Diarrhea
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Diarrhea: Food Poisoning or Infection?
Medical Author: Jay W. Marks, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr, FACP,
FACR
Food poisoning is a general term that refers to gastrointestinal illnesses
(usually diarrhea and/or
vomiting) caused by food that is contaminated with
bacteria, parasites, viruses, or toxic substances. The actual cause of most individual
episodes of food poisoning,
however,
never is pursued (for example, a culture is not done) since most episodes are mild
or moderate in severity and are over in a few hours to a few days. In fact, the
diagnosis of food poisoning usually is made only
presumptively, based on the patient's symptoms and the circumstances. Even in
outbreaks of suspected food poisoning that involve many people, when careful studies
are done, a specific cause is found no more than half of the time.
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. It is estimated that there are almost
218 million cases of acute diarrhea per year in adults in the US.
- In the United States, each child will have had seven to 15 episodes of
diarrhea by age five.
- People of all ages can suffer from diarrhea, and the average adult has a
episode of acute diarrhea approximately four times per year.
- In the United States, each child will have had seven to 15 episodes of
diarrhea by age five.
- Diarrhea and related complications can cause severe illness. The most significant cause of severe illness is loss of water and salts (electrolytes). In diarrhea, fluid passes out of the body before it can be absorbed in the intestines. When the ability to drink fluids fast enough to compensate for the water lost with 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 is diarrhea associated with
nausea and vomiting; or
- dysentery is diarrhea that contains blood, pus, or mucus.
- chronic diarrhea is the presence of loose or liquid stools for over two
weeks;
Next: Diarrhea Causes »
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Diarrhea - Effective Treatments
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Diarrhea »
Acute diarrhea is defined as the abrupt onset of abnormally high fluid content in the stool (more than the normal value of approximately 10 mL/kg/d).
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