Diarrhea can be acute or chronic.
Most everyone will experience diarrhea at some point in their life, with the average adult experiencing it four times per year. Diarrhea is defined as three or more loose or watery stools per day. Any bloody diarrhea or diarrhea associated with a fever or abdominal pain should always be evaluated promptly by a healthcare professional!
Acute diarrhea can be caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites, food poisoning, antibiotics, medications, and more. The exact cause isn’t always identifiable, especially if you get better right away.
Viruses that cause diarrhea are often seasonal and include rotavirus, norovirus, Norwalk virus, adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, astrovirus, and viral hepatitis (most commonly hepatitis A). Rotavirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in children.
Bacteria and parasites can cause diarrhea and can be transmitted through eating or drinking contaminated food or water.
Antibiotics destroy both the good and bad bacteria in our guts. This can cause diarrhea.
Clostridium difficile (or C. diff) is a type of bacteria that can cause diarrhea and serious infection. People who develop C. diff often convey taking antibiotics recently for another condition. C. diff requires prompt and aggressive medical management to avoid complications.
Certain medications can cause diarrhea including antacids with magnesium, antidepressants, proton pump inhibitors, laxatives, antibiotics, and NSAIDs.
Other causes of diarrhea may include food allergies, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative Colitis, microscopic colitis, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), stress, lactose intolerance, fructose intolerance, artificial sweeteners, surgeries (especially gallbladder surgery), and diseases of the pancreas and gallbladder.