Change in bowel habit

This is more to do with long-term changes in bowel habit rather than say sudden-onset diarrhoea or sudden-onset constipation

Epidemiology

Differential Diagnosis

• Large bowel: colon cancer, IBD, diverticulitis
• Diarrhoea: irritable bowel syndrome, toddler's diarrhoea, diet-related, gastroenteritis
• Malabsorption: Coeliac disease

Clinical and Associated Features

• Colon cancer - alternating diarrhoea and constipation, weight loss, blood in stools, tiredness
• IBD - as for cancer above, really.
• Diverticulitis - left iliac fossa, mucus, profuse red blood, anaemia from chronic bleeding, abdominal mass
• Gastroenteritis - diarrhoea, fever, nausea, vomiting, tiredness
• IBS - diarrhoea, nausea, diagnosis of exclusion
• Toddler's diarrhoea - diarrhoea, rarely red eye (by 'rarely', I mean 'never')
• Coeliac disease - diarrhoea, failure to thrive, steatorrhoea (floaty, smelly, fatty stools), abdominal distention, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, apthous ulcers, mineral deficiencies (iron, folate, vitamin K, vitamin D, calcium), rashes (dermatitis herpetiform), peripheral neuropathy, oedema