Modern medicine views the causes of chronic diarrhea as very complex. The most common is irritable bowel syndrome. Rather than a structural defect of the intestine itself, intestinal motility becomes irregular due to a hypersensitivity reaction of the nervous system, leading to recurrent abdominal pain and diarrhea. Just as a sensitive person reacts strongly to small stimuli, the gut overreacts to stress or specific foods.
Furthermore, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth occurs when bacteria abnormally proliferate in the small intestine, hindering nutrient absorption and causing gas and diarrhea. Leaky gut syndrome, where the intestinal mucosa is damaged and allows harmful substances to penetrate, can also cause chronic inflammation and dyspepsia. Food intolerance to specific foods, such as lactose intolerance or gluten sensitivity, is another major cause of persistent diarrhea. The intestine cannot properly digest specific components, triggering an inflammatory reaction or causing an osmotic pressure imbalance.
The transportation and transformation function of the spleen described in Donguibogam aligns closely with the role of digestive enzymes in modern medicine. If digestive enzymes secreted from the pancreas are deficient or if there is a problem with bile secretion, food cannot be broken down properly, which may cause diarrhea. Stress, in particular, directly affects the autonomic nervous system, disrupting the balance of the vagus nerve that regulates intestinal motility. When the sympathetic nerve undergoes hyperactivation, intestinal motility speeds up or develops convulsions, causing diarrhea; if the parasympathetic nerve fails to function properly, digestive fluid secretion decreases, leading to dyspepsia. In other words, modern science clearly shows that our emotional state exerts a profound influence on gut health through the powerful connection known as the gut-brain axis. An imbalance in the gut microbiome is also emerging as a major factor that affects the entire digestive process and worsens chronic diarrhea.
