Find the Cause of Diarrhea from Symptoms

In this article, typical symptoms are paralleled with common causes of diarrhea. The cause can be also found by tests for diarrhea.

Causes of Diarrhea in Newborns

Newborn normally poops 8-10 times a day.

• fever, vomiting, diarrhea: Rotavirus, rarely other microbes;
• mild diarrhea: overfeeding, neonatal drug withdrawal;
• skin rash, strain to vomiting (gagging), irritability, diarrhea: allergy to cow’s milk or soy formula;
• diarrhea in first 3 days of life: congenital diseases of liver, pancreas, biliary tract, small or large intestine.

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Definition of Chronic Diarrhea

Diarrhea is considered as chronic, when it lasts for more than 3 weeks.

Main Causes of Chronic Diarrhea

Unlike acute diarrhea, chronic diarrhea is mostly of non-infectious origin.

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) ;
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD);
• Lactose Intolerance;
• Celiac Disease;
• Toddler’s Diarrhea (Dietary Fructose Intolerance - DFI);
• Liver, Gallbladder, Pancreatic Disease;
• Diverticulitis;
• Food Allergies;
• Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO);
• Short Bowel Syndrome;
• Diabetes;
• Alcoholism;
• Malnutrition;
• Medications.

Less common causes of chronic diarrhea  are diabetes, ischemic and collagenous colitis, systemic sclerosis, hyperthyroidism, Addison’s disease, uremia, chronic infection/poisoning, AIDS, bowel surgery, inborn diseases, and Brainerd diarrhea.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS, Spastic Colon)

Chronic diarrhea or constipation or both, appearing in people under 40 years of age with no underlying bowel disease, no bleeding or weight loss, are the main characteristics of irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms (diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gas, painful abdominal cramps, or urgency) typically appear after the meal or stress event, and are relieved with a bowel movement. ‘Functional diarrhea‘, also called painless or nervous diarrhea, is like IBS, but without abdominal pain.