Okuzeka
Medicine vocabulary · Symptoms and Signs

Diarrhea

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˌdaɪəˈriːə/nounCore term

In medicine, diarrhea means: Passing loose or watery stools more often than usual, typically three or more times a day.

In Turkish: ishal, diyare

How it is used

Doctors ask about frequency, duration, blood or mucus in the stool, recent travel and food, and contacts with the same symptoms. Diarrhea lasting longer than about four weeks is usually called chronic. Patients may say 'the runs' or 'an upset stomach'.

Example sentences

  1. He developed diarrhea and vomiting two days after eating at a buffet.

  2. The diarrhoea has settled, but she still feels weak.

Common collocations

  • acute diarrhea
  • bloody diarrhea
  • traveler's diarrhea
  • diarrhea and vomiting
  • vomitingBringing up the contents of the stomach through the mouth; it often follows nausea but can also happen without warning.
  • dehydrationA state in which the body has lost more water than it has taken in, so it no longer has enough fluid to work normally.
  • abdominal painPain anywhere in the belly, between the chest and the groin; it has many causes, from indigestion to appendicitis.
  • constipationHaving difficulty emptying the bowels, or passing hard stools less often than is normal for that person.

More terms: Symptoms and Signs

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.