Also called: Also called: Dysentery, The runs, The trots
Diarrhea means that you have loose, watery stools more than three times in one day. You may also have cramps, bloating, nausea and an urgent need to have a bowel movement.
Causes of diarrhea include bacteria, viruses or parasites, certain medicines, food intolerances and diseases that affect the stomach, small intestine or colon. In many cases, no cause can be found.
Although usually not harmful, diarrhea can become dangerous or signal a more serious problem. You should talk to your doctor if you have a strong pain in your abdomen or rectum, a fever, blood in your stools, severe diarrhea for more than three days or symptoms of dehydration. If your child has diarrhea, do not hesitate to call the doctor for advice. Diarrhea can be dangerous in children.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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What I Need to Know about Diarrhea
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/diarrhea_ez/
Also available in Spanish http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/spanish/pubs/diarrhea_ez/
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Diarrhea(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/diarrhea/
- Diarrhea(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/diarrhea/DS00292/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
- Diarrheal Diseases(American College of Gastroenterology) - http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/gihealth/diarrheal.asp
- Antibiotics May Not Cause Diarrheal Bacteria(10/10/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_70320.html
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Colonoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colonoscopy/
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Colonoscopy
(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/colonoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/colonoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm - Diarrhea(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/534.printerview.html
- Diarrhea(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/diarrhea/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
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Flexible Sigmoidoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/sigmoidoscopy/
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Lower Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract X-Ray (Barium Enema "BE")(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=lowergi
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=lowergi
- O&P Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/op/test.html
- Stool Culture(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/stool_culture/test.html
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Antidiarrheal Medicines: OTC Relief for Diarrhea(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/otc-center/otc-medicines/855.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/otc-center/otc-medicines/855.printerview.html
- Risks from Food and Water (Drinking and Recreational): Health Information for International Travel(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh2-FoodWaterRisks.aspx
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Bilberry(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/health/bilberry/
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Chamomile(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/health/chamomile/
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Goldenseal(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/health/goldenseal/
- Diarrhea(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MBC/content/MBC_2_3X_Diarrhea.asp?sitearea=MBC
- JAMA Patient Page: Preventing Dehydration from Diarrhea(American Medical Association) - Links to PDF - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/285/3/362.pdf
- Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/antibiotic-associated-diarrhea/DS00454/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Brainerd Diarrhea(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/brainerddiarrhea_g.htm
- Chronic Diarrhea(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/diarrhea/factsht_chronic_diarrhea.htm
- Runner's Diarrhea: How Can I Prevent It?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/runners-diarrhea/AN00376/METHOD=print
- Travelers' Diarrhea(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/travelersdiarrhea_g.htm
- Chronic Diarrhea: A Concern After Gallbladder Removal?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/gallbladder-removal/AN00067/METHOD=print
- Diarrhea: Cancer-Related Causes and How to Cope(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/diarrhea/CA00040/METHOD=print
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Fecal Incontinence(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/fecalincontinence/index.htm
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Viral Gastroenteritis(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/viralgastroenteritis/
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Colonoscopy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/colonoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/colonoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Diarrhea(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Diarrhea%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Dysentery(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Dysentery%22
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Genetics Home Reference: Congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=congenitalsucraseisomaltasedeficiency
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Presence of Enterocytozoon bieneusi associated with intestinal coccidia in patients... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18840748&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Management of travellers' diarrhoea. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18838421&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Zinc treatment to under-five children: applications to improve child survival... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18831230&tool=MedlinePlus
- Diarrhea -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=diarrhea[majr]+NOT+dysentery[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+systematic[sb]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Dysentery -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=dysentery[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- GI Physician Locator(American College of Gastroenterology) - http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/phylocator.asp
- American Gastroenterological Association - http://www.gastro.org/
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
- Are Your Bowels Moving?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/body/bowel.html
- Diarrhea(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_Diarrhea.htm
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Infectious Diarrhea(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/digestive/diarrhea.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/infecciones/diarrhea_esp.html
- Stool Tests(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sick/labtest8.html
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Vomiting and Diarrhea: Helping Your Child through Sickness(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/common/stomach/196.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/children/parents/common/stomach/196.printerview.html
- Gastrointestinal Infections and Diarrhea(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/intestinal/diarrhea.html
- Eldercare at Home: Diarrhea(AGS Foundation for Health in Aging) - http://www.healthinaging.org/public_education/eldercare/7.xml
- Clostridium Difficile Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/clostridiumdifficileinfections.html
- Food Contamination and Poisoning - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/foodcontaminationandpoisoning.html
- Gastroenteritis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/gastroenteritis.html
- Rotavirus Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/rotavirusinfections.html
- Traveler's Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/travelershealth.html
- Digestive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/digestivesystem.html
- Symptoms - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/symptoms.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Diarrhea is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www.niaid.nih.gov/
Diarrhea - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/diarrhea.html