Although the condition typically doesn't last more than a few days, some bacterial infections may cause it to persist for a few weeks, increasing your risk of potentially serious complications. Factors that determine the length of time you experience diarrhea include your level of stress, the bacteria triggering the condition, your immune health and the health of your gut microbiome.
Diarrhea occurs when your body releases more water than normal with your stool, flushing the food and fluids rapidly through your digestive tract. Although the time food takes to digest varies from person to person, it normally takes between six and eight hours from the time you eat food until it reaches your small intestines. From there it travels to the large intestines and is finally eliminated. The average transit time is between 33 and 47 hours, depending upon age, sex and the type of food eaten.1
Although uncomfortable and sometimes messy, diarrhea has a specific function. In the past, scientists believed it was a method of flushing out unwelcome bacteria from your gut more quickly, and thus lessening the symptoms of illness you may suffer. Researchers have sought to determine the biological mechanism. Study lead contact Dr. Jerrold Turner, from Brigham and Women's Hospital, commented:
"The hypothesis that diarrhea clears intestinal pathogens has been debated for centuries. Its impact on the progression of intestinal infections remains poorly understood. We sought to define the role of diarrhea, and to see if preventing it might actually delay pathogen clearance and prolong disease."
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