Common tests & procedures
What is diarrhea? Diarrhea is loose, watery stools three or more times a day. Diarrhea may be acute, persistent, or chronic: Acute diarrhea is a common problem that typically lasts 1 or 2 days and goes away on its own.
What is diarrhea?
Diarrhea that lasts less than 2 weeks is termed acute diarrhea. Persistent diarrhea lasts between 2 and 4 weeks. Chronic diarrhea lasts longer than 4 weeks.
What is the difference between acute and chronic diarrhea?
Acute diarrhea usually gets better without treatment. You may need any of the following if your diarrhea is severe or lasts longer than a few days: Diarrhea medicine is an over-the-counter medicine that helps slow or stop your diarrhea. Do not take this medicine unless your healthcare provider says it is okay.
What are the treatment options for acute diarrhea?
For the majority of mild diarrhea cases, you won’t need medical attention. These cases are self-limited (only lasts for a fixed amount of time) and get better without medical intervention. The key to mild diarrhea is supportive therapy – staying hydrated and eating a bland diet. More serious cases of diarrhea may require medical attention.
Do you need medical attention for diarrhea?
What is the treatment for acute diarrhea?
The most important treatment for diarrhea is to drink fluids that contain water, salt, and sugar, such as oral rehydration solution (ORS). Sports drinks (eg, Gatorade) may be acceptable if you are not dehydrated and are otherwise healthy.
Is acute diarrhea a diagnosis?
Differential Diagnosis Clinically, acute infectious diarrhea is classified into two pathophysiologic syndromes, commonly referred to as noninflammatory (mostly viral, milder disease) and inflammatory (mostly invasive or with toxin-producing bacteria, more severe disease).
What is the best medicine for chronic diarrhea?
Two types of meds relieve diarrhea in different ways:Loperamide (Imodium) slows the movement of food through your intestines, which lets your body absorb more liquid.Bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol) balances out how fluid moves through your digestive tract.
How do doctors treat chronic diarrhea?
antibiotics, for bacterial infections that cause diarrhea. codeine-containing medications, which can reduce watery and loose stools. OTC medications to slow down the passage of stool through the digestive tract, including bismuth (Pepto-Bismol) and loperamide (Imodium)
What is acute and chronic diarrhea?
Diarrhea may be acute, persistent, or chronic: Acute diarrhea is a common problem that typically lasts 1 or 2 days and goes away on its own. Persistent diarrhea lasts longer than 2 weeks and less than 4 weeks. Chronic diarrhea lasts at least 4 weeks.
How is chronic diarrhea diagnosed?
How Do We Diagnose Chronic Diarrhea?Complete blood count to look for signs of anemia and infections.Electrolyte and kidney function panel to look for electrolyte abnormalities and liver issues.Albumin tests to assess your nutritional status.
What is the most common cause of chronic diarrhea?
Irritable bowel syndrome — Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the most common causes of chronic diarrhea.
How long does diarrhea last?
Diarrhea that lasts less than 2 weeks is termed acute diarrhea. Persistent diarrhea lasts between 2 and 4 weeks. Chronic diarrhea lasts longer than 4 weeks.
How long does diarrhea last without antibiotics?
See a doctor if you feel ill, have bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal pain or diarrhea lasting more than 48 hours.
Why does diarrhea cause bloody diarrhea?
Chronic bloody diarrhea may be due to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which is ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. Other less common causes include ischemia of the gut, infections, radiation therapy and colon cancer or polyps. Infections leading to chronic diarrhea are uncommon, with the exception of parasites.
Why does my stomach feel watery?
Symptoms of abdominal bloating and excessive gas after consuming dairy products suggests lactose intolerance. This condition is more common in African-Americans and Asian-Americans.
Why is hand washing important for diarrhea?
Exposure to infectious agents is the major risk factor for acute diarrhea. Bacteria and viruses are often transmitted by the fecal-oral route, so hand washing and hygiene are important to prevent infection. Soap and water are better because alcohol-based hand sanitizers may not kill viruses.
Can magnesium cause diarrhea?
Medications such as antibiotics and drugs that contain magnesium products are also common offenders. Recent dietary changes can also lead to acute diarrhea. These including intake of coffee, tea, colas, dietetic foods, gums or mints that contain poorly absorbable sugars.
Can a CT scan be used to diagnose diarrhea?
Radiographic studies such as an upper GI series or barium enema are not routinely performed in the evaluation of chronic diarrhea, and have largely been replaced by cross-sectional imaging. Ultrasound and CT scan of the abdomen can be helpful to evaluate the bowel, pancreas and other intra-abdominal organs.
How long does diarrhea last?
Diarrhea may be acute, persistent, or chronic: Acute diarrhea is a common problem that typically lasts 1 or 2 days and goes away on its own. Persistent diarrhea lasts longer than 2 weeks and less than 4 weeks. Chronic diarrhea lasts at least 4 weeks.
What causes a person to lose fluid in their stool?
Dehydration . Diarrhea may cause dehydration, which means your body lacks enough fluid and electrolytes to work properly. Your body loses more fluid and electrolytes in loose stools than solid stools. See a list of the symptoms of dehydration .
What causes a person to not absorb enough nutrients from food?
Malabsorption. Diarrhea may cause malabsorption. If people do not absorb enough nutrients from the food they eat, they may become malnourished. Certain conditions that cause chronic diarrhea —such as infections, food allergies and intolerances, and certain digestive tract problems—may also cause malabsorption.
Is diarrhea more common than persistent diarrhea?
Diarrhea is a common problem. Acute diarrhea is more common than persistent or chronic diarrhea. Researchers estimate that about 179 million cases of acute diarrhea occur in the United States each year. 1.
How long does diarrhea last?
Acute diarrhea: The most common, acute diarrhea is loose watery diarrhea that lasts one to two days. This type doesn’t need treatment and it usually goes away after a few days. Persistent diarrhea: This type of diarrhea generally persists for several weeks – two to four weeks.
What happens when you have diarrhea?
When you have diarrhea, you lose water and electrolytes along with stool. You need to drink plenty of fluids to replace what’s lost. Dehydration can become serious if it fails to resolve (get better), worsens and is not addressed adequately.
What causes dehydration in the body?
Diarrhea can cause dehydration (when your body loses large amounts of water), electrolyte imbalance (loss of sodium, potassium and magnesium that play a key role in vital bodily functions) and kidney failure (not enough blood/fluid is supplied to the kidneys).
Why does my stool get watery?
When you have diarrhea, your stool will be loose and watery. In most cases, the cause is unknown and it goes away on its own after a few days. Diarrhea can be caused by bacteria.
How to avoid diarrhea in developing countries?
Watch what you drink. Don’t drink tap water, use ice cubes, brush your teeth with tap water, or consume unpasteurized milk, milk products or unpasteurized juices.
How long does it take for diarrhea to go away?
Diarrhea can happen for a wide variety of reasons and it usually goes away on its own in one to three days.
What is it called when you have a loose stool?
What is diarrhea? Going to the bathroom, having a bowel movement, pooping – no matter what you call it, stool is a regular part of your life. However, sometimes this process of getting waste out of your body changes. When you have loose or watery stool, it’s called diarrhea.
What is diarrhea caused by?
Bacteria and parasites. Contaminated food or water can transmit bacteria and parasites to your body. When traveling in developing countries, diarrhea caused by bacteria and parasites is often called traveler's diarrhea.
What causes diarrhea in children?
Rotavirus is a common cause of acute childhood diarrhea. The virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has also been associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Bacteria and parasites. Contaminated food or water can transmit bacteria and parasites to your body.
Why do people have difficulty digesting lactose?
People who have difficulty digesting lactose have diarrhea after eating dairy products. Lactose intolerance can increase with age because levels of the enzyme that helps digest lactose drop after childhood. Fructose.
What is the name of the part of the digestive system that processes food?
Colon and small intestine. The small intestine and colon are components of your digestive tract, which processes the foods you eat. The intestines extract nutrients from the foods. What isn't absorbed by the intestines continues along the digestive tract and is expelled as stool during a bowel movement. Diarrhea — loose, watery and possibly ...
Can gum cause diarrhea?
Sorbitol and mannitol — artificial sweeteners found in chewing gum and other sugar-free products — can cause di arrhea in some otherwise healthy people . Surgery. Abdominal or gallbladder removal surgeries can sometimes cause diarrhea. Other digestive disorders.
Can antibiotics cause diarrhea?
Many medications, such as antibiotics, can cause diarrhea. Antibiotics destroy both good and bad bacteria, which can disturb the natural balance of bacteria in your intestines. Other drugs that cause diarrhea are cancer drugs and antacids with magnesium. Lactose intolerance.
How long does diarrhea last?
Many people experience diarrhea at some point. These bouts are often acute and resolve in a couple of days with no complications. Other people, however, live with diarrhea that persists for more than two to four weeks.
What are the symptoms of diarrhea?
Symptoms of chronic diarrhea. The main symptom of chronic diarrhea is loose or watery stools that persist for weeks. These stools may or may not be accompanied by a sense of urgency. You may have other symptoms as well, such as: abdominal cramps. bloating. nausea.
Why does food pass through my colon?
Certain ingredients speed up the rate of digestion, causing food to pass rapidly through the colon. Common culprits include milk and artificial sweeteners (sorbitol and fructose). Other causes of chronic diarrhea may include: medications — NSAIDs, antibiotics, antacids. diabetes.
What to do if you have diarrhea and a blood test can't identify it?
alcohol abuse. If a blood test or a stool sample can’t identify the cause of diarrhea, your doctor may suggest an ultrasound or CT scan of your abdomen, but only if you have other symptoms like pain or bloody stools. These imaging tests will check your organs for problems.
What to do if you don't have a medical condition?
If you don’t have a medical condition, keeping a food journal, watching your diet, and making lifestyle changes may also provide relief. The important thing is that you don’t ignore the problem. The sooner you speak with your doctor, the sooner you can get relief. Last medically reviewed on September 25, 2017.
Can chronic diarrhea be prevented?
Chronic diarrhea caused by an underlying medical condition isn’t always preventable. But you can prevent chronic diarrhea due to infection by taking steps to keep your food and water supply clean. For example:
Can IBS cause diarrhea?
If diagnostic tests don’t reveal an abnormality, your doctor may attribute chronic diarrhea to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This condition affects the large intestines and causes a variety of symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, nausea, and abdominal pain. IBS can be chronic, but it doesn’t damage the large intestines.
Causes
Unlike acute diarrhea – which will be explained further on – chronic diarrhea is always inconvenient and harmful to the body. In general, it implies that there is an alteration of water transport in the intestine.
Causes
The main cause of acute diarrhea is an infection. People usually get it because of contaminated food or water that passes through the fecal-oral route.
Treatment for Acute Diarrhea
The basic goals of treatment are to prevent or correct dehydration, improve symptoms and control infection.
How long does diarrhea last?
What do I need to know about acute diarrhea? Acute diarrhea starts quickly and lasts a short time, usually 1 to 3 days. It can last up to 2 weeks.
What is the best medicine for diarrhea?
Diarrhea medicine is an over-the-counter medicine that helps slow or stop your diarrhea. Do not take this medicine unless your healthcare provider says it is okay. Antibiotics may be given to help treat an infection caused by bacteria. Antiparasitics may be given to treat an infection caused by parasites.
How to get rid of diarrhea from eating?
Also wash your hands after you use the bathroom. Use an alcohol-based hand gel when soap and water are not available. Keep bathroom surfaces clean. This helps prevent the spread of germs that cause acute diarrhea. Wash fruits and vegetables well before you eat them. This can help remove germs that cause diarrhea.
What to eat when you have diarrhea?
Eat foods that are easy to digest. Examples include rice, lentils, cereal, bananas, potatoes, and bread. It also includes some fruits (bananas, melon), well-cooked vegetables, and lean meats. Do not eat foods high in fiber, fat, or sugar. Also, do not drink alcohol until your diarrhea is gone.
Can you have diarrhea with a fever?
You may have 3 or more episodes of diarrhea. It may be hard to control your diarrhea. You may also have any of the following: Fever and chills. Headache or abdominal pain. Nausea and vomiting. Symptoms of dehydration such as thirst, decreased urination, dry skin, sunken eyes, or fast, pounding heartbeat.
What are the symptoms of chronic diarrhea?
The biggest symptom of chronic diarrhea is, well, diarrhea. Specifically, it's diarrhea that lasts four weeks or more or diarrhea that keeps coming back over a long period of time, says Dr. Lee. What chronic diarrhea looks like, however, varies from person to person.
What causes chronic diarrhea?
Just like acute diarrhea can be caused by a handful of things, there are also many potential causes for chronic diarrhea, says Dr. Lee. To simplify, she breaks down the causes into six different categories:
How is chronic diarrhea treated?
Treatment for chronic diarrhea really depends on the underlying cause. Some treatments are relatively simple to figure out—if you have chronic diarrhea because of food intolerance or because you have celiac disease, you can "treat" the symptoms by avoiding the foods that trigger you, says Dr. De Latour.
Can you take over-the-counter medications for chronic diarrhea?
If you have a bout of acute diarrhea, you might reach for Pepto Bismol or Imodium—both can make short-term diarrhea more bearable. But these OTC medications shouldn't be your go-to for a lengthy period of time when dealing with chronic diarrhea, and if you have to take it for more than two to three weeks, it's time to consult your doctor.
What happens if chronic diarrhea goes untreated?
Again, the long-term effects of chronic diarrhea depend on the underlying cause. But, with all causes of diarrhea, dehydration is a big concern. When you have frequent diarrhea, you're losing water and electrolytes faster than usual, and it's important to replace them.
