Definition & symptoms
Chronic diarrhea is watery or liquid stool that has persisted beyond four weeks. Passage of watery or liquid stool may or may not be bloody.
There are two different types of chronic diarrhea. The first is fatty/malabsorptive diarrhea. This occurs when your body is improperly digesting and absorbing fats in your diet. This can be due to a low amount of pancreatic enzymes or small intestine disease. Abnormal digestive pancreatic enzymes levels can be due to chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, trauma, and malignancy. Small bowel disease may also impair absorption of fats. Small bowel diseases that can lead to diarrhea include celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, Whipple’s disease, tropical sprue, and eosinophilic gastroenteritis.
The second type is watery diarrhea. Carbohydrate malabsorption can lead to watery diarrhea. Conditions included in this include intolerance to lactose, sorbitol, or fructose, antibiotic induced diarrhea, and certain medications.
Infections and inflammation can also lead to diarrhea. Viral or bacterial gastroenteritis typically is considered an acute diarrhea and resolves with supportive care. Parasitic infections such as giardia can lead to chronic diarrhea. Irritable bowel syndrome, thyroid disorders, and uncontrolled diabetes mellitus may also result in alterations in bowel habits.
Risk factors
There may be many causes, but some risk factors for developing chronic diarrhea include travel, a family history of a diarrhea related gastrointestinal illness such as inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease, or environmental exposures.
Diagnostics
Treatment
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