Everyone occasionally has diarrhea — loose, watery and more-frequent bowel movements. You might also have abdominal cramps and produce a greater volume of stool. The duration of diarrhea symptoms can provide a clue to the underlying cause.

Acute diarrhea lasts from 2 days to 2 weeks. Persistent diarrhea lasts 2 to 4 weeks. Acute and persistent diarrhea are typically caused by a bacterial, viral or parasitic infection of some sort.

Chronic diarrhea lasts longer than does acute or persistent diarrhea, generally more than four weeks. Chronic diarrhea can indicate a serious disorder, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, or a less serious condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Causes

Acute or persistent diarrhea causes may include:

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (or other medication side effects)
Artificial sweeteners
C. difficile infection
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Cryptosporidium infection
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection
E. coli
Food intolerances
Food poisoning
Fructose intolerance
Giardia infection (giardiasis) (or other infections causes by parasites)
Lactose intolerance
Norovirus infection
Medicines, such as antacids containing magnesium and some cancer treatments
Rotavirus
Salmonella infection (or other infections that may occur from bacteria)
Shigella infection
Stomach surgery
Traveler’s diarrhea
Chronic diarrhea causes may include:

Celiac disease
Colon cancer
Crohn’s disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Irritable bowel syndrome
Medications used to treat heartburn, such as proton pump inhibitors and H-2 receptor antagonists
Radiation therapy
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
Ulcerative colitis (a type of inflammatory bowel disease)
Whipple’s disease
Some infections, such as giardia or C. difficile infection, may lead to chronic diarrhea if not treated.

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