Diarrhea

Diarrhea Care in Grand Rapids, MI

Diarrhea (often spelled “diarrhea” in the U.S.) is a very common problem in West Michigan, especially during winter virus season and summer food‑borne illness season. Understanding when it’s minor and when to seek care at a Grand Rapids clinic, urgent care, or hospital can help you stay safe and avoid complications like dehydration.

How the Digestive System Normally Works

Food nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine.
The remaining waste moves into the large intestine (colon or bowel), where water is removed. The resulting stool (feces) is usually:

• Firm but soft
• Moist
• Easy to pass

Stool is stored temporarily in the rectum and then passed out of the body through the anus.

What Is Diarrhea?

Diarrhea is the frequent passing of loose, watery, or unformed stools.

• Acute diarrhea: sudden onset of 3 or more loose stools per day, lasting less than 14 days
• Chronic diarrhea: loose stools that last 4 weeks or more

In Grand Rapids, acute diarrhea is often caused by:

• Viral gastroenteritis (“stomach flu”), common in fall and winter
• Food poisoning, which can be more frequent in warmer months or after eating undercooked foods at cookouts, festivals, or lake outings around West Michigan

Common Causes of Diarrhea in Grand Rapids

1. Infections (Most Common for Acute Diarrhea)

Viruses are responsible for most short-term cases. These infections irritate and inflame the intestinal lining, which:

• Reduces absorption of water
• May cause the intestine to leak fluid into the bowel

Most acute diarrhea resolves within 1–2 days.

Common infectious agents include:

• Viruses

  • Norovirus (frequent in schools, nursing homes, and long‑term care facilities in Kent County)
  • Rotavirus (especially in young children)
  • Adenovirus and other “stomach flu” viruses

• Bacteria

  • E. coli (including from undercooked meat or contaminated produce)
  • Campylobacter
  • Salmonella
  • Shigella
  • Vibrio cholerae (rare in the U.S., but can occur in travelers)

• Parasites

  • Giardia lamblia
  • Cryptosporidium parvum
  • Tapeworms and other parasites (more common after travel, camping, or drinking untreated lake or river water)

In West Michigan, contaminated food and water, person‑to‑person spread in households, schools, and care facilities, and contact with contaminated surfaces are all important causes.

2. Medications and Other Triggers

Some medicines commonly used in adults in Grand Rapids can cause diarrhea, such as:

• Antibiotics (disrupt normal gut bacteria)
• Magnesium-containing antacids
• Laxatives
• Certain medications for:
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • Arthritis
  • Immune-suppressing drugs

3. Conditions That Cause Chronic Diarrhea

If diarrhea lasts 4 weeks or longer, it may be due to an underlying medical condition, including:

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

  • Ulcerative colitis
  • Crohn’s disease

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

  • Abdominal pain, bloating, and alternating constipation and diarrhea

• Lactose intolerance

  • Inability to digest the milk sugar lactose

• Celiac disease

  • Immune reaction to gluten that damages the small intestine

• Diverticular disease

• Chronic constipation with overflow diarrhea

  • Hard, impacted stool blocks the bowel
  • Liquid stool leaks around the blockage (“spurious” or “overflow” diarrhea)
  • More common in older adults, including nursing home residents in the Grand Rapids area

• Hormone disorders

  • Diabetes
  • Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)

• Cancer

  • Especially bowel (colorectal) cancer

Symptoms of Diarrhea

Common Symptoms

• Frequent passing of loose, watery stools
• Abdominal cramps or pains
• Urgency to get to the toilet
• Bloating
• Nausea or occasional vomiting

Most cases of acute diarrhea are self‑limiting and improve within a couple of days.

Serious Symptoms – See a Doctor in Grand Rapids Immediately

Contact your doctor, an urgent care clinic, or go to the emergency department if you have:

• Fever greater than 38°C (100.4°F)
• Blood in the stool
• Pus in the stool
• Severe or worsening abdominal pain
• Painful passage of stool
• Repeated vomiting
• Inability to keep fluids down
• Little or no urination (sign of dehydration)
• Dizziness, confusion, or feeling faint
• Diarrhea lasting more than a few days, especially with weight loss
• A serious chronic condition (such as kidney or heart failure, diabetes, or cancer)

In Grand Rapids, adults with these symptoms can seek urgent care at:

• Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health) / Corewell Health urgent care centers
• Trinity Health Grand Rapids urgent care
• University of Michigan Health-West (formerly Metro Health) urgent care
• Trinity Health Grand Rapids locations in the metro area

In an emergency, always call 911 or go to the emergency department of the nearest hospital.

Diarrhea in Babies and Young Children

Diarrhea can be life‑threatening for babies and young children, because their smaller bodies become dehydrated quickly.

Warning Signs in Children

Seek immediate medical attention at a pediatric clinic, urgent care, or emergency department if your child has:

• Diarrhea and is younger than 6 months
• Dry mouth, no tears when crying
• Fewer wet diapers (or not urinating)
• Sunken eyes or fontanelle (soft spot on the head)
• Lethargy, unusual sleepiness, or irritability
• Blood in stool or black, tarry stools
• Persistent vomiting
• High fever

In Grand Rapids, parents can seek pediatric care at:

• Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
• Trinity Health Grand Rapids pediatric clinics
• University of Michigan Health-West and Trinity Health Grand Rapids pediatric practices
• Kent County Health Department clinics for guidance and referrals

Fruit juice (especially apple or pear juice) can sometimes cause or worsen diarrhea in babies and young children. Limit or avoid these drinks during diarrhea unless your pediatrician advises otherwise.

How Diarrhea Is Diagnosed

Your Grand Rapids healthcare provider may recommend:

• Medical history and symptom review

• Physical examination

• Blood tests

• Stool tests

  • To check for infection, blood, inflammation, or parasites

• Colonoscopy

  • A slender, flexible tube is inserted into the anus so the doctor can see the bowel lining
  • Often done at local endoscopy centers or hospital-based GI departments in Grand Rapids

Identifying the cause is essential for effective treatment, especially for chronic or severe diarrhea.

Treatment for Diarrhea

Treatment depends on the cause and severity, but often includes:

1. Preventing and Treating Dehydration

Staying hydrated is critical, especially during hot, humid West Michigan summers or if you’re ill during winter heating season when indoor air is dry.

• Drink plenty of fluids, such as:

  • Oral rehydration solutions (ORS)
  • Clear broths
  • Water
  • Ice chips

• Oral rehydration drinks are available from pharmacies across Grand Rapids, including Meijer, Walgreens, CVS, and local independent pharmacies.

A simple home alternative (for adults and older children, if advised by your doctor):

• Mix 1 part unsweetened pure fruit juice with 4 parts water

2. Medications

Use medications only on the advice of your doctor or pharmacist, especially in children.

• Anti-diarrheal medications (like loperamide) may be recommended for some adults

• These should not be used if:

  • You have a high fever
  • There is blood in your stool
  • Your diarrhea is caused by certain infections, as these drugs can keep the infection in your body longer

• Antibiotics may be needed if a bacterial infection is confirmed

• Anti-nausea medications may be used if vomiting is severe

3. Treating Underlying Conditions

For chronic diarrhea, your Grand Rapids provider may:

• Adjust medications that are causing diarrhea
• Treat conditions like:
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
  • Celiac disease
  • IBS
  • Hormone disorders (e.g., thyroid disease, diabetes)
  • Chronic constipation or bowel obstruction

Reducing the Spread of Infection in Grand Rapids

Most cases of acute infectious diarrhea are contagious.

How It Spreads

• Direct contact with vomit or stool from an infected person
• Touching contaminated surfaces (bathroom fixtures, doorknobs, phones, toys)
• Eating contaminated food or drinking unsafe water
• Occasionally, through tiny airborne droplets released during vomiting or severe diarrhea

Protect Yourself and Others

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water:

  • After using the toilet
  • After changing diapers
  • Before preparing or eating food
  • After caring for someone who is sick

• People caring for a sick person should be especially careful with handwashing.

• Alcohol-based hand rubs (available at pharmacies and many Grand Rapids grocery stores) can reduce the spread of infection and are often less drying to the skin, but soap and water are best when hands are visibly soiled.

Stay Home When You’re Sick

To reduce spread in the community:

• Stay home from work, school, and daycare while you have acute diarrhea and for at least 24 hours after symptoms stop, or as advised by your healthcare provider.
• Avoid visiting hospitals, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities in the Grand Rapids area while you are sick.
• Do not swim in public pools or lakes (including Lake Michigan beaches, Reeds Lake, or local splash pads) until your symptoms have fully resolved and your doctor says it’s safe.

Dietary Tips While Recovering

Short-term dietary changes can help your bowels recover. Always follow the advice of your own healthcare provider, but general suggestions include:

Foods and Drinks to Limit or Avoid

• Fatty, greasy, or fried foods
• Very sweet foods and sugary drinks (including sodas)
• Spicy foods
• Alcohol
• Large amounts of fruit juice, especially in children

Foods That May Help

• Starchy, bland foods:

  • Bananas
  • White rice
  • Toast or plain bread
  • Plain crackers

• Yogurt with live cultures (probiotics)

  • May help restore healthy gut bacteria
  • Choose low-sugar options

As you improve, gradually return to your normal balanced diet.

When to Seek Care in Grand Rapids, MI

If you need care today and it’s not life-threatening, but you cannot see your regular doctor, you can use:

• Urgent care clinics (Spectrum/Corewell, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, and University of Michigan Health-West)
• Walk-in clinics at many primary care offices
• Telehealth/virtual visits with local providers

For general health questions, you can also contact:

• Your primary care doctor / primary care provider
• Your local pharmacist
• Kent County Health Department or Grand Rapids Public Health resources for community health information and referrals

In an emergency (severe pain, signs of severe dehydration, confusion, chest pain, or difficulty breathing), call 911 or go to the emergency department of the nearest hospital.

Key Points About Diarrhea in Grand Rapids

• The most common cause of acute diarrhea is an intestinal infection such as gastroenteritis or food poisoning.

• Symptoms typically include frequent passing of loose, watery stools, often with cramps and urgency.

• Seek medical care immediately if you have serious symptoms such as:

  • Fever above 38°C (100.4°F)
  • Blood or pus in the stool
  • Severe pain, repeated vomiting, or signs of dehydration

• Babies and young children are at high risk of dehydration and need prompt medical attention if they develop diarrhea.

• Diarrhea can spread easily from person to person, and through contaminated food, water, and surfaces—good hand hygiene and staying home while sick are essential to protect your family and the Grand Rapids community.