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The Most Common Causes of Diarrhea from Overeating to Life-Threatening and Everything In Between

Posted On : Feb-24-2010 | seen (356) times | Article Word Count : 432 |

What are the underlying causes of diarrhea? When you eat, food is turned into a liquid form in your stomach. As it goes through the intestines, the moisture is mostly absorbed leaving a semi-solid stool. But, when you have diarrhea, the liquids are not absorbed sufficiently. This leaves a watery bowel movement. The causes of diarrhea are the liquids not being absorbed can go from eating too much or too quickly to the colon not being healthy.
What are the underlying causes of diarrhea? When you eat, food is turned into a liquid form in your stomach. As it goes through the intestines, the moisture is mostly absorbed leaving a semi-solid stool. But, when you have diarrhea, the liquids are not absorbed sufficiently. This leaves a watery bowel movement. The causes of diarrhea are the liquids not being absorbed can go from eating too much or too quickly to the colon not being healthy.

What are the most common causes of chronic diarrhea? Viruses can be a leading contributor. Some common strains include the Norwalk virus, cytomegalovirus, viral hepatitis and herpes simplex. For children, the rotovirus is a leading cause of acute cases. Any diarrhea caused by a viral infection can be spread easily. Bacteria and parasites can also be causes of diarrhea. This is very common when traveling in developing countries. It has gained the name of the traveler’s diarrhea or Montezuma’s revenge. Many medicines can cause diarrhea. Antibiotics are common diarrhea causes since they kill both good and bad bacteria. When the bacteria balance is disturbed, it can cause diarrhea. Over use of laxatives can also cause chronic diarrhea.

What are some other causes of diarrhea? When someone is lactose intolerant, this can lead to watery stools. Fructose intolerance is a common cause especially in children. Sorbitol and mannitol, common artificial sweeteners, can cause diarrhea in many people. Long term consumption of alcohol or coffee can be causes of diarrhea. After abdominal surgery, diarrhea is a common symptom during recovery. Diabetes and pancreatitis are often accompanied by diarrhea. Anxiety and stress can cause the stomach and intestines to react in funny ways. Endocrine diseases such as hyperthyroidism or Addison’s disease can be causes of diarrhea.

Other digestive disorders can be causes of severe diarrhea. Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease. The lower small intestine becomes inflamed and food is not absorbed as it should be. Ulcerative colitis is another inflammatory bowel disorder. This affects the colon with swelling and ulcers. Celiac disease is one of the causes of diarrhea. It is caused by a gluten allergy. If a person who is affected eats something with gluten, the immune system attacks the small intestine. This causes permanent damage. Irritable bowel syndrome is another one of the diarrhea causes. The cause of IBS is not fully known. Some characterize it as an overly sensitive colon. People who have had gastroenteritis often have problems with their bowels afterwards. Colon cancer is one of the rare causes of diarrhea, but should be ruled out in severe cases.

Article Source : http://www.articleseen.com/Article_The Most Common Causes of Diarrhea from Overeating to Life-Threatening and Everything In Between_11754.aspx

Author Resource :
As a top contributor to BestProbioticProducts; Andrew Behling is a leading authority on nutrition, digestive health and probiotics. Discover more about digestive health issues and how probiotics can help by visiting Andrew’s Top 10 Probiotic Product Reviews Page at BestProbioticProducts.org

Keywords : causes of diarrhea, causes of chronic diarrhea, diarrhea causes,

Category : Health and Fitness : Health and Fitness

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