Diarrhea has so many causes including parasitic worms living inside your intestines.
Ewwww! But that’s highly preferable to cancer, right?
Should you fear cancer every time you have diarrhea?
A Little Bit About Parasites in the Intestines
Intestinal parasites are relatively uncommon in the U.S. compared to developing countries, but millions are still affected.
The CDC reports that infections like pinworm, Giardia and tapeworms occur, with pinworm being the most frequent in kids.
Giardia causes about 1.2 million U.S. cases annually (CDC, 2023).
Adults in the U.S. may be at higher risk for intestinal parasites if they frequently travel internationally, consume undercooked meat or contaminated water, garden without gloves or neglect handwashing.
Close contact with infected kids, poor food hygiene and exposure to untreated recreational water also increase susceptibility to infection.
Causes of Diarrhea After Food Intake
Are you struggling with having to run to the loo with diarrhea after having something to eat? This is called post-prandial diarrhea.
Is diarrhea your only new symptom?
If diarrhea is the only problem you’ve been having — in other words, no stomach pain, no nausea, no fatigue, no unexplained weight loss — you might still be wondering if diarrhea can ever be the only symptom of colon cancer.
Whitney Jones, MD, a gastroenterologist, addresses that topic.
Orange Diarrhea?
The normal color of stools, even very loose ones, is some shade of brown.
It’s normal if they have a greenish appearance. This can reflect recent food intake.
It can also reflect swift transit through the colon. Again, this is normal.
What may be concering, though, is if diarrhea is orange.
Edward Paredez, MD, a gastroenterologist, discusses several serious causes.
