Diarrhea

What Is Diarrhea?

Diarrhea happens when someone has loose or watery bowel movements more than three times in one day. It can make you feel tired and can make your body lose fluids. This is why it is important to drink a lot of water when you have diarrhea.

Most of the time, diarrhea is caused by tiny germs like viruses, bacteria, or parasites. These germs can get into your body when you eat bad food or drink unsafe water. Sometimes, eating food that is hard to digest, like milk if you have lactose intolerance, can also cause diarrhea.

How to Stay Healthy

You can help prevent diarrhea by keeping things clean. Always wash your hands with soap, especially after using the bathroom and before eating. Drinking clean water is also very important. In many places, doctors give babies breastfeeding and vaccination against rotavirus to keep them safe from diarrhea.

If you get diarrhea, the best thing to do is to drink a special mix of clean water, a little salt, and sugar. This is called oral rehydration solution and it helps your body get the fluids it needs. Sometimes, a doctor might give special fluids if the diarrhea is very bad.

Diarrhea happens most often in places where clean water and good sanitation are hard to find. Children in these areas can get diarrhea more easily, so it is very important to wash hands and drink clean water to stay healthy.