Misdiagnosis of Underlying Causes of Diarrhea

About underlying conditions: With a diagnosis of Diarrhea, it is important to consider whether there is an underlying condition causing Diarrhea. These are other medical conditions that may possibly cause Diarrhea. For general information on this form of misdiagnosis, see Underlying Condition Misdiagnosis or Overview of Misdiagnosis

Underlying conditions list: The list of possible underlying conditions mentioned in various sources for Diarrhea includes:

Simple reasons for diarrhea include:
- Anxiety
- Stress
Some common reasons for acute diarrhea include:
- Infectious diarrhea
- Gastroenteritis
- Viral gastroenteritis
- Traveler's diarrhea
- Bacterial bowel infection
- Parasitic bowel infection
- Food poisoning
Food poisoning - usually causing acute diarrhea rather than chronic diarrhea
Some digestive infections causing acute diarrhea:
- Infectious diarrhea
- Gastroenteritis
- Viral gastroenteritis
- Traveler's diarrhea
- Rotavirus - common cause of acute childhood diarrhea
- Bacterial bowel infection
- Parasitic bowel infection
- Giardia lamblia
- Entamoeba histolytica
- Cryptosporidium
- Trichinosis
- Dysentery
- Bacillary dysentery
Rectal conditions
- Constipation - a blockage can cause only watery feces output
- Fecal impaction
Digestive disorders that may cause chronic diarrhea include:
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Crohn's disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Celiac disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Diabetic Diarrhea
- Food intolerance
- Lactose intolerance
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Celiac disease
- Sprue
- Ulcerative colitis
- Lactase deficiency
- Food allergy
- Malabsorption disorders
- Pancreas disorder
- Bowel cancer
- AIDS-related diarrhea
- Bowel cancer
- Cystic fibrosis
- Diverticular disease
Infections
Other possible causes of chronic diarrhea include:
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Fecal incontinence - may appear like diarrhea although strictly speaking it is not actually diarrhea.
- Stomach surgery
- Gastrectomy
- Gall bladder removal surgery
- Thyroid disorder
- Hyperthyroidism - may cause continuous or chronic diarrhea.
- Pancreatic disorder
- Chronic pancreatitis
- Carcinoid syndrome
- Chronic lung disease
- Radiation therapy
- Diabetes
- Chemotherapy
- Kwashiorkor
- Certain medications
Some causes of green diarrhea (green stool) include:
- Salmonella - can cause greenish stool (usually diarrhea)
- Giardia - can cause greenish stool (usually diarrhea)
See also causes of symptoms diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, or stool symptoms

Diarrhea as a complication: Other conditions that might have Diarrhea as a complication might be potential underlying conditions. The list of conditions listing Diarrhea as a complication includes:

Diarrhea as a symptom: Conditions listing Diarrhea as a symptom may also be potential underlying conditions:

Last revision: Nov 11, 2003

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