TREATMENTS &
RESEARCH

Search the
latest
treatment
information
here.

Dr. Huntley's
Diagnosis
Checklist

Have a symptom?
See what questions
a doctor would ask.
 

Diarrhea



Introduction: Diarrhea

Diarrhea is any form of loose or watery stool, and is all too common. Acute diarrhea with a sudden onset is often caused by something eaten, such as food poisoning, viruses or bacteria as in infectious diarrhea or traveler's diarrhea, or even surprisingly by constipation. Chronic diarrhea that is ongoing could be any of numerous problems such as inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, diabetic diarrhea, certain medications, or various other underlying conditions. See also the full list of conditions with symptoms of diarrhea.

Diarrhea is potentially serious if it leads to dehydration or electrolyte imbalances. This is true especially in infants, children, the elderly, or other at risk groups.

Symptoms of Diarrhea

See full list of 14 symptoms of Diarrhea

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Diarrhea:

Medical Textbooks Online about Diarrhea

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Full text.
Free access (no registration).
  • "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs"
  • "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs"
  • "In a Page: Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In a Page: Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms"
  • "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care"
  • "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)"
  • "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)"
  • "A Pocket Manual of Differential Diagnosis"
  • "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)"
  • "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)"
  • "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter"
  • "Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis"
  • "Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis"
  • "Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series"
  • "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses"
  • "The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics"
  • "The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics"
  • "Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms"
  • "Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms"

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic Tests for Diarrhea

Test for Diarrhea in your own home

click here

See full list of 7 diagnostic tests for Diarrhea

Wrongly Diagnosed with Diarrhea?

Misdiagnosis and Diarrhea

Diarrhea can be related to food substitute: The food ingredient, Sorbitol, is often used as a sweetener in diet products. In some people, this substance can...read more »

Chronic digestive conditions often misdiagnosed: When diagnosing chronic symptoms of the digestive tract, there are a variety of conditions that may be misdiagnosed. The best known, irritable bowel syndrome, is over-diagnosed,...read more »

Intestinal bacteria disorder may be hidden cause: One of the lesser known causes of diarrhea is an imbalance of bacterial in the gut, sometimes called ...read more »

Antibiotics often causes diarrhea: The use of antibiotics are very likely to cause some level of diarrhea in patients. The reason is that antibiotics kill off...read more »

Food poisoning may actually be an infectious disease: Many people who come down with "stomach symptoms" like diarrhea assume that it's "something I ate" (i.e. food poisoning). In fact, it's more likely...read more »

Mesenteric adenitis misdiagnosed as appendicitis in children: Because appendicitis is one of the more feared conditions for a child with abdominal pain, it can be over...read more »

Celiac disease often fails to be diagnosed cause of chronic digestive symptoms: One of the most common chronic digestive conditions is celiac disease, a malabsorption...read more »

Chronic digestive diseases hard to diagnose: There is an inherent difficulty in diagnosing the various types of chronic digestive diseases. Some of the better known possibilities are ...read more »

Widely underdiagnosed- Coeliac disease: Coeliac disease is a widely underdiagnosed condition as most patients present with non gastrointestinal symptoms such...read more »

Addison's disease has a good prognosis: Addison’s disease when treated with adequate replacement therapy has a good prognosis and life expectancy approximates...read more »

Kawasaki's disease can be misdiagnosed as common childhood ailments: Kawasaki’s disease is a febrile disorder affecting children below 5 years. It affects mainly the blood vessels but can...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Diarrhea

Causes of Diarrhea

See full list of 83 causes of Diarrhea

More information about causes of Diarrhea:

Treatments for Diarrhea

  • Newborns and infants require very special care because dehydration can be dangerous
  • Children need special attention as many medications may be inappropriate
  • Watchful waiting - sometimes diarrhea is not serious enough to need significant treatment.
  • Anti-diarrheal medications
    • Immodium AD

See full list of 19 treatments for Diarrhea

Videos for Diarrhea

Treating Diarrhea

Treating DiarrheaDiarrhea usually goes away on its own, but in some cases medication and other forms of treatment are necessary. What are the options? Join our panel...

Chemo ID

Chemo IDDiarrhea is a well-known side-effect of certain chemotherapies, and while for some patients it's a minor nuisance, for others it may become a...

 

Chemo Diarrhea

Chemo DiarrheaDrugs that mimic hormones are proving effective in treating chemotherapy-induced diarrhea. Listen in as cancer specialists explain how hormonal...

Diarrhea Causes

Diarrhea CausesConstant trips to the bathroom, burning, discomfort, we've all experienced diarrhea at one time or another. But why does it occur? Some say...

 
See full list of 23 related videos

Patient Surveys for Diarrhea

Prognosis for Diarrhea

Prognosis for Diarrhea: Diarrhea can be dangerous in newborns and infants. In small children, severe diarrhea lasting just a day or two can lead to dehydration. Because a child can die from dehydration within a few days, the main treatment for diarrhea in children is rehydration. (Source: excerpt from Diarrhea: NIDDK)

More about prognosis of Diarrhea

Reseach about Diarrhea

Visit our research pages for current research about Diarrhea treatments.

Clinical Trials for Diarrhea

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Diarrhea include:

See full list of 101 Clinical Trials for Diarrhea

Prevention of Diarrhea

Prevention information for Diarrhea has been compiled from various data sources and may be inaccurate or incomplete. None of these methods guarantee prevention of Diarrhea.

  • Avoiding traveler's diarrhea - various tips are common
    • Avoid cold tap water - use bottled water, carbonated drinks or hot tea/coffee
    • Brush teeth with bottled water
    • Avoid ice in drinks
    • Avoid raw fruits

Read more about prevention of Diarrhea

Statistics for Diarrhea

Types of Diarrhea

See full list of 7 Types of Diarrhea

Medical Guidebooks and Ebooks for Diarrhea

See all guides and ebooks for Diarrhea

Stories from Users Related to Diarrhea

Related forums and stories:

User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Diarrhea, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

Article Excerpts about Diarrhea

Diarrhea--loose, watery stools occurring more than three times in one day--is a common problem that usually lasts a day or two and goes away on its own without any special treatment. However, prolonged diarrhea can be a sign of other problems.

Diarrhea can cause dehydration, which means the body lacks enough fluid to function properly. Dehydration is particularly dangerous in children and the elderly, and it must be treated promptly to avoid serious health problems. (Source: excerpt from Diarrhea: NIDDK)

Definitions of Diarrhea:

A condition of frequent and watery bowel movements. - (Source - Diseases Database)

Frequent and watery bowel movements; can be a symptom of infection or food poisoning or colitis or a gastrointestinal tumor - (Source - WordNet 2.1)

Contents for Diarrhea: User Surveys and Discussion Forums


 » Next page: What is Diarrhea?

Medical Tools & Articles:


Next articles:

Tools & Services:

Medical Articles:

Forums & Message Boards

Major Disease Research

Research
symptoms, treatments,
and misdiagnosis
of major diseases.

Multiple Symptom
Checker

Check one
or many
symptoms
 
By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use. Information provided on this site is for informational purposes only; it is not intended as a substitute for advice from your own medical team. The information on this site is not to be used for diagnosing or treating any health concerns you may have - please contact your physician or health care professional for all your medical needs. Please see our Terms of Use.