Intestinal Absorption Tests

Chronic abdominal bloating and gas, diarrhea or unintentional weight loss (malabsorption syndrome) may result from reduced absorption of nutrients in the small intestine due to:

• Lactose intolerance.
• Fructose malabsorption.
• Food allergies and food intolerances (Tests)
• Food poisoning, parasites, Crohn’s Disease (stool analysis and blood work results)
• Glucose or galactose malabsorption
• Fat malabsorption. Fecal fat test, D-xylose test
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Test
• Short bowel syndrome (SBS). Test

Tests for Lactose Intolerance

When you suspect dairy products cause chronic bloating and diarrhea you have, you may ask your gastroenterologist to perform hydrogen breath test. Test is described in food allergy and food intolerance tests.

continue reading Tests in Chronic Diarrhea and Bloating

Rare causes of chronic diarrhea (lasting over 3 weeks) are listed below; symptoms are added to help to recognize a cause.

Read about common causes of chronic diarrhea and causes of acute (sudden) diarrhea. 

Causes of Chronic Diarrhea in Adults

1. Diabetes

Old patients with long lasting, poorly controlled diabetes may have:

• Damage of the intestinal nerves resulting in increased speed of peristalsis and diarrhea.
• Ischemic colitis with diarrhea, blood in the stool and lower left abdominal pain.
• Damage of the nerves in the limbs resulting in tingling in hands and feet.

2. Thyroid Disease

In hyperthyroidism, excessive thyroxine stimulates bowel muscles thus shortening intestinal transit time resulting in diarrhea. Other symptoms include bumps on the front side of the neck, bulging eyes, sweating and irritability. 

continue reading Rare Causes of Chronic Diarrhea in Adults and Children

Stomach Problems Due to Chronic Infections

Stomach pain, bloating, belching, gas and diarrhea, lasting for several weeks or months may result from chronic infection by parasites, bacteria or, rarely, viruses or yeasts. There is often no fever in these infections.

Parasites 

Intestinal parasites, like giardia or intestinal worms, may cause long term loose stools with mucus or blood and abdominal bloating. Pale skin and tiredness  are due to iron-deficiency anemia caused by impaired iron absorption due to intestinal inflammation, and blood loss due to bleeding ulcers, or blood sucked by intestinal worms. Diagnosis is made by finding parasites by stool Ova & Parasites test. Treatment by anti-parasitic medications usually results in full recovery in few days. Infection may recur if it was not completely treated or if source of parasites (pets, food or water poisoning) still exists. 

continue reading Chronic Stomach and Bowel Infections – Symptoms, Treatment

ACUTE Diarrhea and Skin Symptoms

Acute, sudden onset diarrhea occurring together with skin symptoms, like itch, tingling, swelling or rash may be caused by: 

• Childhood viral infections, like measles, scarlatina, rubella, chicken pox, infectious mononucleosis
• Food allergies may cause itchy skin and urticaria (a patchy, pinkish, slightly raised bumpy or patchy rash, known as hives) - due to histamine released in the skin.
• Ciguatera fish poisoning after eating big tropical fish, like barracuda (Picture 1), amberjack, grouper, snapper, sturgeon, king mackerel or moray eel that have accumulated ciguatoxin from reef algae, mainly present in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, Hawaii, Indonesia, Micronesia or Australia (1). Symptoms – diarrhea, dizziness, lips or skin tingling and reversal of hot and cold sensation – may start from few minutes to 30 hours after fish intake, may last from several days to years (ciguatoxin is dissolved in body fats and then slowly released) and cease on their own through the time. There is no known diagnostic test and treatment for ciguatera poisoning; prevention is by avoiding eating big tropical fish.
  continue reading Diarrhea With Skin Rash, Itch, Tingling, Jaundice or Swelling

What is Eosinophilic Colitis?

Eosinophilic colitis (EC) is a rare allergic disorder of an unkown cause in which eosinophils, a special type of white blood cells, can be found in the colon. In many cases a food that triggers allergy can be identified. Both children and adults may be affected.

Disorder is a part of eosinophilic gastroenteritis that may affect only the colon, or any other part of the gastrointestinal tract from the esophagus to the rectum.

continue reading Eosinophilic Colitis

Colitis refers to inflammation of the colon (the main part of the large intestine) that usually causes abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Causes of Chronic Colitis

Collagenous and Lymphocytic Colitis

Old people between 60-80 years of age may suffer from two special types of colitis. One type is collagenous colitis with excessive amount of connective tissue (collagen) in the mucosal layer of the colon. In the another type - lymphocytic colitis - lymphocytes ( a special type ow white cells) can be found in colonic mucosa. Some researchers believe that both types represent two different phases of the same disorder.

Main symptoms in both types are watery diarrhea (without blood) and left or right side abdominal pain.

continue reading Collagenous and Lymphocytic (Microscopic) Colitis – Symptoms, Treatment

Definition of Chronic Diarrhea

Diarrhea (frequent loose bowel movements) is considered as chronic when it lasts for more than 2 weeks (1). Below is a list of main causes of chronic diarrhea with typical symptoms.

continue reading Causes of Chronic (Prolonged, Persistent, Constant) Diarrhea

Find the Cause of Diarrhea from Symptoms

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

Causes of Diarrhea in Newborns

A 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 the liver, pancreas, biliary tract, small or large intestine.

continue reading Loose Bowel Movements – Diagnosis from Medical Symptoms