Gastroenterology

Persistent diarrhea with unintended weight loss is a red flag because it can quickly cause dehydration and dangerous electrolyte shifts, malnutrition and muscle loss, and may point to infections, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, pancreatic or thyroid problems, or even cancer. Doctors take this seriously and often recommend prompt evaluation with labs, stool studies, imaging or endoscopy, and urgent care for high fever, severe pain, blood in stool, marked dehydration, or rapidly worsening weight loss. There are several factors to consider; see details and next steps below.

Mouth ulcers with diarrhea can point to systemic conditions affecting both mouth and gut, most commonly celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis), Behçet’s disease, and also nutrient deficiencies, infections, or medication side effects. Because red flags like ulcers lasting longer than three weeks, diarrhea beyond two weeks, blood in stool, weight loss, fever, severe abdominal pain, or signs of dehydration may require prompt medical care, there are several factors to consider. See below for key clues, when to test, and treatment options that could influence your next steps.

Pain with bowel movements can come from inflammation, not just strain. There are several factors to consider; see below to understand more. Common causes include anal fissures, hemorrhoids, proctitis, IBD, infections, and perianal abscess or fistula, and warning signs like pain lasting more than a few days, bright red bleeding, discharge, fever, or severe tearing pain should prompt medical care, with diagnosis steps, effective treatments, self-care tips, and urgent action points outlined below.

Rectal bleeding is not always hemorrhoids; other causes include anal fissures, diverticulosis, inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal polyps or cancer, and even upper gastrointestinal bleeding or varices in people with liver disease. There are several factors to consider, like the color and amount of blood and warning signs such as heavy bleeding, black or maroon stools, clots, dizziness, or severe pain that require urgent care; for guidance on home care, when to go to the ER, and which tests and treatments to expect, see below.

Clinicians focus on this symptom pair because it often points to intestinal involvement in the right lower quadrant, raising concern for appendicitis, infectious enterocolitis, or Crohn’s disease, where early diagnosis can be the difference between simple medical therapy and urgent surgery. There are several factors to consider, including red flags, recommended tests, and when to seek urgent care; see below for complete details that could change your next steps.

Many people confuse ulcerative colitis and IBS because their symptoms overlap, start at similar ages, and come and go; however, UC is an inflammatory disease with red flags like bloody stools and high fecal calprotectin, while IBS is a functional disorder with normal tests. There are several factors to consider to get the right diagnosis and next steps, including stool testing and colonoscopy and knowing when to seek care; see the complete details below, which could change what you do next.

Ulcerative colitis is a true inflammatory bowel disease that causes bloody diarrhea, weight loss, systemic symptoms and elevated inflammatory markers, confirmed by colonoscopy and treated with anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive medicines, while IBS is a functional condition with non-bloody stool changes, pain often eased by bowel movements, normal tests, and diet and symptom-targeted therapy. There are several factors to consider, including red flag features that need prompt medical evaluation and different long-term risks such as colorectal cancer surveillance in UC but not IBS; see below for the key symptoms, diagnostic tests, treatment options, and next steps.

Urgent diarrhea occurs when the gut moves contents too fast, pulls extra water into the stool, and the inflamed rectum becomes hypersensitive, creating a sudden, intense urge that overpowers normal sphincter control. There are several factors to consider; see below for key causes, at home steps like hydration and appropriate OTC meds, and the red flags that mean you should seek care now, especially with severe pain, fever, blood, symptoms beyond 48 hours, or if you have chronic illness or lower immunity.

Key tests include stool calprotectin or lactoferrin to detect intestinal inflammation and stool cultures including C. difficile, blood work such as CBC, CRP, and ESR, and, if inflammation is suspected or symptoms persist, colonoscopy with biopsy as the gold standard, with MR or CT enterography to assess small bowel involvement; a normal fecal calprotectin makes IBD very unlikely. There are several factors to consider. See below for important details on alternative causes to rule out like celiac and thyroid disease, when imaging or capsule endoscopy is useful, and red flag symptoms that should prompt urgent care.

There are several foods that commonly worsen symptoms: high FODMAP and insoluble fiber items like raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and seeds; trans fat and ultra-processed foods; red and processed meats; and dairy if you are lactose intolerant. Sugary drinks and sweets, caffeine and alcohol, spicy foods, and certain additives such as sorbitol, mannitol, and MSG can also trigger diarrhea, gas, and cramping, especially during flares. There are several factors to consider; see below for specific examples, safer swaps during flares, tips to find your personal triggers, and when to contact a clinician.

If cramps and diarrhea last more than 2 to 4 weeks or keep coming back, it is often more than a simple bug, with causes like IBS-D, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, SIBO, bile acid diarrhea, pancreatic insufficiency, and liver-related problems. There are several factors to consider; see below for urgent red flags, the step-by-step tests doctors use, and proven treatments and self-care tips that can guide your next move.

The one detail that changes everything is your hemodynamic stability (stable vs unstable); instability with dizziness, fainting, low blood pressure, fast heart rate, or large-volume bright red or maroon blood requires urgent care, while stable cases can often proceed with prompt outpatient evaluation such as colonoscopy. There are several factors to consider. See below to understand red flags, common causes, special considerations in cirrhosis, and what tests and treatments to expect so you can choose the right next step.

Doctors typically first rule out hemorrhoids and anal fissures for bright red bleeding, then consider diverticular bleeding, colitis infectious or inflammatory, colorectal polyps or cancer more likely after age 45 or with alarm features, medication related bleeding, and upper GI sources when stools are black. There are several factors to consider; see below for the stepwise evaluation, key symptoms that change urgency, which tests to expect, and how these details may guide your next steps.

Bowel urgency is a sudden, hard to delay need to pass stool with worry about not reaching a toilet, often seen in IBS, IBD, or infections, while frequent bowel movements means going more than usual, typically over three times a day, usually with better control and often due to diet changes, intolerances, or medications. There are several factors to consider. See below to understand more, including red flags like blood or weight loss and how tailored treatments differ by cause, which could affect your next steps and when to seek care.

There are several factors to consider: people often ignore bright red blood in stool by assuming hemorrhoids, feeling embarrassed, normalizing intermittent bleeding, fearing a serious diagnosis, or facing cost and access barriers. Any red blood merits evaluation because causes range from fissures and hemorrhoids to polyps, cancer, IBD, infections, diverticular disease, and angiodysplasia; seek care urgently with heavy bleeding, dizziness, abdominal pain, fever, weight loss, fatigue, or week-long bowel changes. See below for the full list of causes, red flags, and what tests and treatments can help prevent complications and catch cancer early.

Sneaky early signs of Crohn’s disease include intermittent loose stools or cramping, urgency or tenesmus, subtle rectal bleeding, unexplained fatigue with low-grade fever or night sweats, appetite loss and mild weight loss, mouth or anal sores, and extraintestinal symptoms like joint pain, skin rashes, or eye irritation. There are several factors to consider. See below for the complete list of symptoms, risk factors, red flags, and the next steps that can impact your care, including how to track symptoms, which labs to request, when to contact a gastroenterologist, and when to seek urgent care.

After you eat, the gastrocolic reflex and digestive hormones increase colon activity; when this response is exaggerated or malabsorption is present, food can seem to flip a switch and cause urgent watery stools. Common culprits include IBS-D, bile acid malabsorption, SIBO, celiac disease, dumping after stomach surgery, pancreatic enzyme insufficiency, and certain medications, with infections or IBD also possible. There are several factors to consider, including red flags like blood in stool, weight loss, fever, severe pain, dehydration, or jaundice that need urgent care; see below for the full list of causes, tests, and treatments that could change your next steps.

There are several factors to consider: morning diarrhea often reflects an exaggerated gastrocolic reflex or IBS-D and can be driven by stress and the morning cortisol surge, late or high-fat meals, caffeine or artificial sweeteners, certain drugs or supplements, infections, thyroid disease, IBD, and rarely liver disease. See below for the specific red flags that need prompt care such as blood in stool, high fever, significant weight loss, dehydration, or jaundice, plus practical fixes like earlier lighter dinners, limiting caffeine, stress management, medication review, targeted probiotics, and when to get stool, blood, breath tests or scopes to guide your next steps.

There are several patterns to consider: inflammation is suggested by blood or mucus in stool, nighttime or early-morning urgency that wakes you, and weight loss or fever; IBS tends to cause morning diarrhea tied to waking or meals with abdominal pain relieved by bowel movements and no alarm features; diet triggers show a predictable link to recent foods within about 6 to 8 hours, especially high FODMAPs, lactose or sugar alcohols, caffeine, or late fatty meals. See below for a quick pattern checklist, red flags that mean seek care, simple home steps such as a food-symptom diary and a brief low FODMAP trial, and when tests like fecal calprotectin or colonoscopy are warranted.

Once diarrhea reaches 2 weeks, it is considered persistent and you should stop waiting and arrange a medical evaluation; seek urgent care sooner for red flags such as dehydration, fever above 102 F, blood or black stools, severe abdominal pain, or notable weight loss. There are several factors to consider. See below to understand home-care steps, when to set a 10 to 14 day limit, which tests and diagnoses your clinician may pursue, and other details that can shape your next steps.