diarrhea
Sign in to saveDiarrhea (American English), also spelled diarrhoea or diarrhœa (British English), is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements in a day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin with loss of the normal stretchiness of the skin and irritable behaviour. This can progress to decreased urination, loss of skin color, a fast heart rate, and a decrease in responsiveness as it becomes more severe. Loose but non-watery stools in babies who are exclusively breastfed, however, are normal.
AI overview
Diarrhea is a condition characterized by having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements in a day, and it typically lasts for a few days. It matters because it can cause dehydration—a loss of body fluids that may lead to serious symptoms like loss of skin elasticity, decreased urination, and in severe cases, a fast heart rate and reduced responsiveness.
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Key facts
- Medical condition (new).treatment
- Oral rehydration solution, zinc supplementation
- Medical condition (new).frequency
- ≈2.4 billion (2015)
- Medical condition (new).deaths
- 1.53 million (2019)
- Medical condition (new).name
- Diarrhea
- Medical condition (new).synonyms
- Diarrhoea (or diarrhœa)
- Medical condition (new).image
- Multiple rotavirus particles.jpg
- Medical condition (new).caption
- An electron micrograph of rotavirus, the cause of nearly 40% of hospitalizations from diarrhea in children under five
- Medical condition (new).field
- Infectious disease, gastroenterology
- Medical condition (new).symptoms
- Loose frequent bowel movements, dehydration
- Medical condition (new).causes
- Usually infection (viral, bacterial, parasitic)
- Medical condition (new).risks
Article
37 sectionsContents
- Terminology
- Definition
- Secretory
- Osmotic
- Exudative
- Inflammatory
- Dysentery
- Health effects
- Causes
- Infections
- Sanitation
- Nutrition
- Malabsorption
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Other diseases
- Medications
- Pathophysiology
- Evolution
- Diagnostic approach
- Epidemiology
- Prevention
- Sanitation
- Hand washing
- Water
- Vaccination
- Nutrition
- Breastfeeding
- Others
- Management
- Fluids
- Eating
- Medications
- Alternative therapies
- See also
- References
- External links
Diarrhea (American English), also spelled diarrhoea or diarrhœa (British English), is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements in a day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin with loss of the normal stretchiness of the skin and irritable behaviour. This can progress to decreased urination, loss of skin color, a fast heart rate, and a decrease in responsiveness as it becomes more severe. Loose but non-watery stools in babies who are exclusively breastfed, however, are normal.
thumb|What is diarrhea? How is it caused, treated and prevented? (see also Wikipedia:VideoWiki/Diarrhea|script)The most common cause is an infection of the intestines due to a virus, bacterium, or parasite—a condition also known as gastroenteritis. These infections are often acquired from food or water that has been contaminated by feces, or directly from another person who is infected. The three types of diarrhea are: short duration watery diarrhea, short duration bloody diarrhea, and persistent diarrhea (lasting more than two weeks, which can be either watery or bloody). The short duration watery diarrhea may be due to cholera, although this is rare in the developed world. If blood is present, it is also known as dysentery. A number of non-infectious causes can result in diarrhea. These include lactose intolerance, side effect of drug withdrawal, irritable bowel syndrome, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis, hyperthyroidism, bile acid diarrhea, and a number of medications. In most cases, stool cultures to confirm the exact cause are not required.