Diarrhea is a common yet unpleasant condition that we all experience at some point or the other in our lives. It is characterized by increased frequency of bowel movements or passing of loose, watery stools. It can be quite distressing and debilitating, especially if it is accompanied with abdominal cramps and passing of mucus or blood. When there is blood or mucus in the stool it is known as dysentery.

A person with diarrhea typically passes stool more than 3 times in a day. Diarrhea may cause a loss of significant amount of water and salts. Acute diarrhea is a common problem that usually lasts for 1 or 2 days, and resolves itself without any treatment. Chronic diarrhea, on the other hand, generally lasts longer than 2 weeks. It can be a sign of a serious disorder, such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Chronic or recurrent diarrhea may cause poor absorption of nutrients (malabsorption).

Dysentery is a disease caused by parasites like amoeba or bacteria like shigella. It is characterized by diarrhea with mucus and blood. Although dysentery is a relatively easy disease to cure, death rates are high, particularly among children.

In today’s fast world where junk-food seems to be an inevitable part of our everyday diet, the tendency to develop gastro-intestinal disorders such as diarrhea and dysentery is high. Chronic diarrhea and dysentery can lead to malnourishment and a gradual deterioration of the immune system.

Diarrhea is a condition characterized by loose and watery stools. Diarrhea often means more frequent trips to the toilet and a greater volume of stool. A person with diarrhea typically passes stool more than 3 times a day. Diarrhea may cause a loss of significant amount of water and salts. Acute diarrhea is a common problem that usually lasts for 1 or 2 days, and resolves itself without any treatment. Chronic diarrhea, on the other hand, generally lasts longer than 2 weeks. It can be a sign of a serious disorder, such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) or Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS). Chronic or recurrent diarrhea may cause poor absorption of nutrients (malabsorption).

Dysentery is a disease caused by parasites like amoeba or bacteria like shigella. It is characterized by diarrhea with mucus and blood. Although dysentery is a relatively easy disease to cure, death rates are high, particularly among children.

Causes of Diarrhea

There are many causative factors. Fortunately, in most instances, the change in bowel habits is short-lived and clears up on its own. The following are some of the many known causes:

• Food – Most people incur diarrhea due to the inability to digest certain foods. E.g. dairy products or foods high in fats, etc
• Chemical Laxatives – Many people become dependent on laxatives like magnesium (Epsom salt), cascara (Nature’s Remedy) and phenolphthalein (Exlax, Correctol) early in life and use them on a daily basis. This chronic dependency could also cause diarrhea.
• Reaction to Medicines – In particular, antibiotics and cancer drugs are known to cause diarrhea.
• Infection – There are over 400 different bacteria that normally live in the large intestine. There are many viruses and other infectious agents that also find their way into our bodies. Some of these can infect the intestinal tract and cause diarrhea. Fortunately, most of the time, these infections clear up without any treatment.
• Traveler’sDiarrhea – The cause of traveler’sdiarrhea is a toxic bacterium called E. Coli. It most often occurs in developing countries where sanitation is poor. The physician should be contacted before traveling to these countries to obtain more information on prevention and treatment.
• Diseases – Certain intestinal disorders like ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s Disease, diverticulosis, and even colon cancer can cause diarrhea.
• Stress and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – IBS is a condition that occurs when the intestines, especially the colon do not contract in a smooth, rhythmic manner. The contractions can be exaggerated in which case diarrhea occurs, or they may be sluggish and result in constipation. Sometimes there is alternating constipation and diarrhea. Emotional stress often aggravates these symptoms.

Symptoms of Diarrhea

• Frequent, loose, watery stools
• Abdominal cramps
• Abdominal pain
• Fever
• Blood in the stool
• Bloating

In addition, other signs and symptoms such as nausea and vomiting may precede diarrhea. Bacterial or parasitic infections sometimes cause bloody stools, possibly accompanied with fever.

Diagnosis of Diarrhea

Medical history, symptoms and physical examination are usually sufficient to diagnose diarrhea. Your physician may advise tests like:

• Stool culture – A sample of the stool is analyzed in a laboratory to check for bacteria, parasites, or other signs of disease and infection.
• Blood tests – Blood tests are helpful to rule out certain diseases.
• Fasting tests – To find out if a food intolerance or allergy is causing the diarrhea, the doctor may ask you to avoid lactose, carbohydrates, wheat, or other foods, to see whether the diarrhea responds to a change in diet.
• Sigmoidoscopy – For this test, the doctor uses a special instrument to look at the inside of the rectum and lower part of the colon.
• Colonoscopy – This test is similar to a sigmoidoscopy, but it allows the doctor to view the entire colon.
• Endoscopy – A nod with a video camera is allowed to pass through the length of the digestive tract to allow the physician to look for any internal abnormalities
• Imaging tests – These tests can rule out structural abnormalities as being the cause of diarrhea.