Loose stool
Loose stool: Introduction
Loose stool is usually a form of diarrhea
and many conditions causing loose stool will be listed under diarrhea.
It may also be related to watery stool (also within the spectrum of diarrhea).
Medically, the definition of diarrhea usually includes loose stool or watery stool,
and similarly, hard stool is really a form of constipation.
.
» Review Causes of Loose stool:
full list
Causes of Loose stool:
The following medical conditions are some of the possible
causes of Loose stool.
There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor
about your symptoms.
See full list of 212
causes of Loose stool
» Review Causes of Loose stool:
full list
Loose stool: Symptom Checker
Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Loose stool, as listed in our database.
Visit the Symptom Checker,
to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.
Symptom Checker
Symptom Checker
See full list of 2199
Symptom Checker combinations related to Loose stool
Loose stool Treatments
Review information on Loose stool Treatments.
Loose stool: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers
Products, offers and promotion categories available related to Loose stool:
Causes of General Symptom Types
Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:
Research the causes of related medical symptoms such as:
Causes of Similar Symptoms to Loose stool
Research the causes of these symptoms that are similar to, or related to, the symptom Loose stool:
Diagnostic Guides for Loose stool
Medical Books Excerpts
Read excertps from published book sections related to Loose stool
from the following published medical books
for more detailed information about Loose stool.
Free access (no registration): read all online diagnostic book sections about Loose stool
Medical Books Excerpts
- DIARRHEA
- "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Diarrhea
- "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Diarrhea
- "A Pocket Manual of Differential Diagnosis" (1999)
- [ read ]
- Constipation
- "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Diarrhea
- "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Rectal pain
- "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Constipation
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter" (2000)
- [ read ]
- Diarrhea
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter" (2000)
- [ read ]
- Diarrhea
- "Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Diarrhea
- "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Rectal pain
- "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Constipation
- "The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Diarrhea
- "The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Diarrhea
- "Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms" (2007)
- [ read ]
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
Loose stool: Undiagnosed Conditions
Conditions that are commonly undiagnosed in related areas may include:
Hospitals & Clinics: Loose stool
Research extensive quality ratings and patient safety measures
for hospitals, clinics and medical facilities in health specialties related to Loose stool:
Research Hospital & Clinic Quality Ratings » »
Loose stool: Research Related Doctors & Specialists
Other ways to find a doctor, or use doctor, physician and specialist online research services:
Misdiagnosis and Loose stool
Chronic digestive conditions often misdiagnosed: When diagnosing chronic symptoms
of the digestive tract, there are a variety of conditions that may be...read more »
Intestinal bacteria disorder may be hidden cause: One of the lesser known causes of diarrhea
is an imbalance of bacterial in the gut, sometimes called intestinal imbalance.
The digestive system...read more »
Antibiotics often causes diarrhea: The use of antibiotics are very likely
to cause some level of diarrhea in patients.
The reason is that antibiotics kill off not only "bad"...read more »
Food poisoning may actually be an infectious disease: Many people who come down
with "stomach symptoms" like diarrhea assume that it's "something I ate" (i.e. food poisoning).
In fact, it's more likely to be an infectious diarrheal illness (i.e. ...read more »
Mesenteric adenitis misdiagnosed as appendicitis in children: Because appendicitis is one of the
more feared conditions for a child with abdominal pain, it can be over-diagnosed
(it can, of course, also fail to be diagnosed with fatal effect).
One of the most...read more »
Celiac disease often fails to be diagnosed cause of chronic digestive symptoms: One of the most common chronic digestive
conditions is celiac disease, a malabsorption...read more »
Chronic digestive diseases hard to diagnose: There is an inherent
difficulty in diagnosing the various types of chronic digestive diseases.
Some of the better known possibilities are peptic ulcer, ...read more »
Read more about Misdiagnosis and Loose stool
Loose stool: Related Rare Diseases
Rare types of medical conditions and diseases in related medical categories:
Diagnostic tests for Loose stool:
Various tests are used in the diagnosis of Loose stool. Some of these are listed below :
- Physical examination
- Abdominal examination for tenderness and a mass - e.g. a mass in the right lower abdomen may suggest bowel cancer or diverticulitis; a mass on right, left or upper abdomen may also suggest bowel cancer; tenderness in the left lower abdomen, with or without a significant mass may suggest ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis or irritable bowel syndrome.
- Xamine rectum for hemorrhoids and anal fissure that may be causing a positive occult blood test
- Examine for signs of systemic diseases that may cause loose stools - e.g. tremor and increased heart rate of hyperthyroidism; considerable flushing of carcinoid syndrome; hyperpigmentation of the skin in Addison's disease; and dermatitis and dementia of pellagra.
- Blood tests
- Full blood count and ESR, Electrolytes and thyroid function tests if systemic disease is suspected to be the cause of diarrhea
- more tests...»
See full list of 22
diagnostic tests for Loose stool
Diagnosis Checklist: Questions your doctor may ask (and why!)
During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in their assessment of Loose stool.
Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing
your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information
you can share with your doctor about your symptoms may help them with their diagnosis.
Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:
- How long have you had loose stools? - to determine if acute or chronic. Acute loose stools (without blood) is more likely to be infectious in nature e.g. staphylococcal toxin food poisoning, giardiasis, traveler's diarrhea, a virus or contaminated food. Chronic loose stools have a large number of causes.
- How frequent are the stools? - the symptom diarrhea may be defined in a number of different ways. Some people complain of frequent stool (more than 3 per day being abnormal) or they may complain of a change in the consistency of the stools which have become loose or watery.
- What is the volume of the loose stools? - e.g. high volume stools may be suggestive of infection (such as E.Coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio Cholerae), carcinoid syndrome, bowel polyp, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, magnesium antacids, lactose intolerance or after gastric surgery; small volume stools may suggest inflammatory bowel disease or colon cancer.
- What is the nature of the stools? - e.g. fatty, pale colored, extremely smelly stools that float in the toilet and are difficult to flush away is called steatorrhea due to excess fat in the stool and are characteristic of malabsorption of nutrients which may be due to celiac disease, chronic pancreatitis, previous gastrectomy and cystic fibrosis.
- Does the loose stools persist on fasting? - may suggest an infection (such as E.Coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide secreting tumor, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, carcinoid syndrome and villous bowel polyp.
- more questions...»
See Diagnosis Checklist for Loose stool (17
listings)
Diagnosis Checklist: Associated symptoms your doctor may ask about (and why!)
Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse
your condition.
The symptoms your doctor may ask about (in association with Loose stool) may include:
- Blood in the stool? - If acute loose stools, may suggest Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter jejuni, ulcerative colitis and amebic dysentery. If chronic loose stools, may suggest ulcerative colitis, bowel cancer, diverticulitis, amoebiasis, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.
- Mucous in stool? - suggests ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
- Fever? - may suggest Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter jejuni and ulcerative colitis, severe amoebic dysentery or pseudomembranous colitis. May get a low grade temperature with traveler's diarrhea and toxic staphylococcal gastroenteritis.
- Severe vomiting? - may suggest toxic staphylococcal gastroenteritis (which follows 2-4 hours after eating food poisoned with the toxin), traveler's diarrhea and viral gastroenteritis.
- Alternating loose stools and constipation, abdominal bloating, abdominal pain that is relieved by opening the bowels or passing wind? - may suggests irritable bowel syndrome.
- more symptoms...»
See Diagnosis Checklist for Loose stool (17
listings)
Home Diagnostic Testing and Loose stool
Home medical tests possibly related to Loose stool:
- Colon & Rectal Cancer: Home Testing
- Food Allergies & Intolerances: Home Testing:
- Digestive-Related Home Testing:
- more tests...»
Stories from Users for Loose stool
Real-life user stories relating to Loose stool:
Symptom specific forums:
The following patient stories in our interactive forums and message boards
relate to Loose stool or relevant symptoms:
Videos for Loose stool
People with inflammatory bowel disease often face surgery. New techniques can speed recovery and reduce post-operative discomfort. Meet an...
Diarrhea usually goes away on its own, but in some cases medication and other forms of treatment are necessary. What are the options? Join our panel...
Diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome today is often simpler than it has been in the past. Doctors used to focus on ruling out other diseases and...
Some people with vague digestive symptoms needlessly suffer in silence believing there is no treatment. Abdominal discomfort, bloating, and either...
See full list of 25 related videos
Patient Surveys for Loose stool
Causes of Loose stool listed in Disease Database:
Other medical conditions listed in the Disease Database as possible
causes of Loose stool as a symptom include:
See full list of 212
causes of Loose stool
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Medications or substances causing Loose stool:
The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible
causes of Loose stool as a symptom.
Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using,
including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.
See full list of 8
medications causing Loose stool
Definitions of Loose stool:
A condition of frequent and watery bowel movements.
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Organs affected by Loose stool:
The list of organs typically affected by Loose stool may include, but is not limited to:
Detailed list of causes of Loose stool
The list below shows some of the causes of Loose stool mentioned in various sources:
See full list of 212
causes of Loose stool
How Common are these Causes of Loose stool?
This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases,
not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of Loose stool.
Of the 212
causes of Loose stool that
we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:
- 4
causes are "very common" diseases
- 5
causes are "common" diseases
- 2
causes are "uncommon" diseases
- 0
causes are "rare" diseases
- 19
causes are "very rare" diseases
- 186
causes have no prevalence information.
See the analysis of the prevalence of 212
causes of Loose stool
Conditions listing symptoms: Loose stool:
The following list of conditions
have 'Loose stool' or similar
listed as a symptom in our database.
This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete.
Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause
of any symptom.
A
Amebiasis
... loose stoolAmoebiasis
... loose stoolAutoimmune thyroid disease associated Celiac Disease
... Loose stoolB
Blastocystis hominis
... loose stoolC
Celiac Disease
... loose stoolChemical poisoning - Chlorophyll
... loose stoolCholestasis, progressive familial intrahepatic 2
... loose stoolCholestasis, progressive familial intrahepatic 3
... loose stoolCollagenous celiac disease
... Loose stoolD
Diabetic Diarrhea
... Loose stoolDiarrhea
... loose stoolDientamoeba fragilis
... Loose stoolsDown's syndrome associated Celiac Disease
... Loose stoolI
Intestinal pseudo-obstruction
... loose stoolO
Oesophagostomiasis
... loose stoolP
PFIC
... loose stoolPsychiatric disorders associated Celiac Disease
... Loose stoolR
Refractory Celiac Disease
... Loose stoolS
Steatorrhea
... loose stoolSusceptibility to Celiac Disease 1
... Loose stoolSusceptibility to Celiac Disease 10
... Loose stoolSusceptibility to Celiac Disease 11
... Loose stoolSusceptibility to Celiac Disease 12
... Loose stoolSusceptibility to Celiac Disease 13
... Loose stoolSusceptibility to Celiac Disease 2
... Loose stoolSusceptibility to Celiac Disease 3
... Loose stoolSusceptibility to Celiac Disease 4
... Loose stoolSusceptibility to Celiac Disease 5
... Loose stoolSusceptibility to Celiac Disease 6
... Loose stoolSusceptibility to Celiac Disease 7
... Loose stoolSusceptibility to Celiac Disease 8
... Loose stoolSusceptibility to Celiac Disease 9
... Loose stoolSystemic Capillary Leak Syndrome
... loose stoolT
Traveler's diarrhea
... loose stoolTurner syndrome associated Celiac Disease
... Loose stoolType 1 diabetes related Celiac Disease
... Loose stoolU
Urinary tract infections
... loose stoolUrinary tract infections (child)
... loose stoolW
William's syndrome associated Celiac Disease
... Loose stool
Join in at the forums
Ask or answer a question about symptoms or diseases at one of our
free interactive user forums.
Medical story forums: If you have a medical story then we want to hear it.
See a list of all the medical forums
Causes of Loose stool Based on Risk Factors
This information shows analysis of the list of causes of Loose stool based
on whether certain risk factors apply to the patient:
Travel - has the patient travelled recently?
Diabetes - history of diabetes or family history of diabetes?
Doctors and specialists: Who should I consult about Loose stool?
Depending on the seriousness of the onset of Loose stool, you may want to consult one of the following medical professionals.
Important:In extreme cases, always seek advice from emergency services :
What are the alternative names for Loose stool:
Diarrhoea, Diarrhea
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Classifications of Loose stool:
Medical Conditions associated with Loose stool:
Diarrhea (1887 causes), Stool symptoms (2234 causes), Digestive symptoms (4367 causes), Abdominal symptoms (3099 causes), Bowel incontinence (1916 causes), Bowel problems (2317 causes), Bowel movements (2120 causes)
Symptoms related to Loose stool:
Diarrhea (1887 causes), Stool symptoms (2234 causes), Watery stool (51 causes), Constipation (535 causes), Bowel motion symptoms, Diahorrea, Infectious diarrhea, Gastroenteritis (7 causes), Viral gastroenteritis, Traveler's diarrhea, Rotavirus
Medical articles on signs and symptoms:
Doctor-patient articles related to symptoms and diagnosis:
These general medical articles may be of interest:
See full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
News Archives for Loose stool
Medical news articles related to Loose stool include:
Source: HealthDay News
Evidence Based Medicine Research for Loose stool
Medical research papers related to Loose stool include:
Research More Evidence-Based Medicine at TripDatabase.com
More Ways To Research Medical Signs and Symptoms:
» Next page: Causes of Loose stool
Rate This Website
What do you think about the features of this website?
Take our user survey and have your say:
Website User Survey
Medical Tools & Articles:
Next articles:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Forums & Message Boards
- Ask or answer a question at the Boards:
