Internal Medicine

Causes of diarrhea

introduction

diarrhea (medical: Diarrhea) can occur due to a variety of different causes and stops very unspecific symptom In general, one can speak of diarrhea, though you have more than three bowel movements with liquid stool in one day.

Common causes associated with diarrhea are both Infectious diseases as well as Food intolerance, stress, or in rare cases serious illnesses. A visit to a doctor is recommended, especially if the diarrhea persists over a long period of time or if the patient's electrolyte balance is severely unbalanced.

The most common causes

Diarrhea is a very general symptom that can occur in many different diseases.

Diarrhea is very often a sign of infectious diseases. Viruses as well as bacteria can be responsible for an infection in the intestine and thus cause diarrhea. Bacteria are to be suspected especially when it comes to so-called food poisoning. As a rule, so-called staphylococci and streptococci, which can multiply in food, are responsible for the diarrhea. However, these are usually self-limiting and therefore usually improve after some time even without therapy.

Read more on this topic: Food poisoning symptoms or Diarrhea after consuming milk - what's behind it?

In diseases, which are colloquially referred to as gastrointestinal flu, both viruses and bacteria can be responsible for the typical symptoms. When the pathogens multiply in the intestine, the intestinal mucosa becomes inflamed. The inflammation prevents water from being absorbed and promotes fluid secretion into the intestines. These effects cause diarrhea to develop.

Read more on this topic at: Gastrointestinal flu symptoms, duration of diarrhea, diarrhea in Egypt

In general, it can be a very unbalanced diet or one sudden change same come to diarrhea. Also a increased alcohol consumption can be accompanied by diarrhea.

Through the increased use of antibiotics diarrhea has also increased in recent years Medication be evoked. Antibiotics, for example, often destroy certain groups of bacteria in the intestine and thus bring the balance of the Intestinal flora confused. This can lead to severe diarrhea, some of which are difficult to treat.

In the case of diarrhea that lasts for two weeks, one chronic diarrhea spoken. This can also be caused by different diseases. So can both Food intolerance as well as chronic bowel disease or the so-called Irritable bowel syndrome stand behind the diarrhea. In order to rule out serious illnesses, a doctor should be consulted for clarification, especially in the case of long-term diarrhea.

Causes in the child

As a rule, children are more often affected by diseases associated with diarrhea than adults. However, since children typically have more frequent bowel movements than adults, the definition of very young children must be differentiated from that of adults. In small children, diarrhea is the moment when they have more than five liquid bowel movements in one day.

The most common cause of diarrhea in children is infectious diseases. Since children, especially when they are young, have a weaker immune system than adults, they are usually more often affected by infectious diseases. Infection with viruses, in particular, can lead to severe diarrhea and associated general symptoms in children.
So-called rota and noroviruses in particular are often responsible for diarrhea in children. These viruses lead to inflammation of the intestinal mucous membrane and thus ensure a reduced absorption and increased secretion of water. This makes the stool runny and more frequent excretion. These pathogens can be transmitted through contact with infected objects (door handles etc.), contact with infected people, and through consumption of infected food.

Diarrhea in children that persists for a long time and occurs without other typical symptoms of an infectious disease are suspected of being caused by food intolerance. Often, intolerance or allergies to ingredients in milk, cereals or fruits are responsible for chronic diarrhea in children. It should be noted that many allergies and intolerances that exist in childhood regress in the course of life and are often no longer present in adulthood.

Read more on this topic at: Food allergy.

Other diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, the so-called irritable bowel syndrome or acute stress conditions can lead to the development of diarrhea in children. A sudden change in diet or a very unbalanced diet can also lead to diarrhea. Overall, diarrhea in children should be taken very seriously, as it can quickly lead to severe electrolyte imbalances and major fluid loss. Children's diarrhea should always be clarified by a pediatrician.

Also read the article: Which diarrhea is contagious?

Alcohol consumption as a cause

In addition to many other causes, consumption is excessive alcohol in many cases responsible for the development of diarrhea. As a rule, liquid stool, which is caused by alcohol, is not a classic diarrhea, as this is only mentioned after more than three events.

The change in stool consistency caused by alcohol is primarily related to one Inhibition of both sodium and water absorption in the intestine together. Because of this, more sodium remains in the intestine This sodium "draws" additional water into the intestine. Together with the Inhibition of water absorption sometimes severe diarrhea can occur. As a rule, however, the diarrhea caused by alcohol consumption improves relatively quickly and the stool consistency is normalized again after a few hours. If diarrhea persists after consuming large amounts of alcohol, other illnesses caused by the alcohol should be considered and a doctor should be consulted for clarification.

nutrition

Diet contributes significantly to the individual characteristics of the stool. An unbalanced diet and eating certain foods can lead to increased diarrhea. This is particularly the case if there are so-called food intolerances or food allergies. When the food is ingested and there is an existing intolerance, there is an increased production of certain antibodies in the body. These ensure, among other things, an increased secretion of water in the intestine and thus cause a liquid stool and diarrhea.
Please also read our article on this Food allergy

However, the diet can contribute to the development of diarrhea even if there are no intolerances. Alcohol in particular is known for promoting the development of diarrhea. Malnutrition can also help stool get a fluid consistency. A sudden change in diet should also be considered as a cause of diarrhea.

Read more on this topic at: Diet for diarrhea., Infectious diarrheal diseases ,Green diarrhea

stress

In many cases, stress can be blamed as the cause of diarrhea. Whether stress leads to a digestive disorder or other symptoms are in the foreground varies from person to person. For example, stress leads to diarrhea in some people, while others complain of constipation when stressed. The consequences of stress in the body are manifold. Some of these consequences can affect the intestines and digestion and are suspected to be responsible for causing the symptoms.

Acute stress initially leads to reduced intestinal activity and thus to impaired digestion. In a stressful situation, the body often tries to get the leftover food out of the intestine as quickly as possible, which is often associated with diarrhea or vomiting. The amount of lactic acid bacteria found in the intestine, which play an important role in digestion, also decreases. Especially in the case of diarrhea, which is accompanied by no other typical symptoms and occurs in a stressful situation, an improvement in digestion can often be achieved through certain stress-reducing therapies. In these cases, a conscious diet can also help to improve the diarrhea.

Read more on the topic: Diarrhea and psyche

Diarrhea from medication

Diarrhea can also be caused by medication. Antibiotics play an important role here, which either cause diarrhea by influencing the normal bacterial intestinal flora or by being infected with certain germs, called clostridia. Diarrhea as a result of increased sensitivity to the antibiotic is also discussed.
(You can find more information on the subject here Abdominal pain from antibiotics)

You can also read more on the subject of diet for diarrhea.

Other drugs that cause diarrhea include laxatives (Laxatives), Cytostatics (used, among other things, for cancer), colchicine (previously used to treat gout) and many more.

Other major causes of diarrhea are food poisoning (Food intoxication). These are caused by substances that are toxic to humans (Toxins), which are formed by certain bacteria and ingested with food. Such toxin formers are, for example, a certain staphylococcus species (Staphylococcus aureus).

You might also be interested in this topic: Diarrhea from vitamin C.

Diarrhea after exercise

Sport is another possible cause of diarrhea. Certain pathophysiological processes in the human organism play a role here. Increased fluid secretion in the intestinal lumen as well as reduced blood flow to the intestinal mucosa during sporting activity can lead to intestinal problems, namely diarrhea.

Are you interested in this topic? For detailed information, see: Diarrhea after exercise