Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
About diarrhoea
Food nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine. The waste is pushed into the large intestine (bowel) where water is removed. The resulting faeces is stored temporarily within the rectum then passed out of the body through the anus. Faeces are usually firm, moist and easy to pass.
Diarrhoea is the frequent passing of loose, watery and unformed faeces.
Acute diarrhoea is the sudden onset of 3 or more loose stools per day, lasting less than 14 days.
The most common cause of acute diarrhoea is an infection of the intestines, such as gastroenteritis or food poisoning. Viruses are responsible for most cases. The intestinal lining becomes irritated and inflamed, which hinders the absorption of water from food waste. In severe cases, the intestinal lining may even leak water.
Generally, acute diarrhoea resolves after a day or 2. Chronic diarrhoea, which lasts 4 weeks or more, can be caused by a range of conditions that affect the intestines, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Symptoms of diarrhoea
The symptoms associated with diarrhoea include:
abdominal cramps or
abdominal pains
urgency to go to the toilet
frequent passing of loose, watery faeces.
Serious symptoms of diarrhoea
In most cases, acute diarrhoea is self-limiting and will resolve by itself within a day or 2.
However, contact your doctor immediately if you experience serious symptoms including:
blood in the faeces
pus in the faeces
painful passage of faeces
repeated vomiting
inability to increase fluid intake
reduced or absent urination
fever
(temperature greater than 38 ºc).
If you have a serious chronic medical condition, such as
kidney
or
heart failure
, even one day of diarrhoea can be dangerous. It’s safer to see your doctor as soon as possible.
Diarrhoea can be dangerous for babies and young children
Acute diarrhoea can be life threatening to babies and young children. This is because their smaller bodies are more vulnerable to dehydration.
If your baby or young child develops diarrhoea, seek medical attention straight away.
Causes of acute diarrhoea
A bout of diarrhoea can be caused by a wide range of disorders, infections and events including:
food poisoning
gastroenteritis
tropical diseases, such as
typhoid
and cholera
anxiety
or emotional
stress
overconsumption of
alcohol
medications, particularly antibiotics.
Common infectious agents
Person to person spread, as well as contaminated food and water are common infectious causes of acute diarrhoea. Some of the infectious agents known to cause diarrhoea include:
viruses
– such as norovirus, calici virus, adenovirus and
rotavirus
bacteria
– such as
E. coli
,
Campylobacter
, V. cholerae,
Shigella
,
Salmonella
and
Staphylococcus aureus
parasites
– such as
Giardia lamblia
,
Cryptosporidium parvum
and
tapeworm
.
Causes of chronic diarrhoea
Some of the causes of chronic diarrhoea include:
medications
– including antibiotics, magnesium and antacids that contain magnesium, laxatives, and drugs for treating
diabetes
,
hypertension (high blood pressure)
and
arthritis
, as well as some immunosuppressive drugs
diverticular disease
inflammatory bowel disease
– including
ulcerative colitis
and
Crohn’s disease
irritable bowel syndrome
– symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, and alternating constipation and diarrhoea
lactose intolerance
– the inability to digest the milk sugar lactose
coeliac disease
– which reduces the intestine’s ability to absorb food
chronic constipation
– the bowel is blocked by hard, impacted faeces, but some liquids manage to seep past the blockage. This condition, called ‘spurious’ or ‘overflow’ diarrhoea, is more common in the elderly
hormone disorders
– such as diabetes or
hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland)
cancer
– such as
bowel cancer
.
Diagnosis of diarrhoea
Successful treatment depends on diagnosing the cause. Investigations may include:
medical history
physical examination
blood tests
laboratory analysis of stool sample
colonoscopy
– the insertion of a slender instrument into the anus so that the doctor can look at the bowel lining.
Treatment for diarrhoea
Always see your doctor if you experience serious symptoms. Babies and young children with diarrhoea need prompt medical attention.
Treatment for diarrhoea depends on the cause, but may include:
plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration
oral rehydration drinks to replace lost salts and minerals. These drinks are available from pharmacies. An alternative is one part unsweetened pure fruit juice diluted with 4 parts of water
intravenous replacement of fluids in severe cases
medications such as antibiotics and anti-nausea drugs
anti-diarrhoeal medications, but only on the advice of your doctor. If your diarrhoea is caused by infection, anti-diarrhoeal drugs may keep the infection inside your body for longer
treatment for any underlying condition, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Risk of spreading infection
Most cases of acute diarrhoea are potentially infectious to others.
Viruses are easily spread, mainly through direct contact with vomit or faeces from an infected person, or through contact with a contaminated object or surface. Occasionally, the virus may be transmitted by airborne particles generated from vomiting and diarrhoea.
People can reduce their chances of getting infected by carefully
washing their hands
after going to the toilet and before handling food. People looking after a person with the virus must also wash their hands thoroughly.
Alcohol-based handwash solutions, available from pharmacies, have been shown to be better at reducing the spread of infection than soap and water, and are less drying to the skin.
Anyone with acute diarrhoea should stay at home if possible to reduce the spread of infection. It is strongly recommended not to visit hospitals and nursing homes, and not to swim in public pools.
Dietary adjustments may help diarrhoea
It may help to make a few short-term dietary adjustments while your bowels recover from acute diarrhoea.
Be guided by your healthcare professional, but general suggestions include:
Limit consumption of
fatty
,
sweet
or spicy foods.
Avoid alcohol.
Increase consumption of starchy foods like banana, rice and bread.
Increase consumption of yoghurt containing live cultures.
Diarrhoea in babies and young children can be caused by fruit juice, so limit these drinks.
Where to get help
Your
GP (doctor)
Pharmacist
External Link
Need treatment today?
Need treatment today, but it’s not life-threatening and you can’t get a GP appointment, there are services available:
Urgent Care Clinics
– provide care for conditions that require treatment today but not an emergency response (extended hours)
Nurse-on-Call
Tel.
1300 60 60 24
– for expert health information and advice (24 hours, 7 days)
Emergency care
In an emergency, always call triple zero (000)
Emergency department of your nearest hospital