What causes diarrhea for a week with no other symptoms? Diagnosis, prevention, and treatment

Overview: What causes diarrhea for a week with no other symptoms?

Most people will have a bout with diarrhea now and then. It typically goes away in a few days. What causes diarrhea? The simple answer is that diarrhea occurs when the intestines either do not absorb enough water or secrete too much water. In some cases, stools are watery when the intestines move stuff out too quickly. Any of these results in watery or loose stools. A simple way to tell if you genuinely have diarrhea is that your stools are watery enough that they’ll take the shape of any container they’re put in. Diarrhea is usually not a good thing, but a few days of it are usually nothing to worry about unless stools are very watery, bloody, or there are other symptoms like fever, severe abdominal pain, or dehydration symptoms. It’s also concerning if it doesn’t go away for a week or more. If diarrhea lasts for a week or more, it’s time to see a doctor. 

What causes diarrhea for a week with no other symptoms?

Diarrhea for a week with no other symptoms causes include gastrointestinal infections, digestive system problems, medicines, and sometimes just eating the wrong foods. However, the most common cause of acute diarrhea is an infection, particularly viral infections. 

Many of these causes could have other symptoms in some people while having only diarrhea symptoms in other people. In some cases, other symptoms will be caused by the diarrhea itself such as dehydration or malnutrition.

If diarrhea goes on for a week or more, it’s likely the body is having problems absorbing or digesting foods such as:

• Lactose intolerance, fructose intolerance, or other carbohydrate absorption problems

• Too much non-absorbable sugar alcohols in the diet such as sorbitol or mannitol added as artificial sweeteners in foods, sports drinks, or liquid medications

• Food poisoning

• Malabsorption of bile acid or excess bile acid (bile acid diarrhea)

• Short bowel syndrome

• Long-term consequences of surgery such as gastric bypass surgery or removing part of the bowel

The gut may be reacting to something you’re eating:

• Food allergies

• Gluten intolerance

• Alcohol

• Caffeine

• Celiac disease

Other potential causes of diarrhea for a week with no symptoms include:

• Infections such as viral infections, bacterial infections (such as traveler’s diarrhea), or parasitic infections 

• Medication side effects

• Laxative use

• Use of magnesium-based antacids regularly

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Other causes of persistent or chronic diarrhea are usually accompanied by other symptoms, such as blood or pus in the stools. These include inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), tumors, appendicitis, colitis, and hormone problems such as thyroid dysfunction.

Risk factors for diarrhea

As most people know, everyone is at risk for acute diarrhea. Fortunately, it goes away in a few days. A few risk factors make it more likely:

• Daycare and school attendance

• Hospital stays

• Foreign travel (especially to developing countries)

• Low income

• Dairy consumption

• Allergies

Poor hygiene and poor food preparation also raise the risk of contracting an infection that causes diarrhea.

Is diarrhea for a week with no other symptoms serious? When to see a doctor

If diarrhea lasts for more than seven days, talk to a healthcare provider. As the diarrhea continues, there is a risk of complications such as dehydration, malnutrition, weight loss, electrolyte problems, and anemia. Persistent diarrhea may also be a symptom of a more serious problem.

If diarrhea for a week with no other symptoms becomes diarrhea for a week with other symptoms like blood in the stools, unintentional weight loss, fever, or chills, then don’t hesitate to get medical help.

Go to an emergency room if there are any signs of severe dehydration such as excessive thirst, dry mouth, dry eyes, very little urine output, dizziness, flushing, fatigue, light-headedness, and mental changes like confusion or disorientation. Dehydration is a real danger for young children since they can more rapidly dehydrate compared to adults.

How is diarrhea diagnosed?

The goal of diagnosis is to determine the cause of persistent diarrhea. First off, the healthcare professional has to determine if a person has diarrhea. Some people understand “diarrhea” to mean problems such as incontinence or urgency. The first questions will usually involve what diarrhea looks like and how many bowel movements are taken per day. 

If there are no other symptoms, the healthcare provider will want a thorough medical history. Expect to answer questions like:

• When did you first have loose stools?

• How many days has this been going on?

• Have you been traveling recently? Where?

• Have there been any periods where stools are normal?

• Are you taking any medications?

• What are you eating?

• What medical conditions do you have?

• Do you have any other gastrointestinal complaints?

A physical examination helps the doctor determine if dehydration is a problem. It will also offer clues as to the cause. A stool test will be needed to identify any infection. 

If there are any indications of a more serious health problem, the healthcare provider may need to perform a blood test or examine the colon tissues by performing a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. 

Is diarrhea contagious?

If diarrhea is due to an infection, then that infection can be spread to other people. The usual route is through ingestion of fecal matter either by eating contaminated food, drinking contaminated water, or getting your hands contaminated and then either touching food or touching your mouth. The best way to prevent a digestive system infection is to wash your hands regularly, use hand sanitizer, and prepare foods carefully.

Is diarrhea curable?

Acute diarrhea is treatable, but certain conditions that cause it may not be curable. Bacterial infections and parasitic infections are usually successfully treated with antibiotics or antiparasitic medications. Viral infections usually need to play themselves out, but most viral infections of the gut resolve.

In other cases, acute diarrhea can be cured by avoiding the cause such as certain foods and medications.

If the cause cannot be determined or treated, diarrhea can be managed with over-the-counter antidiarrheal medications like Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate) or prescription antidiarrheals. The preferred treatment is loperamide, a synthetic opioid that slows down the colon and allows stools to gain bulk. 

The most pressing issue when treating diarrhea is managing dehydration. In cases of severe diarrhea, people may need to be put on intravenous fluids to recover. That’s pretty uncommon, though. Most people can recover lost fluids and avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids until diarrhea improves.

How to prevent diarrhea

It’s not always possible to prevent diarrhea. Infections can spread easily. Sometimes bad or contaminated food ends up on your plate. However, the risk can be minimized by practicing a few safety measures:

• Wash your hands frequently

• Use hand sanitizer regularly

• Wash food before preparing it

• Cook food to adequate temperatures to kill foodborne pathogens

• Keep your unwashed hands away from your face and any food you eat

• Avoid unnecessary use of laxatives

• Avoid magnesium-based antacids

• Eat only a moderate amount of sugar alcohol

• Drink alcohol in moderation

• Familiarize yourself with side effects before taking over-the-counter or prescription medications

FAQs about diarrhea for a week with no other symptoms

What cancers cause diarrhea?

Some cancers can cause diarrhea, but they will usually have other symptoms besides diarrhea. These include colon cancer, lymphomas, pancreatic cancer, and some types of cancers that affect hormone glands.

What viruses cause diarrhea for a week?

Viral infections are the most common cause of diarrhea throughout the world. The most common gastroenteritis viral infections are caused by norovirus, but other common pathogens include rotavirus, sapovirus, and astrovirus. Many of these viruses spread very quickly in daycares or schools. Often viral diarrhea has other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.

What foods can cause diarrhea for a week?

Two types of foods can cause diarrhea. First, there are contaminated foods. Either they contain a foodborne pathogen or a poison. The most common offenders include raw foods, unwashed foods, dairy products, meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood. The second type are foods that cause problems in the digestive tract either because of allergies, food intolerances, or poor absorption. The most familiar are dairy products, gluten-containing foods, and foods that have non-absorbable sugar alcohols like sorbitol. Caffeine and alcohol are also associated with diarrhea in some people.

What’s next? Additional resources for people with diarrhea for a week with no other symptoms

Test and diagnostics

• Acute diarrhea in adults, American Family Physician

• Diagnosis of diarrhea, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK-NIH)

• Diarrhea, StatPearls

• Diarrheal diseases—acute and chronic, American College of Gastroenterology

Treatments

• Acute diarrhea in adults, American Family Physician

• Diarrhea treatment and medications, SingleCare

• Lomotil vs. Immodium: Differences, similarities, and which is better for you, SingleCare

Scientific studies and clinical trials

• Risk factors for diarrhea among children in industrialized countries, Epidemiology

More information on related health conditions

• E. coli treatments and medications, SingleCare

• IBS treatments and medications, SingleCare