What should I do if I have gas in my abdomen and also have diarrhea?

If you experience abdominal bloating accompanied by diarrhea, you should seek medical attention promptly. Since you have diarrhea, a stool test is necessary. This test helps differentiate between infectious and non-infectious diarrhea. The presence of red or white blood cells—or occult blood—in the stool suggests an underlying organic disease.

If white blood cells predominate in the stool sample, infectious diarrhea is more likely—especially if symptoms developed acutely and recently. Such infectious diarrhea may be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites. Targeted treatment—including antiviral, antibacterial, or antiparasitic therapy—can effectively resolve the diarrhea.

Another category of diarrhea shows no significant abnormalities on stool examination. This type is often associated with functional gastrointestinal disorders—or diseases affecting other organs beyond the gastrointestinal tract. Examples include functional diarrhea, diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D), hyperthyroidism, or diabetes mellitus—all of which can cause diarrhea despite normal stool test results.

In such cases, targeted antidiarrheal therapies—such as agents that modulate intestinal motility, restore gut microbiota balance, or adsorb toxins and excess fluid—may be effective. Importantly, concurrent management of the underlying condition remains essential.