What Are the Causes of Diaherra?

Diarrhea is a condition characterized by having loose stools and multiple bowel movements throughout the day. When it lasts for a day or two it is called acute. In more severe situations, it can last for many months and even years. In this situation, it is called chronic diarrhea. There are ways to treat it that include diet changes and medication. When it comes to the reasons why diarrhea develops, it is usually the result of infections, viruses and medical conditions.

Bug

• The 24-hour stomach virus, also called "the bug," is a condition that affects the whole body and it packs quite a punch when it does. When you first get it, you can become very weak, you can develop a fever, chills and become dizzy. Then your stomach will start rolling and nausea, vomiting and diarrhea will soon follow. This can also lead to dehydration from excessive fluid loss.

Food Poisoning

• When food sits out for a while, it can collect bacteria and pathogens. This is often times seen with chicken and with salads at a picnic such as potato salad and macaroni salad. When these foods are eaten, food poisoning can occur. When this happens, you can become violently ill and suffer episodes of vomiting, diarrhea and severe stomach pains.

IBS

• Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic condition where the muscles in the digestive tract do not function properly. They push food along too rapidly or too slowly. When this happens, constipation and diarrhea are alternated back and forth. When IBS takes place, there are some foods and beverages that can cause flare-ups to take place such as alcohol, chocolate, coffee and foods that are high in fat.

Side Effects

• Antibiotics, statins, cancer drugs and blood pressure medications are used to lower cholesterol, stop infections and slow down the heart rate. They might be affective at treating these conditions, but they are strong medications that always come accompanied with some side effects. Some of these include weakness, nausea, heartburn, bloating and diarrhea.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

• Ulcerative colitis is a condition that is called an inflammatory bowel disease. When this takes place in the body, the intestines become inflamed when they continually get stretched out which leads to diarrhea and abdominal pain.

  Another type of inflammatory bowel disease that can cause diarrhea is a condition called Crohn's disease. Unlike colitis which is localized to the colon, Crohn's disease can occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract.

Food Allergies

• There are some people who suffer from food allergies or intolerances. Two of the most common are lactose intolerance and Celiac disease. With lactose intolerance, there is an enzyme found in the stomach called lactase that is used to break down lactose which is a milk sugar. When you do not have this enzyme and you consume a food that has lactose in it, you can develop gas, bloating, nausea and diarrhea.

  Celiac disease is a condition where the protein portion of wheat called "gluten," cannot be broken down in the body. If foods were eaten that contain gluten such as wheat, rye, barley and oats, stomach cramps, diarrhea and bloating can occur.