Diarrhea
Diarrhea is a condition that involves the frequent passing of loose or watery stools - it is the opposite of constipation and can have many causes, which may be infectious or non-infectious.
Diarrhea comes from the Greek word diarrhoia. Dia means "through" and rheo means "flow". The term "flowing through" was coined by Hippocrates.
Spelling: In American English it is spelled "diarrhea", and in British English it is "diarrhoea".
Acute diarrhea, meaning diarrhea that is not long-term, is a very common cause death in developing nations, especially among young children and babies. It usually appears rapidly and may last from between five to ten days.
Chronic diarrhea, meaning long-term diarrhea is the second cause of death among children in developing countries.
People with diarrhea often have fever and/or stomachache (abdominal cramps). Diarrhea may be caused by inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn's disease, an allergy, or an infection.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) approximately 3.5 million deaths each year are attributable to diarrhea. 80% of those deaths occur in children under the age of 5 years. Children are more susceptible to the complications of diarrhea because a smaller amount of fluid loss leads to dehydration, compared to adults.
A bacterium called enteroaggregative E. coli, is responsible for 10 percent of cases of diarrhea in children, researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, USA, found.
What are the five types of diarrhea?
Secretory diarrhea
Either the gut is secreting more fluids than usual, or it cannot absorb fluids properly. In such cases structural damage is minimal. This is most commonly caused by a cholera toxin - a protein secreted by the bacterium Vibrio cholera.
Osmotic diarrhea
Too much water is drawn into the bowels. This may be the result of celiac disease, pancreatic disease, or laxatives. Too much magnesium, vitamin C, undigested lactose, or undigested fructose can also trigger osmotic diarrhea.
Motility-related diarrhea
Food moves too quickly through the intestines (hypermotility). If the food moves too quickly there is not enough time to absorb sufficient nutrients and water. Patients who had a vagotomy (removal or severing of the vagus nerve) as well as those with diabetic neuropathy are susceptible to this type of diarrhea.
Inflammatory diarrhea
The lining of the gut becomes inflamed. This is usually caused by bacterial infections, viral infections, parasitic infections, or autoimmune problems such as IBS (inflammatory bowel disease). Tuberculosis, colon cancer and enteritis can also cause inflammatory diarrhea.
Dysentery
The presence of blood in the stools is usually a sign of dysentery, rather than diarrhea. Dysentery is caused by a release of excess water caused by an antidiuretic hormone from the posterior pituitary gland. Dysentery is one of the symptoms of Shigella, Entamoeba histolytica, and Salmonella.