Diarrhea

Not tremendously pleasant reading, but this article in Medical News Today caught my attention. Considering the relation to E. coli and a host of other diseases as well as the possible outcomes and impact on the patient, I thought it was worth sharing.

I found the causes of acute and long-term diarrhea interesting as well as the definitions of the 5 types.

Bottoms up!

Synopsis edited from the original Medical News Today article:
Causes of acute diarrhea (short term diarrhea)

• A virus - most commonly a norovirus or a rotavirus. It could also be caused by a hepatitis virus, or the herpes simplex virus. Viral diarrhea spreads easily.


• A bacteria - if food or water is contaminated bacteria and parasites can be transmitted into the body. Parasites may include Giardia lamblia and cryptosporidium. Examples of bacteria are campylobacter, salmonella, shigella and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Traveler's diarrhea is usually caused by bacteria or parasites.


• An antibiotic - antibiotics can disturb the natural balance of bacteria in our intestines, which can lead to infection, commonly with a bacterium called Clostridium difficile.

The following may also be causes of acute diarrhea:

• Anxiety
• Consuming too much alcohol
• Consuming too much coffee
• Some other medications, apart from antibiotics

Causes of chronic diarrhea (persistent, longer term diarrhea)

• Bacteria
• A virus
• Laxatives
• Some dietary habits - long term regular alcohol, coffee consumption may cause persistent diarrhea.

The following long-term conditions can cause chronic diarrhea

• Celiac disease
• Crohn's disease
• Diabetes
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Lactose intolerance
• Pancreatitis
• Ulcerative colitis