The causes of diarrhea
Diarrhea is an intestinal problem that involves one or more of the following 3 mechanisms. Sometimes they are present simultaneously.
- a lack of absorption by the intestines of the liquid contained in the stool;
- an accelerated intestinal transit, which prevents the drying out of faeces;
- an abnormal passage of water and mineral salts from the body through the wall of the intestines.
Causes of diarrhea in intestinal diseases
When bowel disease is involved, the diarrhea is often chronic.
Here are the most common causes:
- food poisoning (for example, poultry infected with salmonella or meat contaminated with Escherichia coli bacteria);
- viral gastroenteritis;
- stress or anxiety;
- taking antibiotics: it alters the intestinal flora, and thus reduces the absorption capacity of the intestinal wall. Antibiotics cause diarrhea in 5-30% of users, depending on the type of antibiotic consumed;
- chronic intestinal disease: celiac disease (gluten intolerance), Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, etc. ;
- lactose intolerance;
- hyperthyroidism.
Note that cholera can cause losses of 10 liters of diarrhea per day. However, it is very rare in industrialized countries.
La turista, traveler’s diarrhea
We colloquially call “tourista” all infectious diarrhea contracted during a trip.
Every year, 20-50% of travelers experience it. The destinations at risk are Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Ingestion of food or water contaminated with bacteria is the main cause. That said, when travelling, the stress of adventure, fatigue, jet lag and disrupted eating habits can also trigger diarrhea.
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