Diarrhea. If you’re sitting on the grass and something’s coming out your… No wait, we won’t.

If you can remember primary school (or currently have a child there), you’ll know that there are a plethora of nursery rhymes to describe the less-than-ideal feeling in your bowels that diarrhea gives us. But while unpleasant, the humble d-word is extremely common – every year, the average adult will experience it at least once.

But the fact that it’s common doesn’t make it any better. So when you do get about the runs, what’s causing it? Is it contagious? And what can you eat?

What causes diarrhea?

If you’ve had loose, watery bowel movements three or more times in a given day, you’ve got diarrhea. But even before many of us frequent the toilet, we know we’ve got it. A sore, crampy tummy, a burning feeling ‘down there’, and the need to get to the loo as quickly as humanly possible are all signs that we’ve got the back door trots. These symptoms may also be accompanied by other just as unpleasant ones, for example, fever, bloating, nausea, dizziness, and even vomiting.

When you’ve got the runs, the first thing you want to do is blame someone! But in reality, it’s often hard to know what causes diarrhea. Diarrhea can be either acute or chronic, and each type can be caused by different things. More on each below.

Acute diarrhea

Acute diarrhea is the type of diarrhea that only lasts for a few days. It often clears on its own with no medical intervention necessary. Acute diarrhea can be caused by a number of different factors, including:

Food intolerance or a food allergy

If you get the runs after eating, it could be caused by food intolerance. One particular intolerance that’s known to cause diarrhea in certain people is lactose intolerance. If you’re lactose intolerant, your body is unable to break down lactose (a type of natural sugar). Lactose can cause a host of tummy issues, including, but not limited to, bloating, gas and diarrhea. If you’re experiencing issues about 30 minutes to a few hours after drinking milk or having other dairy products, you should consider this as a potential cause.

Another food intolerance that causes diarrhea is gluten. Found in many bread and pasta, gluten that can’t break down causes much the same symptoms as lactose.

Many other foods can cause diarrhea too, including caffeine, salicylates (found in almonds, apples, berries, and cucumbers), amines (found in pineapples, bananas, vegetables, red wine, chocolate, and citrus fruits), sulfites (found in baked goods, soup mixes, canned vegetables, jams, and gravies) and fructose (found in fruits, vegetables, and honey).

So, unfortunately, if you’ve got food-related diarrhea, it can be quite hard to figure out from what!

A reaction to the medication

Medication is also another common cause of diarrhea. According to health agency Medline Plus, just about any medicine can cause diarrhea as a side effect. Some are more likely to cause diarrhea though, and these are:

• Laxatives: By and large, laxatives are meant to cause diarrhea, however, abusing them can lead to severe diarrhea that just won’t go away.
• Antibiotics: Antibiotics can cause diarrhea as they allow a type of bacteria called Clostridium difficile to grow in your gut. This can lead to severe, watery, and even bloody diarrhea.
• Chemotherapy medications: Those used to treat cancer often cause diarrhea.
• Heartburn medication: Many different types of heartburn and stomach ulcer medication can cause diarrhea.

Immunosuppressants, anti-inflammatories, and medicines used to treat diabetes can also cause diarrhea, although it’s less likely.

Infection

Infection is another likely cause of diarrhea. The infection can be viral (making it contagious!), bacterial or parasitic. Here’s everything you need to know about both:

• Viral infections (a.k.a contagious diarrhea): The most common viral infection to cause diarrhea – one that we’ve all experienced and loathed – is viral gastroenteritis, otherwise known as ‘gastro’ or the ‘stomach flu.’ Highly contagious, this type of virus is spread through person-to-person contact. In other words, if the sick person had the virus on their hands, all you’d need to do is shake hands with them or use their pen to catch it! Other viruses such as the norovirus and the rotavirus (common in children, although there’s a vaccine available) can cause diarrhea.
• Bacterial infections: Bacterial diarrhea, otherwise known as food poisoning, is another common cause of diarrhea that can be quite severe. Bacteria that cause diarrhea include Campylobacter, Escherichia coli (commonly called E. coli), Salmonella, and Shigella. Of these, E.coli and salmonella infections are the most common, and if left untreated, can lead to hospitalisation from intense vomiting, dehydration, and diarrhea. Not fun!
• Parasitic infections: You’ve probably heard of gastro and food poisoning. But a parasite infection?! While less common in the developed world, parasites can make their way into our guts and cause all kinds of nasty symptoms, including diarrhea. If you’ve been traveling to a country with poor sanitation and less-than-ideal water, you could have what’s called a giardia infection – an intestinal infection caused by a microscopic parasite. Many visitors to Bali mistakenly believe they have this type of infection when they contract ‘Bali Belly’ – an upset tummy notorious on the island. However, research shows that Bali Belly is most commonly caused by exotic foods and too much alcohol consumption – a combination that is also likely to cause diarrhea!

Gallbladder or stomach surgery

If you’ve recently had surgery on your stomach or gallbladder, this may cause some discomfort, including diarrhea, but it should only be temporary.

Pregnancy or an impending visit from Aunty Flo

Diarrhea can also be caused by the shifting hormones of pregnancy and also, to a lesser extent, in a week or so before you get a visit from Aunty Flo. Again, this type of diarrhea is temporary and should resolve on its own.

Chronic diarrhea

While acute or temporary diarrhea is usually nothing to worry about, diarrhea that simply won’t go away, called ‘chronic diarrhea,’ can sometimes be a sign of something more serious. Here are the leading causes of chronic diarrhea:

Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome, otherwise known as IBS, is one of the leading causes of chronic diarrhea. Symptoms of IBS include tummy cramps and consistent changes in your bowel habits (you may experience diarrhea, constipation, or both).

Inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel diseases come in many varieties, unfortunately, but the most common ones are ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. These conditions can develop when the body’s immune system attacks your digestive system, causing chronic diarrhea, as well as other symptoms such as blood in your number twos. If you’ve developed any of these conditions, you may already know – Crohn’s disease is usually diagnosed before the age of 30, and ulcerative colitis is usually, although not always, genetic.

Endocrine disorders

Endocrine disorders, such as hyperthyroidism or diabetes, can also cause chronic diarrhea.

Does toilet paper spread diarrhea bacteria?

You got the ‘feeling.’ You went to your porcelain throne. Oh yes – it’s confirmed. You’ve definitely got diarrhea. And now, you’ve got an idea of what might be causing it.

So your next concern is naturally – how can I stop the infection from spreading? Here’s everything you need to know about the bacteria in your diarrhea and how to stop it in its tracks:

Does diarrhea contain harmful bacteria?

Regardless of whether you have diarrhea or not, your poo contains a lot of bacteria: the average stool has 100 billion bacteria per gram! A lot of that bacteria is harmless, but much of it isn’t. This is particularly true if your diarrhea is caused by a virus – you can easily spread your illness if you’re not careful. Wiping the bacteria around your bottom area with toilet paper can also lead to secondary infections, such as urinary tract infections, among others.

How do I avoid spreading the bacteria or a virus in my diarrhea??

If you’ve got the runs, it’s (unlikely, at least) that you want to pass them on. There are two ways to ensure you avoid this. Firstly, make sure you give your hands an extremely thorough wash with soap following your d-word incident. And secondly, consider a bidet. Bidets can help you feel and stay fresh as well as bacteria-free down there.

What should I eat when I have diarrhea?

If you’ve got diarrhea, eating is probably the last thing on your mind. But maybe a few hours have gone by since the incident, your tummy is starting to grumble and you’re wondering what your best options are?!? In no particular order, they are:

BRAT Foods

It’s advice as old as the hills but it’s still as true as ever: BRAT foods (banana, white rice, applesauce, and toast), are the best foods you can eat if you’ve got diarrhea. This is because all of these foods are low in fiber, so they’ll help make your number twos a little bit harder.

Bananas can also be particularly good for restoring the potassium your body’s lost.

Don’t like BRAT foods? That’s okay, you can also try baked potatoes, baked chicken, or oatmeal.

Salty and sweet foods

When you have diarrhea, you naturally get quite dehydrated, so it’s important to replace your body’s water and the nutrients you lose. And one of the best ways to do this is to eat some salty and sweet foods.

This is because salt can help slow down fluid loss, and sugar helps your body absorb salt, making it a perfect combination.

If you’re taking this approach, stick to plain foods though: some chicken soup and pretzels should do it!

Probiotics

Probiotics – a vitamin supplement that contains live bacteria – can help you recover more quickly from diarrhea. Probiotics help replace the bacteria that’s been lost from your intestinal tract, meaning you’ll recover faster.

Many yoghurts naturally contain probiotics, but it’s generally to steer clear of these as dairy can irritate your tummy after you’ve been unwell.

So is diarrhea contagious?

By now, you probably know that yes – you can blame that pesky diarrhea on someone around you. But you can also easily spread it (or give yourself a secondary infection). So remember if you are sick, take care of yourself – wash your hands thoroughly and use a bidet if you have one, so you reduce the chance of infecting yourself or others.

Want to feel cleaner, fresher, and reduce the risk you’ll spread diarrhea? Consider getting a bidet today!