Diarrhea

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is also called loose motions or it is the passing of watery stools more than three times a day. It is not itself a disease, but can be a symptom of several diseases. Diarrhea means there are frequent, loose or liquid stools. There may abdominal pain, which may reduce after a stool is passed.
Diarrhea can either be:

• Acute Diarrhea that comes on suddenly for a short time, and lasts for five to 10 days
• Chronic Diarrhea that lasts for more than two weeks or for a long period of time.

If you have diarrhea for long periods of time, it may very troubling and you may feel very weak and tired.
Diarrhea causes dehydration. Children are more likely than adults to die from diarrhea because they become dehydrated more quickly. It is also a major cause of child malnutrition.
You may recover complete from diarrhea within three to seven days. One out of every ten people with cancer may suffer from diarrhea at some time during their illness. If the diarrhea lasts more than three weeks, it is considered chronic.

Why is Diarrhea Dangerous?

Diarrhea causes rapid reduction of water and sodium - both of which are necessary for life. If the water and salts are not replaced fast, the body starts to "dry up" or get dehydrated. If more than 10% of the body's fluid is lost death occurs.