Epidemiology and frequency distribution
30% of all Germans suffer from diarrhoea once a year. According to estimates, this affects about 4 billion people worldwide. About 7.5 million people die of it, especially children.
Other poisonings (intoxications) are also possible. Metals such as copper or mercury should be considered here. But also poisonous mushrooms come into consideration in this regard.
Furthermore, allergies to certain foods are conceivable as diarrhoea triggers.Another cause of diarrhea can be chronic inflammatory bowel disease. These include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These diseases are characterized by a recurring or constant inflammation of the intestinal mucosa.
Certain forms of cancer (tumor) can also cause diarrhea. The same applies to the frequently occurring irritable bowel syndrome, which is a functional disorder of bowel activity. Furthermore, diarrhoea can be caused by hormonal changes.
These include, for example, an overactive thyroid, which results in a general increase in metabolism, or hormone-releasing cancer cells. In addition, diseases with disturbed absorption of food components in the intestine (malabsorption) cause diarrhoea, as do diseases with disturbed splitting of food during digestion (maldigestion). Malabsorption diseases include gluten intolerance (celiac disease or celiac sprue) or lactase deficiency. Maldigestive diseases are caused, among other things, by an impaired function of the pancreas (pancreatic insufficiency), since the substances (enzymes) required for splitting food are not produced. The most common causes of acute diarrhea include pathogens, their toxins and drugs.
What pathogens are there that can cause diarrhea?
In general, one can distinguish between bacterial, viral, parasitic and opportunistic erectors. The latter are a group of pathogens that only cause symptoms when the immune system is severely weakened. bacteria: Viruses: parasites: special parasites (worms): opportunists:
- Campylobacter jejuni (most common)
- Salmonella
- Shigellen
- Cholera
- E. -Coli (e.g. EHEC)
- Yersinia
- Typhoid
- Clostridia (antibiotic-associated)
- (very rare: Tropheryma whipplei)
- Noro viruses
- Rota viruses
- Amoebas
- Lamblia
- Askaries
- Toxocaria
- Enterobiosis pathogen
- Trichinodes
- Taenia infections
- Ancylostomatidosis pathogen
- Dyphyllobothriasis pathogen
- CMV
- Cryptococcus
- Microspirodias
- Cryptospirodia
- Isosporidia
- Aspergilla
