What you need to know about diarrhoea
Every year, millions of people worldwide experience a period of diarrhoea. Diarrhoea consists of loose, unformed stools that may occur several times to as many as 20 times a day. With diarrhoea, it can often be difficult to hold in the stool. There are two forms of diarrhoea: acute and chronic. In the first form, the symptoms resolve on their own within a few days; chronic diarrhoea lasts longer than three weeks. The stool may contain mucus or blood, sometimes be watery, or alternate with normally formed stools or constipation. With chronic diarrhoea, there is a risk of dehydration due to insufficient fluid or excessive loss of salt. This applies especially to young children and older people. It is therefore important to drink enough, and as a general rule: one glass of fluid per bowel movement.
Food poisoningDiarrhoea can develop through contact with faeces or by eating contaminated food. This is usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting and is referred to as food poisoning. The cause is usually infection with bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Shigella and Yersinia species. Campylobacter is found in 6% of cases in children. The source of infection is often chicken meat. If you ate something contaminated at lunch, you may already have abdominal symptoms that same evening. With acute diarrhoea, symptoms usually occur within eight hours after infection. They are often very severe: malaise, vomiting, headache and diarrhoea. The symptoms usually disappear on their own after a few days, but they should not be taken too lightly. In some cases, gastrointestinal complaints persist after an acute episode of diarrhoea. The inflammation can become chronic because the bacteria do not disappear on their own, even though the infection and bacteria have long since disappeared. This is called a post-infectious syndrome. A syndrome that develops after inflammation can manifest as abdominal cramps, flatulence, a bloated abdomen or diarrhoea. These are all symptoms that can persist for years.
Symptoms of diarrhoea
- Loose, watery stools
- Abdominal pain and cramps
- Nausea
- Sometimes blood, pus or mucus in the stool
- Fever, headache, exhaustion and dehydration may occur
- With dehydration there may be thirst, a dry mouth and skin, reduced urination and dark urine; you may become dizzy or light-headed
Tests for diarrhoea
If diarrhoea persists, stool testing through Darmklachten.nl can help. View our recommended test packages and individual modules below.
+Chronic gastrointestinal complaints (IBS) package
Price range: € 350,00 through € 475,00 meer informatie
Causes of diarrhoea
Acute diarrhoea is mainly caused by:
- Food poisoning
Diarrhoea can develop through contact with faeces or by eating contaminated food. This is usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting and is referred to as food poisoning. - Stomach flu
Stomach flu is common and is caused by contagious viruses. It is often accompanied by sudden diarrhoea and vomiting.
Long-term (chronic) diarrhoea is caused by:
- Food poisoning
- Intestinal diseases
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis can be accompanied by prolonged, severe diarrhoea and watery stools, sometimes ten times a day or even more often. Especially in children, diarrhoea may occur together with a bloated abdomen and abdominal pain. - Intestinal parasites
With a parasitic infection, it may take several days before diarrhoea develops. In many cases, chronic diarrhoea with a changing pattern is caused by infection with intestinal parasites. - Histamine intolerance
Histamine is a substance that is released in the intestine during allergic reactions, but also by eating certain foods. High levels of histamine in the intestine cause diarrhoea. - Medication
- Milk-sugar intolerance
In the Netherlands, 15% of people cannot break down milk sugar (lactose). They develop diarrhoea and abdominal pain when they drink a glass of milk. Hidden lactose added to foods and medicines can also trigger diarrhoea symptoms - Food additives
Food additives such as aspartame, sorbitol and fructose can cause diarrhoea and a bloated abdomen.
More information about the tests
- Bacteria, see bacterial infections
- Parasites, see Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium
- Digestive parameters: pH, fat, starch, colour and stool consistency – read more…
- Gut flora analysis
- Bacterial infection with Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella, Yersinia and Clostridioides diffile – read more…
- Parasites
- Calprotectin – Inflammatory marker for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – read more…
- Beta-defensin 2 as an inflammatory marker of the large intestine
- Bile acids – Fat digestion – read more…
- Pancreatic elastase – Breakdown of fat, starch and proteins – read more…
- Antigliadin and anti-ht-Transglutaminase – Markers for gluten intolerance – read more…
- Histamine test
About Darmklachten.nl
Darmklachten.nl is an initiative of MGlab&Advies, a laboratory specialising in stool testing. …read more
