for diarrhea.
Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:January 25, 2019

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