Diarrhea
Diarrhea has many causes, from viral illness to medication side effects to chronic bowel conditions. The first goal is to identify red flags and prevent dehydration.
Symptoms
Symptoms include loose stools, urgency, cramps, and sometimes fever or nausea.
Causes and risk
Infection, food intolerance, antibiotics, IBS, inflammatory bowel disease, and other causes are possible.
How it is evaluated
We review stool frequency, blood, fever, travel, exposure, medicines, and how long symptoms have lasted.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the cause and may include hydration, diet changes, symptom relief, stool testing, or referral.