Diarrhea

**Diarrhea** (American English), dem sanso spell **diarrhoea** anaa **diarrhœa** (British English), be de condition of having at least three loose, liquid, anaa watery bowel movements insyd a day. E often dey last for a few days den fi result in dehydration secof fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often dey begin plus loss of de normal stretchiness of de skin den irritable behaviour. Dis fi progress to decreased urination, loss of skin color, a fast heart rate, den a decrease insyd responsiveness as e cam be more severe. Loose buh non-watery stools insyd babies wey dem exclusively breastfeed, however, be normal.

De most common cause be an infection of de intestines secof a virus, bacterium, anaa parasite—a condition dem sanso know as gastroenteritis. Dese infections often be acquired from chow anaa water wey be contaminated by feces, anaa directly from anoda person wey be infected. De three types of diarrhea be: short duration watery diarrhea, short duration bloody diarrhea, den persistent diarrhea (wey dey last more dan two weeks, wich either fi be watery anaa bloody). De short duration watery diarrhea fi be secof cholera, although dis be rare insyd de developed world. If blood be present, e sanso be known as dysentery. A number of non-infectious causes fi result in diarrhea. Dese dey include lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis, hyperthyroidism, bile acid diarrhea, den a number of medications. Insyd chaw cases, stool cultures to confirm de exact cause no be required.

Diarrhea fi be prevented by improved sanitation, clean drinking water, den hand washing plus soap. Breastfeeding for at least six months den vaccination against rotavirus sanso be recommended. Oral rehydration solution (ORS)—clean water plus modest amounts of salts den sugar—be de treatment of choice. Zinc tablets sanso be recommended. Na dem estimate dese treatments e save 50&nbsp;million kiddies insyd de past 25 years. Wen people get diarrhea e be recommended say make dem continue to chop healthy chow, wey make dem continue dey breastfeed babies. If commercial ORS no be available, homemade solutions fi be used. Insyd those plus severe dehydration, intravenous fluids fi be required. Chaw cases, however, fi be managed well plus fluids by mouth. Antibiotics, while dem rarely use, fi be recommended insyd a few cases such as those wey get bloody diarrhea den a high fever, those plus severe diarrhea dey follow travelling, den those wey grow specific bacteria anaa parasites insyd dema stool. Loperamide fi help decrease de number of bowel movements buh dem no recommend in those plus severe disease.

About 1.7 to 5&nbsp;billion cases of diarrhea dey occur per year. E be most common insyd developing countries, wer young kiddies dey get diarrhea on average three times a year. Total deaths from diarrhea be estimated at 1.53&nbsp;million insyd 2019—down from 2.9 million insyd 1990. Insyd 2012, na e be de second most common cause of deaths insyd kiddies younger dan five (0.76 million or 11%). Frequent episodes of diarrhea sanso be a common cause of malnutrition den de most common cause insyd those younger dan five years of age. Oda long term problems wey fi result dey include stunted growth den poor intellectual development.

## References



## External links

* WHO fact sheet on diarrhoeal disease