what is diarrhea?

Question

what exactly is darrhea? like as far as it being caused by eating food...is it the food you just ate, or is it feces that was already there and didn't get a chance to firm up?

i don't mean this to be gross. i'm seriously curious...i don't see how it could be what you just ate already, but then how come there's no regular poo...like solid? why is it all diarrhea-y?

if anyone could explain....seriously....you can have best answer.

thanks!

Answer 1

It is the body not having the time or not taking the time to remove the liquid from the normal bowel processing. There is no "normal poo" because it isn't being made, your guts have liquid content until it is dewatered. The gut may be infected, the food or water may have something in it that causes the body to move it faster either chemicals or biological agents. The danger comes from the body dehydrating since water is not being absorbed but flushing out the end. In the long run, the failure to digest properly would cause nutritional problems, but most people die before then because of dehydration.

Answer 2

Diarrhea is loose, watery stools. A person with diarrhea typically passes stool more than three times a day. People with diarrhea may pass more than a quart of stool a day. Acute diarrhea is a common problem that usually lasts 1 or 2 days and goes away on its own without special treatment. Prolonged diarrhea persisting for more than 2 days may be a sign of a more serious problem and poses the risk of dehydration. Chronic diarrhea may be a feature of a chronic disease.

Diarrhea can cause dehydration, which means the body lacks enough fluid to function properly. Dehydration is particularly dangerous in children and older people, and it must be treated promptly to avoid serious health problems. See Dehydration.

People of all ages can get diarrhea and the average adult has a bout of acute diarrhea about four times a year. In the United States, each child will have had seven to 15 episodes of diarrhea by age 5.

Answer 3

Food is the main cause-- Most people have certain foods that may cause diarrhea. For hot pepper lovers (the chemical in it is called capaiscin), diarrhea often occurs the morning after. Many people are intolerant of milk and milk products so that even small amounts of the milk sugar lactose can cause diarrhea. Large amounts of fatty foods cause the same problem in other people. The obvious solution in all these instances is to avoid the offending agent.

But other causes could also be...
Chemical Laxatives
Prescription Drugs
Infection
Traveler's Diarrhea
Diseases
Stress and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Answer 4

Acute diarrhea is usually related to a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection. Chronic diarrhea is usually related to functional disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease.

A few of the more common causes of diarrhea include the following:
* Bacterial infections. Several types of bacteria consumed through contaminated food or water can cause diarrhea. Common culprits include Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, and Escherichia coli (E. coli).
* Viral infections. Many viruses cause diarrhea, including rotavirus, Norwalk virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, and viral hepatitis.
* Food intolerances. Some people are unable to digest food components such as artificial sweeteners and lactose—the sugar found in milk.
* Parasites. Parasites can enter the body through food or water and settle in the digestive system. Parasites that cause diarrhea include Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica, and Cryptosporidium.
* Reaction to medicines. Antibiotics, blood pressure medications, cancer drugs, and antacids containing magnesium can all cause diarrhea.
* Intestinal diseases. Inflammatory bowel disease, colitis, Crohn’s disease, and celiac disease often lead to diarrhea.
* Functional bowel disorders. Diarrhea can be a symptom of irritable bowel syndrome.

Some people develop diarrhea after stomach surgery or removal of the gallbladder. The reason may be a change in how quickly food moves through the digestive system after stomach surgery or an increase in bile in the colon after gallbladder surgery.

In any cases, the cause of diarrhea cannot be found. As long as diarrhea goes away on its own, an extensive search for the cause is not usually necessary.

Answer 5

lol seems that someone else went to the same site that I went to to attain this info.....hee hee....

Diarrhea is loose, watery stools. A person with diarrhea
typically passes stool more than three times a day. People with diarrhea may pass more than a quart of stool a day. Acute diarrhea is a common problem that usually lasts 1 or 2 days and goes away on its own without special treatment. Prolonged diarrhea persisting for more than 2 days may be a sign of a more serious problem and poses the risk of dehydration. Chronic diarrhea may be a feature of a chronic disease.

Diarrhea can cause dehydration, which means the body lacks enough fluid to function properly. Dehydration is particularly dangerous in children and older people, and it must be treated promptly to avoid serious health problems.

People of all ages can get diarrhea and the average adult has a bout of acute diarrhea about four times a year. In the United States, each child will have had seven to 15 episodes of diarrhea by age 5.



What causes diarrhea?
Acute diarrhea is usually related to a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection. Chronic diarrhea is usually related to functional disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease.

A few of the more common causes of diarrhea include the following:

Bacterial infections. Several types of bacteria consumed through contaminated food or water can cause diarrhea. Common culprits include Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, and Escherichia coli (E. coli).

Viral infections. Many viruses cause diarrhea, including rotavirus, Norwalk virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, and viral hepatitis.

Food intolerances. Some people are unable to digest food components such as artificial sweeteners and lactose—the sugar found in milk.

Parasites. Parasites can enter the body through food or water and settle in the digestive system. Parasites that cause diarrhea include Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica, and Cryptosporidium.

Reaction to medicines. Antibiotics, blood pressure medications, cancer drugs, and antacids containing magnesium can all cause diarrhea.

Intestinal diseases. Inflammatory bowel disease, colitis, Crohn’s disease, and celiac disease often lead to diarrhea.

Functional bowel disorders. Diarrhea can be a symptom of irritable bowel syndrome.

Some people develop diarrhea after stomach surgery or removal of the gallbladder. The reason may be a change in how quickly food moves through the digestive system after stomach surgery or an increase in bile in the colon after gallbladder surgery.

People who visit foreign countries are at risk for traveler’s diarrhea, which is caused by eating food or drinking water contaminated with bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Traveler’s diarrhea can be a problem for people visiting developing countries. Visitors to the United States, Canada, most European countries, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand do not face much risk for traveler’s diarrhea. See Preventing Traveler’s Diarrhea.

In many cases, the cause of diarrhea cannot be found. As long as diarrhea goes away on its own, an extensive search for the cause is not usually necessary.



What are the symptoms of diarrhea?
Diarrhea may be accompanied by cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, or an urgent need to use the bathroom. Depending on the cause, a person may have a fever or bloody stools.

Answer 6

Diarrhea is an unformed stool that can be caused by many things like illness or bacteria or something like lactose intolerence or celiac sprue. The stool has not had a chance to bulk up before it comes out.

Answer 7

Diarrhea is caused by increased water in the stool. During normal digestion, food is kept liquid by the secretion of large amounts of water by the stomach, upper small intestine, pancreas, and gallbladder. Food that is not digested reaches the lower small intestine and colon in liquid form. The lower small intestine and particularly the colon absorb the water, turning the undigested food into a more-or-less solid stool with form. Increased amounts of water in stool can occur if the stomach and/or small intestine secretes too much fluid, the distal small intestine and colon do not absorb enough water, or the undigested, liquid food passes too quickly through the small intestine and colon for them to remove enough water. Of course, more than one of these abnormal processes may occur at the same time.

For example, some viruses, bacteria and parasites cause increased secretion of fluid, either by invading and inflaming the lining of the small intestine (inflammation stimulates the lining to secrete fluid) or by producing toxins (chemicals) that also stimulate the lining to secrete fluid but without causing inflammation. Inflammation of the small intestine and/or colon from bacteria or from ileitis/colitis can increase the rapidity with which food passes through the intestines, reducing the time that is available for absorbing water. Conditions of the colon such as collagenous colitis can block the ability of the colon to absorb water.

So, yes, you are correct, undigested food, for one reason or another, didn't get the chance to firm up.

Answer 8

Well diarrhea is just the body not absorbing the fluids from the food that you have eaten. It another way to tell that you are sick or have the flu (aka Influenza) or some sort of virus. the body usuallt absorbs the fluids form the food you eat aroung the small intestine. just after it comes from the stomach and runs past the liver. The SI does not function properly

Answer 9

its virus that youre body is kicking out and yes the food you eat to day will exit monday takes that long to processtime or some diarrhea coms from liquid diets or no solid foods

Answer 10

It's caused by different things, but mostly increased motility (movement through the intestines), resulting in water and fluids remaining in the waste. In some diseases, what comes out looks similar to what you ate; especially in the case of parasitic diseases. In those cases, digestion is inhibited also.

Referring to your description, it is often feces that didn't firm up, and is being pushed more rapidly through the intestine due to increased intestinal motility.