Diarrhea is an increase in the amount of stool. The term can refer to either the frequency of the stools or to its liquid character. Diarrhea stools can have blood, mucous or food particles. Other symptoms that accompany diarrhea include bloating, abdominal pain, flatulence, and nausea. The main complication from diarrhea include dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and, in small children, irritation of the area around the anus due to the frequency of the stools.
Infectious Causes
According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, bacteria, viruses or parasites most often cause acute diarrhea. Common bacterial infections include E. coli, salmonella and shigella, which are often contracted from eating spoiled foods, uncooked meats and contaminated water. Other sources of infection include pets, for example turtles and lizards that are carriers of the salmonella microbe. Viral gastroenteritis is another cause of diarrhea in children. The most common viruses are rotavirus, which according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the leading cause of severe diarrhea.
Malabsorption
According to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital, diarrhea lasting more that seven days is called persistent diarrhea, and if it lasts more than 30 days, it is called chronic diarrhea. Malabsorption is a common cause of persistent and chronic diarrhea. Children with malabsorption lack the proper mechanisms in their gut to absorb certain nutrients, like sugars. When these nutrients accumulate in the intestine, they pull water into the gut, causing diarrhea. For example, children with lactose intolerance cannot absorb that sugar, causing diarrhea and bloating. There are other chronic conditions that can cause malabsorption, for example cystic fibrosis, in which the body cannot produce the enzymes necessary to absorb foodstuffs, producing diarrhea.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are a common cause of diarrhea in children. The diarrhea often resolves at the end of the antibiotic course. This diarrhea usually does not cause significant problems, like dehydration. Antibiotics cause diarrhea by eliminating the
“normal” flora of the gut, the bacteria that routinely populate the intestine and that help in the digestion of food. Another consequence of antibiotic use is over growth of a bacterium called C. difficile, which can cause pseudomembranous colitis, another cause of diarrhea. C. difficile is a bacterium that thrives when the other gut bacteria are eliminated by routine antibiotics, secreting a toxin that causes diarrhea.
