Diarrhea

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Medical Author:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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Medical Editor:

Bhupinder Anand, MD

• Diarrhea Overview
• Diarrhea Causes
• Diarrhea Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Diarrhea Diagnosis
• Diarrhea Treatment
• Diarrhea Self-Care at Home
• Diarrhea Medical Treatment
• Diarrhea Medications
• Diarrhea Remedies
• Diarrhea Follow-up
• Diarrhea Prevention
• Diarrhea Prognosis
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Author and Editor
• Read more on Diarrhea from Healthwise
• Viewer Comments: Diarrhea - Cause
• Viewer Comments: Diarrhea - Effective Treatments

Diarrhea Overview

Diarrhea is the frequent passage of loose, watery, soft stools with or without abdominal bloating, pressure, and cramps commonly referred to as gas. Diarrhea can come on suddenly, run its course, and be helped with home care to prevent complications such as dehydration.

• Diarrhea is one of the most common illnesses in all age groups and is second only to the common cold as a cause of lost days of work or school.
  
  
  • In the United States, each child will have experienced seven to 15 episodes of diarrhea by age 5.
    
    
  • People of all ages can suffer from diarrhea, and the average adult has approximately four episodes of acute diarrhea per year.
    
    
• Diarrhea and related complications can cause severe illness. The most significant cause of severe illness is loss of water and electrolytes. In diarrhea, fluid passes out of the body before it can be absorbed by the intestines. When the ability to drink fluids fast enough to compensate for the water loss because of diarrhea is impaired, dehydration can result. Most deaths from diarrhea occur in the very young and the elderly whose health may be put at risk from a moderate amount of dehydration.
  
  
• Diarrhea can be further defined in the following ways:
  
  
  • chronic diarrhea is the presence of loose or liquid stools for over two weeks;
    
    
  • acute enteritis is inflammation of the intestine;
    
    
  • gastroenteritis (stomach flu) is diarrhea associated with nausea and vomiting; or
    
    
  • dysentery is diarrhea that contains blood, pus, or mucus.