Diarrhea

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.

What is Diarrhea?

The term diarrhea (also spelled diarrhoea) refers to passage of loose, watery stools. The usual frequency of passing loose stools or watery stools in cases of diarrhea is at least three or more times a day.

Diarrhea Treatment

Stomach Cramps and Diarrhea: Distinguishing Between Common and Serious Causes

Diarrhea Symptoms

Diarrhea Causes

Diarrhea Prevention

Diarrhea Epidemiology

Diarrhea in Children

Acute Diarrhea

Chronic Diarrhea

Latest Diarrhea News and Research

Ginger's furanodienone compound may offer new treatment for inflammatory bowel disease

An international team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has found a compound in ginger, called furanodienone (FDN), that selectively binds to and regulates a nuclear receptor involved in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

19 Feb 2025

Preventing colorectal cancer through lifestyle choices

The evidence is clear - screening for colorectal cancer may save one's life. Today, more and more people are choosing colorectal cancer screening. As a result, there is a steady decline in the number of older people getting and dying from colorectal cancer. Lower rates of smoking among Americans have also contributed to the decline in the past several years.

19 Feb 2025

Swimming in lakes may increase risk of Legionella infection

Swimming in some lakes with still water can lead to infection with Legionella, bacteria that can cause pneumonia, and people who engage in open water swimming should be aware of this risk, say the authors of a practice article published in CMAJ.

18 Feb 2025

Active ventilation can reduce bioaerosol risks in public restrooms

Bioaerosol emissions during toilet flushing are an often-overlooked source of potential health risks in shared public facilities.

18 Feb 2025

Strengthening the gut barrier may halt Crohn’s disease progression

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have uncovered a critical mechanism that may pave the way for innovative treatments for Crohn's disease.

18 Feb 2025

Do probiotics enhance sports performance?

Researchers found that probiotics may enhance endurance, recovery, and immune function in athletes, but the evidence for strength and power performance remains limited.

17 Feb 2025

IgG-guided diet outperforms sham diet in clinical trial

Michigan Medicine and Cleveland Clinic researchers have found that patients with irritable bowel syndrome were more likely to experience less abdominal pain if they followed a diet guided by the results of a blood test, compared to those who followed a sham elimination diet.

13 Feb 2025

Oral vancomycin induces PSC-IBD remission, driving gut microbiome and metabolic shifts

Findings indicate oral vancomycin induces remission in PSC-IBD, with notable microbiota changes and inflammation reduction, reversing after treatment ends.

13 Feb 2025

Study highlights growing antibiotic resistance in diarrheagenic E. coli in China

Diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) is a major global cause of diarrheal diseases, with certain strains showing alarming levels of antibiotic resistance.

10 Feb 2025

New drug class may help alleviate IBS symptoms by targeting the central nervous system

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common digestive disorder that affects the intestine, causing symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and changes in bowel habits, including diarrhea, constipation, or both.

5 Feb 2025

Early side effects of radiation may increase long-term risk for prostate cancer patients

Men undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer who experience side effects early in treatment may face a higher risk of developing more serious long-term urinary and bowel health issues, according to a new study led by investigators from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

31 Jan 2025

Food safety tips to keep illness at bay

Parties, family dinners, and other gatherings where food is served are all part of the holiday cheer. But the joy can change to misery if food makes you or others ill.

31 Jan 2025

Oral fecal transplantation could help prevent graft-versus-host disease in stem cell transplant patients

A new study shows that oral fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a feasible and safe addition to preventing graft-versus-host disease in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation for blood cancers.

28 Jan 2025

An Arm and a Leg: The ‘Shkreli Awards’ — for dysfunction and profiteering in health care

Every year, a health care think tank called the Lown Institute ranks the 10 worst examples of "profiteering and dysfunction" in health care and "honors" the winners.

27 Jan 2025

Triple therapy shows strong response in BRAF V600E mutant metastatic colorectal cancer

Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) harboring BRAF V600E mutations benefitted from first-line treatment with the targeted therapies encorafenib and cetuximab plus a mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy regimen, according to results from the Phase III BREAKWATER trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

26 Jan 2025