Diarrhea, Age 12 and Older

Overview

Diarrhea means having bowel movements more often or having ones that are more watery and loose than normal. When the intestines push stools through the bowel before the water in the stool can be reabsorbed, diarrhea occurs. It can also occur when inflammation of the bowel lining causes excess fluid to leak into the stool. Belly cramps, nausea, vomiting, or a fever may occur along with the diarrhea.

Diarrhea is one of the most common health problems. It affects people of all ages. Most adults will have 4 episodes of diarrhea each year. Diarrhea that comes on suddenly may last up to 14 days.

Diarrhea has many causes.

  • It's often caused by a stomach infection (gastroenteritis, Opens dialog) or food poisoning, Opens dialog. Diarrhea is your body's way of quickly clearing viruses, bacteria, or toxins from the digestive tract. Most cases of diarrhea are viral. They will clear up in a few days with good home treatment. E. coli, Opens dialog is a common bacteria that causes diarrhea. E. coli infection is related to improper food preparation.
  • Drinking untreated water, Opens dialog or unpasteurized dairy products can cause viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections, such as Giardia lamblia, Opens dialog. This parasite can cause diarrhea that occurs 1 to 4 weeks later. These infections can also occur when you use untreated water to brush your teeth, wash your dishes or vegetables, or make ice for drinks.
  • Diarrhea can also occur from infections passed on by animals.
  • Many prescription and nonprescription medicines can cause diarrhea.
    • Antibiotics may cause mild diarrhea. It usually clears up without treatment. A more serious type of diarrhea caused by the bacteria Clostridioides difficile (sometimes called C. diff) may occur while you take an antibiotic or shortly after you finish the antibiotic.
    • Laxatives, such as Correctol, Dulcolax, Ex-Lax, or bisacodyl, may cause diarrhea.
  • Using too much of products that contain sorbitol (such as chewing gum) or fructose can cause diarrhea.
  • Some people get infections that cause diarrhea while they are traveling (traveler's diarrhea).
  • For some people, emotional stress, irritable bowel syndrome, Opens dialog, anxiety, or food digestion problems (such as lactose intolerance, Opens dialog) cause diarrhea.
  • Repeated episodes may be caused by inflammatory bowel disease, Opens dialog.
  • Diarrhea may also be caused by malabsorption problems and certain types of cancer.
  • Diarrhea may occur after stomach, bowel, or gallbladder surgery, or after bariatric surgery for obesity, Opens dialog.

Many times the exact cause isn't known. Almost everyone has diarrhea now and then. Having diarrhea is annoying. But most cases aren't serious. They will clear up with home treatment.

Current as of: October 19, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff

Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.