Types of diarrhoea
Which type of diarrhoea do you have?
Diarrhoea can affect anyone, causing discomfort and disruption to your daily routines.
There are two types of diarrhoea: acute and chronic. The symptoms for both are basically the same: frequent passing of loose, watery stools, which may be accompanied by abdominal pain, cramps or bloating. The difference lies in the duration of the symptoms.
Acute diarrhoea
Acute diarrhoea is sudden and short-lived – it’s often over in 1 to 5 days. In most cases you can deal with this kind of diarrhoea with a diarrhoea treatment like IMODIUM®, which helps to stop diarrhoea fast, helping restore your digestive system to its normal rhythm and minimising the amount of disruption to your day.
Chronic diarrhoea
Chronic diarrhoea is more persistent or recurring. It may not happen every day but unlike acute diarrhoea, it keeps coming back and never seems to clear up. Chronic diarrhoea can leave you weak and dehydrated and may be a symptom of an underlying medical condition and should be investigated by your GP.
When your digestive system is working normally, food and fluid pass from the stomach into the small intestine and then into the colon. The small intestine and colon are lined with cells, which absorb the nutrients and water that the body needs. The rest of the food and water then pass through the body, in the form of stools.
When these cells become irritated, the normally slow, wavelike movement of the intestines can become overactive, moving food and fluids through the colon too quickly, so less is absorbed by the body. This results in watery stools – better known as diarrhoea.
To find out more, visit our Causes of diarrhoea and What is Diarrhoea sections.
Acute diarrhoea can be caused by lots of different things. Here are some of the main causes:
- Viral or bacterial infection
- Allergy or intolerance to certain foods
- Eating too much rich or spicy food
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Stress
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Menstruation
- Norovirus
Many people find that diarrhoea comes with other unpleasant symptoms, such as stomach cramps, wind and bloating. These are caused by excess gas in the gut. IMODIUM® Plus has an added ingredient to tackle this, as well as treating the diarrhoea, so it provides a more complete relief than other IMODIUM® products. IMODIUM® Plus is available in easy to swallow caplets.
| Acute Diarrhoea |
The term diarrhoea is used when stools are passed more than three times a day and when the stools become loose or watery. In acute diarrhoea, symptoms come on suddenly but usually clear up within 5-10 days. |
| Chronic Diarrhoea |
Chronic diarrhoea is used to describe symptoms that last longer than four weeks. |
| Stools |
Also known colloquially as ‘poo’; this is the solid waste matter that passes through the rectum, in the form of bowel movements. Stools are made up of undigested food, bacteria, mucus, and dead cells. |
| Abdominal |
Relating to the abdomen. Also known as the belly, this is the part of the body that lies between the chest and the pelvis. The abdomen contains organs such as the stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum, and bladder. |
| Bloating |
Bloating is often associated with the abdomen, when intestinal gasses can make it feel full and tight. |
| Dehydration |
When the body loses an excessive amount of water. Prolonged vomiting or diarrhoea can lead to dehydration, as can heat exposure, prolonged vigorous exercise. |