<P> Bile acid sequestrants such as cholestyramine can be effective in chronic diarrhea due to bile acid malabsorption . Therapeutic trials of these drugs are indicated in chronic diarrhea if bile acid malabsorption cannot be diagnosed with a specific test, such as SeHCAT retention . </P> <P> Zinc supplementation may benefit children over six months old with diarrhea in areas with high rates of malnourishment or zinc deficiency . This supports the World Health Organization guidelines for zinc, but not in the very young . </P> <P> Probiotics reduce the duration of symptoms by one day and reduced the chances of symptoms lasting longer than four days by 60% . The probiotic lactobacillus can help prevent antibiotic - associated diarrhea in adults but possibly not children . For those with lactose intolerance, taking digestive enzymes containing lactase when consuming dairy products often improves symptoms . </P> <P> Worldwide in 2004, approximately 2.5 billion cases of diarrhea occurred, which resulted in 1.5 million deaths among children under the age of five . Greater than half of these were in Africa and South Asia . This is down from a death rate of 4.5 million in 1980 for gastroenteritis . Diarrhea remains the second leading cause of infant mortality (16%) after pneumonia (17%) in this age group . </P>

Where does all the water come from diarrhea