What is chronic diarrhea?

Vomiting and Chronic Diarrhea — loose, watery and possibly more-frequent bowel movements — is a common problem. It may be present alone or be associated with other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or weight loss. Luckily, diarrhea is usually short-lived, lasting no more than a few days.

Vomiting and chronic diarrhea is usually short-lived, lasting no more than a few days. But when vomiting and chronic diarrhea lasts beyond a few days into weeks, it usually indicates that there’s another problem — such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or a more serious disorder, including persistent infection, celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

What are the causes of vomiting and chronic diarrhea?

Usually, vomiting and chronic diarrhea happens because of a virus that gets into your gut. Some people call it “intestinal flu” or “stomach flu.”

Other causes include:

Alcohol abuse
Allergies to certain foods
Diabetes
Diseases of the intestines (such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis)
Eating foods that upset the digestive system
Infection by bacteria (the cause of most types of food poisoning) or other organisms
Laxative abuse
Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
Radiation therapy
Running (Some people get “runner’s diarrhea” for reasons that aren’t clear.)
Some cancers
Surgery on your digestive system
Trouble absorbing certain nutrients, also called “malabsorption”

Know about the viruses that cause the vomiting and chronic diarrhea?

Viruses that can cause vomiting and chronic diarrhea include Norwalk virus (also known as norovirus), enteric adenoviruses, astrovirus, cytomegalovirus and viral hepatitis. Rotavirus is a common cause of acute childhood diarrhea. The virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has also been associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Bacteria and parasites.

Exposure to pathogenic bacteria, such as E. coli or parasites through contaminated food or water, leads to diarrhea. When traveling in developing countries, vomiting and chronic diarrhea caused by bacteria and parasites is often called traveler’s diarrhea. Clostridioides difficile (also known as C. diff) is another type of bacterium that causes diarrhea, and it can occur after a course of antibiotics or during a hospitalization.

Medications.

Many medications, such as antibiotics, can cause diarrhea. Antibiotics alleviate infections by killing bad bacteria, but they also kill good bacteria. This disturbs the natural balance of bacteria in your intestines, leading to diarrhea or a superimposed infection such as C. diff. Other drugs that cause diarrhea are anti-cancer drugs and antacids with magnesium.

What are the early symptoms of chronic diarrhea?

Signs and symptoms associated with diarrhea (loose, watery stools) may include:

Abdominal cramps or pain
Bloating
Nausea
Vomiting
Fever
Blood in the stool
Mucus in the stool
Urgent need to have a bowel movement

Complications

Vomiting and chronic diarrhea can cause dehydration, which can be life-threatening if untreated. Dehydration is particularly dangerous in children, older adults and those with weakened immune systems.

If you have signs of serious dehydration, seek medical help.

Indications of dehydration in adults

These include:

Excessive thirst
Dry mouth or skin
Little or no urination
Weakness, dizziness or lightheadedness
Fatigue
Dark-colored urine

Indications of dehydration in infants and young children

These include:

Not having a wet diaper in three or more hours
Dry mouth and tongue
Fever above 102 F (39 C)
Crying without tears
Drowsiness, unresponsiveness or irritability
Sunken appearance to the abdomen, eyes or cheeks

Preventing infectious diarrhea

Wash your hands to prevent the spread of infectious diarrhea. To ensure adequate hand-washing:

Wash frequently

Wash your hands before and after preparing food. Do this after handling uncooked meat, using the toilet, changing diapers, sneezing, coughing and blowing your nose.

Lather with soap

Lather with soap for at least 20 seconds. After putting soap on your hands, rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds. This is about as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice through.

Use hand sanitizer

when washing isn’t possible. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when you can’t get to a sink. Apply the hand sanitizer as you would hand lotion, making sure to cover the fronts and backs of both hands. Use a product that contains at least 60% alcohol.

When to see a doctor

If you’re an adult, see your doctor if:

Your diarrhea persists beyond two days with no improvement
You become dehydrated
You have severe abdominal or rectal pain
You have bloody or black stools
You have a fever above 102 F (39 C)

In children, particularly young children, diarrhea can quickly lead to dehydration. Call your doctor if your child’s diarrhea doesn’t improve within 24 hours or if your child: