What is diarrhea?
When the intestines are functioning normally, food and fluid pass from the stomach into the small intestine and then into the colon. Cells that line the small intestine and colon absorb the nutrients and water the body needs from the food. The remaining food material, in the form of stools, enters the rectum for elimination. Sometimes, the cells become irritated and cannot properly absorb the water and nutrients from the food. The normally slow, wavelike movement of the intestinal tract can become hyperactive, moving food and fluids through the colon too quickly. This results in watery stools better known as diarrhea.
