How do you diagnose diarrhea?

How do you diagnose diarrhea?

For the majority of mild diarrhea cases, you won’t need medical attention. These cases are self-limited (only lasts for a fixed amount of time) and get better without medical intervention. The key to mild diarrhea is supportive therapy – staying hydrated and eating a bland diet.

More serious cases of diarrhea may require medical attention. In these situations, there are a few diagnostic tests that your provider may order. These tests can include:

• Discussing a detailed family history, as well as physical and medical conditions, your travel history, and any sick contacts you may have.
• Doing a stool test on a collected stool sample to check for blood, bacterial infections, parasite and inflammatory markers.
• Doing a breath test to check for lactose or fructose intolerance, and bacterial overgrowth.
• Doing blood work to rule out medical causes of diarrhea such as a thyroid disorder, celiac sprue and pancreatic disorders.
• Doing endoscopic evaluations of your upper and lower digestive tract to rule out organic abnormalities (ulcers, infections, neoplastic process).