Diarrhea
Diarrhea is one of the most common health complaints. It can range from a mild, temporary condition to a potentially life threatening one. Globally, an estimated 2 billion cases of diarrheal disease occur each year.
Diarrhea is loose, watery stools. You have diarrhea if you have loose stools three or more times in one day.
Diarrhea occurs when:
There is excessively rapid transit of intestinal contents through the small intestine
Decreased enzymatic digestion of foods
Decreased absorption of fluid & nutrients
Increased secretion of fluid in the GI tract
Different types of diarrhea
There are actually several different ways to classify diarrhea. These types of diarrhea include:
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
Chronic diarrhea: Diarrhea that lasts for more than four weeks or comes and goes regularly over a long period of time is called chronic diarrhea.
Causes
The most common causes of diarrhea include
Bacterial infections such as Clostridium difficile, E. coli, Salmonella
Viruses such as the flu, norovirus, rotavirus
Parasites, tiny organisms found in contaminated food or water
Certain medications such as antibiotics, cancer drugs, and antacids that contain magnesium or sorbitol-containing liquid medications
Laxative abuse
Food intolerances, sensitivities and/or allergies such as lactose intolerance
Diseases that affect the stomach, small intestine, or colon, such as Crohn's disease
Problems with how the colon functions, such as IBS
Post surgeries such as surgical bypass, gastric, intestinal resections or gallbladder removal
Certain foods that upset the GI: such as caffeine and alcohol
Disease such as hyperthyroidism, Addison’s disease, diabetes, microscopic colitis
Running (Some people get “runner’s diarrhea” for reasons that aren’t clear)
Cancer-related causes: Neoplastic diarrhea is associated with a number of gut malignancies
Symptoms
Cramps or pain in the abdomen
An urgent need to use the bathroom
Loss of bowel control
Nausea
Bloating
Fever
Bloody stools
Dehydration
Dehydration can be serious, especially for children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.
When to see a health care provider
Although it is usually not harmful, diarrhea can become dangerous or signal a more serious problem.
Contact your health care provider if you have:
· Signs of dehydration such as
Dark urine
Smaller than usual amounts of urine
Rapid heart rate
Headaches
Confusion
· Diarrhea for more than 2 days, if you are an adult. For children, if it lasts more than 24 hours
· Severe pain in your abdomen or rectum
· A fever of 102 degrees or higher or that lasts more than 24 hours
· Stools containing blood or pus
· Stools that are black and tarry
· Nausea or throwing up that prevents you from drinking liquids to replace lost fluids
· Severe abdominal or rectal pain
· Diarrhea after coming back from a foreign country (traveller’s diarrhea)
Diagnosis
To find the cause of diarrhea, your health care provider may:
Complete a physical exam and consider your medical history
Ask about medications you are taking
Request laboratory tests to examine your stool, urine, or blood to look for bacteria, parasites, or other signs of disease or infection
Fasting tests to determine whether a food intolerance or allergy is the cause
Imaging tests to check for inflammation and structural abnormalities of the intestine
Colonoscopy to check the entire colon for signs of intestinal disease
Sigmoidoscopy to check the rectum and lower colon for signs of intestinal disease
Prevention
Prevention of diarrhea depends on the underlying cause.
If medications are causing a person to experience diarrhea, an alternative form (i.e. tablet instead of sorbitol-containing liquid) or type of medication should be explored, especially when diarrhea is chronic.
You can help prevent traveler's diarrhea by being careful about what you eat and drink when you are in developing countries:
Use only bottled or purified water for drinking, making ice cubes, and brushing your teeth
If you do use tap water, boil it or use iodine tablets
Make sure that the cooked food you eat is fully cooked and served hot
Avoid unwashed or unpeeled raw fruits and vegetables
Treatments
Diarrhea is treated by replacing lost fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration. Depending on the cause of the problem, you may need medicines to stop the diarrhea or treat an infection.
In the next blog post we will look at dietary management for diarrhea.