Diarrhea describes loose, watery stools that occur more frequently than usual. You may also experience abdominal cramps and a greater volume of stool. Diarrhea varies in specific symptoms, severity and duration.
Acute diarrhea usually lasts for a few days and is typically caused by a bacterial, viral or parasitic infection of some sort.
Chronic diarrhea persists longer than does acute diarrhea, generally longer than three weeks. Chronic diarrhea can indicate a serious disorder, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, or a less serious condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome.
Causes
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Acute diarrhea causes may include:
- Antacids containing magnesium
- Antibiotic-associated diarrhea
- Blood pressure medications
- C. difficile
- Campylobacter infection
- Cancer medications
- Clostridium perfringens infection
- Cryptosporidium infection
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection
- E. coli
- Entamoeba histolytica infection
- Food intolerances
- Food poisoning
- Fructose intolerance
- Giardiasis
- Lactose intolerance
- Norovirus infection
- Rotavirus
- Salmonella infection
- Shigella infection
- Staph infections
- Stomach surgery
- Traveler's diarrhea
Chronic diarrhea causes may include:
- Blood pressure medications
- Caffeine
- Cancer medications
- Celiac disease
- Cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal)
- Colon cancer
- Crohn's disease
- Bariatric surgery
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Ischemic colitis
- Pancreatic insufficiency
- Ulcerative colitis
- Whipple's disease
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