DIARRHEA
Diarrhea
has many causes ranging from infection to lactose intolerance
to medications. Diarrhea means having many loose stools
in the course of a day, and passing a lot of stool.
The important question to ask yourself is: does it have
BLOOD, or not? BLOODY DIARRHEA may be bright red,
maroon, or tarry black depending on how digested the blood
is when it leaves your body.
If
you think there may be blood in your stool, consult your
doctor, and DO NOT use drugs like Imodium, Pepto-Bismol
or Kaopectate as these may cause more harm than good.
Also call your doctor if you feel light-headed, weak, or
are urinating less than usual as these are signs of dehydration.
Diarrhea
can be caused by viruses, bacteria, and parasites (like
Giardia, pictured to your right, and Ascaris worms, seen
to your left. This young boy took the medicine which
killed the ascaris worms causing them to get stuck on their
way out of his bowel). Food poisoning (food that contains
enough of a bacterial or parasite to cause illness) is a
very common cause of diarrhea. Click
here for a list of the latest foods that have been found
to be contaminated.
Other
causes of diarrhea include medications (e.g., magnesium
and aluminum antacids), alcohol, lactose intolerance, certain
foods, and of course, laxatives. Diseases like Irritable
Bowel Syndrome, Crohn's Disease and
Ulcerative Colitis can also cause diarrhea, as can some
diseases that affect the entire body.
