When you have diarrhea, your bowel movements (or stools) are loose and watery. It’s common and usually not serious.
Many people get diarrhea a few times a year. It normally lasts 2 to 3 days. Some people get it more often. It could be because they have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or other conditions.
Usually, 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
- Medications
- 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”
Diarrhea may also follow constipation, especially for people who have irritable bowel syndrome.
