Sign or Symptom
diarrhea
di·ar·rhe·a [ dahy-uh-ree-uh ]
Subclass of:
Signs and Symptoms, Digestive
Etymology:
Greek dia = through + rhoia = a flow
Also called:
Dysentery; The runs
Definitions related to diarrhea:
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Abnormally increased frequency of loose or watery bowel movements.Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2021
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An increased liquidity or decreased consistency of FECES, such as running stool. Fecal consistency is related to the ratio of water-holding capacity of insoluble solids to total water, rather than the amount of water present. Diarrhea is not hyperdefecation or increased fecal weight.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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Frequent and watery bowel movements.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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Frequent, watery bowel movements.U.S. FDA GlossaryU.S. Food & Drug Administration, 2021
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Increased liquidity or decreased consistency of feces, such as running stool; fecal consistency is related to the ratio of water-holding capacity of insoluble solids to total water, rather than the amount of water present; diarrhea is not hyperdefecation or increased fecal weight.CRISP ThesaurusNational Institutes of Health, 2006
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Diarrhea is loose, watery stools (bowel movements). You have diarrhea if you have loose stools three or more times in one day. Acute diarrhea is diarrhea that lasts a short time. It is a common problem. It usually lasts about one or two days, but it may last longer. Then it goes away on its own. Diarrhea lasting more than a few days may be a sign of a more serious problem. Chronic diarrhea -- diarrhea that lasts at least four weeks -- can be a symptom of a chronic disease. Chronic diarrhea symptoms may be continual, or they may come and go. The most common causes of diarrhea include Bacteria from contaminated food or water; Viruses such as the flu, norovirus, or rotavirus. Rotavirus is the most common cause of acute diarrhea in children.; Parasites, which are tiny organisms found in contaminated food or water; Medicines such as antibiotics, cancer drugs, and antacids that contain magnesium; Food intolerances and sensitivities, which are problems digesting certain ingredients or foods. An example is lactose intolerance.; Diseases that affect the stomach, small intestine, or colon, such as Crohn's disease; Problems with how the colon functions, such as irritable bowel syndrome. Some people also get diarrhea after stomach surgery, because sometimes the surgeries can cause food to move through your digestive system more quickly...MedlinePlusU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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A disorder characterized by an increase in frequency and/or loose or watery bowel movements.Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse EventsU.S. National Institutes of Health, 2021
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Stool is 60 to 90% water. In Western society, stool amount is 100 to 200 g/day in healthy adults and 10 g/kg/day in infants, depending on the amount of unabsorbable dietary material (mainly carbohydrates). Diarrhea is defined as stool weight > 200 g/day. However, many people consider any increased stool fluidity to be diarrhea....Merck & Co., Inc., 2020
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Acute diarrhea is defined as the abrupt onset of 3 or more loose stools per day. The augmented water content in the stools (above the normal value of approximately 10 mL/kg/d in the infant and young child, or 200 g/d in the teenager and adult) is due to an imbalance in the physiology of the small and large intestinal processes involved...WebMD, 2019
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Diarrhea, abnormally swift passage of waste material through the large intestine, with consequent discharge of loose feces from the anus. Diarrhea may be accompanied by cramping. The disorder has a wide range of causes. It may, for example, result from bacterial or viral infection; from dysentery...Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2020
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