Definition of Diarrhea
Diarrhea: A familiar phenomenon with
unusually frequent or unusually liquid bowel movements, excessive
watery evacuations of fecal material. The opposite of constipation.
The word "diarrhea" with its odd spelling is a near steal from the
Greek "diarrhoia" meaning "a flowing through." Plato and Aristotle
may have had diarrhoia while today we have diarrhea. There are myriad
infectious and noninfectious causes of diarrhea.
Persistent diarrhea is both uncomfortable and dangerous to the
health, as it can indicate an underlying infection. It may also mean
that the body is not able to absorb some nutrients due to a problem
in the bowels. Treatment includes drinking plenty of fluids to
prevent dehydration, over-the-counter remedies in most cases, and
medical examination if diarrhea persists for more than a couple of
days, particularly in small children or elderly people.
Last Editorial Review: 3/26/1998 2:24:00 PMCommon Misspellings: diarhea, diahrea, diahrria, diarreah, diarrea, diareah, diahrrea, diarreha, diareha, diarea, diahhrea
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