Diarrhea is a common condition presenting as loose or watery bowel movements. Normal frequency of bowel movements is considered to be between three per week and three per day.
Acute diarrhea lasts for two weeks or less, and usually is infectious in origin. Infectious causes of acute diarrhea include viruses, bacteria, or parasites. Non-infectious causes include side effects of drugs, toxic contamination of food, and some acute abdominal processes which may require immediate attention.
Chronic diarrhea lasts for more than three weeks. Common causes are:
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Malabsorption syndrome
- Celiac disease
- Small bowel bacterial overgrowth (SBBO)
- Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis)
- Chronic infections
- Food allergy and sensitivity
- Side effect of medications
It is recommended to seek medical attention in any case of chronic diarrhea, and in acute cases if one has any “alarm symptoms”, such as bloody diarrhea, fever, dehydration, abdominal pain, inability to eat or hydrate, or weight loss.
Your doctor may request additional tests to determine a reason of diarrhea:
- Stool tests
- Blood tests
- Hydrogen breath tests
- Colonoscopy
- Upper endoscopy
- Capsule endoscopy of small intestine
These are some basic recommendations for managing symptoms of diarrhea:
- Stay well hydrated.
- Infectious diarrhea is highly contagious, and strict hygienic precautions are essential.
- Avoid milk products, caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks, greasy and spicy foods, high sugar containing foods, “junk food”, most processed and packaged foods.
- Eat bananas, boiled potatoes, white flower bread and pasta, boiled white rice, baked or boiled chicken and chicken broth, cooked fruits and vegetables.
- Taking probiotics may be effective to shorten duration of diarrhea.
- There are available over-the-counter medications, which should be used under the supervision of a medical professional.
