Chapter 1: Clinical Overview
Diarrhoea occurs when too much water is retained in the bowel or secreted back into the bowel, making the stool too watery.
The main cause of short-term diarrhoea is:
A stomach ‘bug’ caused by a virus, parasite or bacteria. This is also known as gastroenteritis and the infection can be caught by:
Drinking unclean water
Food poisoning
Poor hygiene and sanitation, such as from someone who did not wash their hands after using the toilet, or before and after preparing food
Other causes of short-term diarrhoea are:
Change in diet
Certain foods or food ingredients
Too much alcohol
Stress
