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Diarrhea Causes

In the case of diarrhea, causes of the ailment may include viral infections, bacterial infections, and parasites. Other possible causes of diarrhea include certain medications, medical conditions (such as Crohn's disease or diabetes), and travel to developing countries. The most common cause of acute diarrhea (diarrhea that lasts less than two weeks) is viral gastroenteritis -- commonly referred to as "the stomach flu." Diarrhea causes may also involve lactose intolerance or other food intolerances.

 

An Overview of Diarrhea Causes

Diarrhea is a common ailment familiar to everyone. It is characterized by several changes in stool, including an increased frequency, looseness, and volume.
 
Diarrhea results from an increase in water content in the stool. This can be the result of any one of the following:
 
  • Increased fluid moving from the body into the intestines
  • Decreased fluid absorption from the intestines
  • Changes in the speed in which things move through the intestines.
     
However, for most people this is of little significance. Diarrhea is diarrhea; so bypassing the physiology for now, we will look at specific causes of diarrhea. In this article, we will discuss the causes of two types of diarrhea: acute diarrhea and chronic diarrhea. Acute diarrhea is diarrhea that improves within two weeks. Chronic diarrhea is diarrhea that lasts longer than two weeks.
 

Acute Diarrhea Causes

There are many possible acute diarrhea causes. A few of the more common causes of acute diarrhea include:
 
  • Viral infections
  • Bacterial infections
  • Parasites
  • Medicines
  • Functional bowel disorder.
     
Acute diarrhea can also be caused by anything that causes chronic diarrhea since, by definition, acute diarrhea is any diarrhea that lasts less than two weeks.
(Diarrhea Causes Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD