Diarrhea — Diagnosis & Treatment in Okeechobee, FL

Diarrhea means passing loose, watery stools more often than usual. A short bout — often caused by a stomach virus or something you ate — usually clears up on its own within a few days. But diarrhea that lasts longer than two weeks, keeps coming back, or comes with blood, pain, or weight loss is not something to ignore. It can signal an infection, inflammation, a food intolerance, or a chronic digestive condition. At Gastro in Florida in Okeechobee, Dr. Vikram Tarugu finds the cause of persistent diarrhea and treats it, rather than only slowing the symptoms.

Symptoms

Diarrhea itself is the main symptom, but it often comes with others that help identify the cause:

Frequent, urgent, loose or watery bowel movements
Abdominal cramping or pain
Bloating or gas
Nausea or vomiting
Blood or mucus in the stool
Fever, fatigue, or unintentional weight loss

Dehydration is a real risk with ongoing diarrhea, especially for older adults and children. Signs include dry mouth, dizziness, dark urine, and feeling unusually tired — these mean you should seek care promptly.

Causes and risk factors

Acute diarrhea is most often caused by viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections, including food poisoning and travel-related illness. Chronic diarrhea — lasting more than four weeks — has different causes: irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, lactose intolerance, bile acid problems, chronic pancreatitis, and certain medicines. Recent antibiotic use can disturb the gut’s normal bacteria and trigger diarrhea, and thyroid or diabetes problems can also play a role. A careful history — including travel, medicines, diet, and family history — narrows down the likely causes.

How we diagnose it at Gastro in Florida

Diagnosis starts with your history, how long symptoms have lasted, and a physical examination. Stool studies can detect infection, inflammation, and blood, and blood tests can check for anemia, thyroid problems, and celiac disease markers. When diarrhea is chronic, bloody, or accompanied by weight loss or anemia, a colonoscopy examines the colon directly and takes small tissue samples to check for inflammation, microscopic colitis, or other disease. An upper endoscopy may be used when celiac disease or an upper digestive cause is suspected. All procedures are performed in our office endoscopy suite in Okeechobee with sedation for your comfort.

Treatment options

Treatment depends on the cause. Infections are treated once identified, while chronic conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease need longer-term management plans and follow-up. Dietary changes — such as avoiding lactose or gluten when those are the triggers — help many patients, and your doctor can advise on fluids and nutrition to prevent dehydration while you recover. General medicines that slow bowel movements may help short-term symptoms, but they are not a substitute for finding the cause, especially if there is blood or fever. This page is general education only; your treatment plan should be based on your own evaluation.

When to see a specialist

See a gastroenterologist if diarrhea lasts more than two weeks, keeps returning, or comes with blood in the stool, black stools, severe abdominal pain, fever, or weight loss. Seek urgent care right away for vomiting blood, black or bloody stools, severe pain, fainting, signs of dehydration, or diarrhea after recent antibiotics or hospitalization. Children and older adults with ongoing diarrhea should be evaluated sooner rather than later.

For diarrhea diagnosis and treatment in Okeechobee, call Gastro in Florida at (863) 824-3447 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Vikram Tarugu.

Patients from Sebring, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, and across Central Florida visit our Okeechobee office for diarrhea evaluation, and same-day appointments are available when symptoms are urgent or include blood or dehydration.