What to do if you have diarrhea for a few days?
Here’s what you can do if you have acute, uncomplicated diarrhea: Drink plenty of water. Diarrhea can lead to dehydration, so it’s important to drink plenty of water. Avoid dairy, alcohol, and caffeinated drinks, which might worsen your symptoms. Drink liquid with electrolytes.
Is there a treatment for diarrhea at Mayo Clinic?
Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. Diarrhea usually clears up quickly without treatment. To help you cope with your signs and symptoms until the diarrhea goes away, try to do the following:
When should you see a doctor for diarrhea?
Schedule a doctor's visit for yourself if: Your diarrhea lasts more than two days without improvement. You become dehydrated — indicated by excessive thirst, dry mouth or skin, little or no urination, severe weakness, dizziness or lightheadedness, or dark-colored urine. You have severe abdominal or rectal pain.
Do anti-diarrheal medications work for diarrhea?
Anti-diarrheal medications can relieve diarrhea, but these medications aren’t recommended as a long-term therapy. Treatment for chronic diarrhea depends on the underlying cause.
What kind of doctor should I see for chronic diarrhea?
You might start by seeing your primary care practitioner. If you have persistent diarrhea, you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in the digestive system (gastroenterologist).
Should I go to the hospital for constant diarrhea?
You should seek medical attention as soon as possible for diarrhea with these symptoms: Diarrhea lasting more than two days. Blood or pus in the stool. Severe abdominal pain.
What should I do if I have persistent diarrhea?
Lifestyle changes to help resolve chronic diarrhea include:avoiding caffeine and alcoholic beverages.eating low fiber foods.drinking clear fluids to prevent dehydration.controlling food portions to avoid overeating.
How do hospitals treat diarrhea?
Diarrhea treatment depends on the underlying cause. For bacterial and parasitic infections, your doctor will prescribe anti-infective medicines, such as antibiotics. Preventing dehydration is the main focus of viral diarrhea treatment. This means replacing electrolytes and drinking plenty of fluids.
How long is too long for diarrhea?
In children, diarrhoea will usually pass within 5 to 7 days and will rarely last longer than 2 weeks. In adults, diarrhoea usually improves within 2 to 4 days, although some infections can last a week or more.
What is persistent diarrhea a symptom of?
A wide range of problems can cause chronic diarrhea; some of the most common causes include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis), malabsorption syndromes in which food cannot be digested and absorbed, and chronic infections.
What does persistent diarrhea indicate?
But when diarrhea lasts beyond a few days into weeks, it usually indicates that there's another problem — such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or a more serious disorder, including persistent infection, celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
What is the most common cause of chronic diarrhea?
Long-term (chronic). Diarrhea that lasts several weeks. This may be caused by another health problem such as irritable bowel syndrome. It can also be caused by an intestinal disease such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease. Some infections such as parasites can cause chronic diarrhea.
What to do if you have diarrhea and a blood test can't identify it?
alcohol abuse. If a blood test or a stool sample can’t identify the cause of diarrhea, your doctor may suggest an ultrasound or CT scan of your abdomen, but only if you have other symptoms like pain or bloody stools. These imaging tests will check your organs for problems.
How long does diarrhea last?
Many people experience diarrhea at some point. These bouts are often acute and resolve in a couple of days with no complications. Other people, however, live with diarrhea that persists for more than two to four weeks.
What are the symptoms of diarrhea?
Symptoms of chronic diarrhea. The main symptom of chronic diarrhea is loose or watery stools that persist for weeks. These stools may or may not be accompanied by a sense of urgency. You may have other symptoms as well, such as: abdominal cramps. bloating. nausea.
Why does food pass through my colon?
Certain ingredients speed up the rate of digestion, causing food to pass rapidly through the colon. Common culprits include milk and artificial sweeteners (sorbitol and fructose). Other causes of chronic diarrhea may include: medications — NSAIDs, antibiotics, antacids. diabetes.
What to do if you don't have a medical condition?
If you don’t have a medical condition, keeping a food journal, watching your diet, and making lifestyle changes may also provide relief. The important thing is that you don’t ignore the problem. The sooner you speak with your doctor, the sooner you can get relief. Last medically reviewed on September 25, 2017.
Can chronic diarrhea be prevented?
Chronic diarrhea caused by an underlying medical condition isn’t always preventable. But you can prevent chronic diarrhea due to infection by taking steps to keep your food and water supply clean. For example:
Can IBS cause diarrhea?
If diagnostic tests don’t reveal an abnormality, your doctor may attribute chronic diarrhea to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This condition affects the large intestines and causes a variety of symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, nausea, and abdominal pain. IBS can be chronic, but it doesn’t damage the large intestines.
What is the best treatment for diarrhea?
Chronic diarrhea treatments may include: Anti-diarrheal medicine: Medicines to slow movement in your intestines or make your bowel movements less watery. Antibiotics: If your chronic diarrhea is due to a bacterial infection, you will need antibiotics to get rid of it. Fiber supplements: You may need a fiber supplement to add bulk to your stool ...
What to do if you are not comfortable taking a lot of medications?
If you are not comfortable taking a lot of medications, we may recommend alternative therapies, such as herbal supplements. If your treatment includes medical nutrition therapy, we take time to understand your food preferences before recommending changes to your diet.
What to do if you have diarrhea?
Here’s what you can do if you have acute, uncomplicated diarrhea: Drink plenty of water. Diarrhea can lead to dehydration, so it’s important to drink plenty of water. Avoid dairy, alcohol, and caffeinated drinks, which might worsen your symptoms. Drink liquid with electrolytes.
How long does it take for diarrhea to go away?
When to get medical care. Typically, diarrhea starts to get better after about 2 days. If your diarrhea persists, or you notice the following symptoms, seek medical attention right away: dehydration, which includes symptoms like: little to no urination.
How long does it take for bowel movements to return after colonoscopy?
You may have some gas and discomfort after your colonoscopy, but your bowel movements should return to normal within a day or two. If you’re concerned about diarrhea during your colonoscopy prep, ask your doctor how to make the process more comfortable.
What are the symptoms of diarrhea?
cramping in the abdomen. abdominal pain. poor control of bowel movements. nausea. You might also experience fever, dizziness, or vomiting. These symptoms usually occur when an infection is causing diarrhea. If you have watery stools, you might wonder how long your diarrhea will last.
What foods can make diarrhea worse?
Spicy, sweet, and highly seasoned foods can make your diarrhea worse. It’s also a good idea to limit foods high in fiber and fat until your diarrhea has cleared up. Follow the BRAT diet. The BRAT diet includes bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. These bland, starchy foods are gentle on the stomach.
What causes diarrhea?
The duration of diarrhea, along with any additional symptoms, depends on the cause. Acute diarrhea might occur from: viral infection (stomach flu) bacterial infection. adverse reaction to medication, like antibiotics. food allergy.
How long does diarrhea last?
Acute diarrhea generally lasts for 1 to 2 days. It can sometimes last up to 2 weeks. However, this type of diarrhea is usually mild and resolves on its own. Chronic diarrhea lasts for at least 4 weeks. The symptoms might come and go, but it could be a sign of a serious condition.
How to get dehydrated if you lose water?
Until you feel better, rest, drink enough fluids, and watch what you eat. Your body loses water with each trip to the bathroom. If you lose too much, you can get dehydrated. It's important to keep drinking fluids. Drink clear liquids -- water, broth, or fruit juice -- during the day to stay hydrated.
Can you take more than one over the counter diahria pill?
Don't take more than the label recommends -- it won’t make the drug work better or faster. And don’t take more than one of these medicines at a time. Over the counter diarrhea medications are also not recommended in patients who have bloody stools or fever. If you have any questions, call your doctor or pharmacist.
Does cabbage help with diarrhea?
Cabbage. Treatments. Most of the time diarrhea doesn't need to be treated. But some over-the-counter medicines can help you feel better. Two types of meds relieve diarrhea in different ways: Loperamide(Imodium) slows the movement of food through your intestines, which lets your body absorb more liquid.
What are the symptoms of chronic diarrhea?
The biggest symptom of chronic diarrhea is, well, diarrhea. Specifically, it's diarrhea that lasts four weeks or more or diarrhea that keeps coming back over a long period of time, says Dr. Lee. What chronic diarrhea looks like, however, varies from person to person.
What causes chronic diarrhea?
Just like acute diarrhea can be caused by a handful of things, there are also many potential causes for chronic diarrhea, says Dr. Lee. To simplify, she breaks down the causes into six different categories:
How is chronic diarrhea treated?
Treatment for chronic diarrhea really depends on the underlying cause. Some treatments are relatively simple to figure out—if you have chronic diarrhea because of food intolerance or because you have celiac disease, you can "treat" the symptoms by avoiding the foods that trigger you, says Dr. De Latour.
Can you take over-the-counter medications for chronic diarrhea?
If you have a bout of acute diarrhea, you might reach for Pepto Bismol or Imodium—both can make short-term diarrhea more bearable. But these OTC medications shouldn't be your go-to for a lengthy period of time when dealing with chronic diarrhea, and if you have to take it for more than two to three weeks, it's time to consult your doctor.
What happens if chronic diarrhea goes untreated?
Again, the long-term effects of chronic diarrhea depend on the underlying cause. But, with all causes of diarrhea, dehydration is a big concern. When you have frequent diarrhea, you're losing water and electrolytes faster than usual, and it's important to replace them.
How long does diarrhea last?
Schedule a doctor's visit for an adult with these symptoms: Diarrhea lasts more than two days without improvement. Excessive thirst, dry mouth or skin, little or no urination, severe weakness, dizziness or lightheadedness, or dark-colored urine, which could indicate dehydration. Diarrhea.
What does it mean when you have a wet diaper?
No wet diaper in three or more hours. A fever of more than 102 F (39 C) Bloody or black stools. A dry mouth or tongue or cries without tears. Unusually sleepy, drowsy, unresponsive or irritable. A sunken appearance to the abdomen, eyes or cheeks.
How long does diarrhea last?
Maybe they'll last two days, maybe up to three days, but even if someone comes to the ER and they said, "I've been having diarrhea for two or three days.".
Is imodium good for diarrhea?
But in the average case of diarrhea where those are not a concern, I think Imodium is perfectly fine. I don't think there's a problem at all.
What does it mean when you have diarrhea?
What Is Diarrhea? When you have diarrhea, your bowel movements (or stools) are loose and watery. It’s common and usually not serious. Many people get diarrhea a few times a year.
What does a physical exam tell you about diarrhea?
They will give you a physical exam to look for signs of dehydration or belly pain. Certain tests can help pinpoint the cause of your diarrhea, including: Blood tests to look for certain diseases or disorders.
Why does my rectal area hurt?
Your rectal area may become sore because of all the bowel movements that diarrhea brings. You may have itching, burning, or pain when you go to the bathroom. For relief, take a warm bath. Afterward, pat the area dry (don’t rub) with a clean, soft towel.
What is the procedure that looks at the lower colon?
They can also use this device to take a small sample of tissue. Or your doctor might need to do only a sigmoidoscopy, which looks at just the lower colon.
How do you know if you have a watery stool?
Weight loss. Fever. If you have watery stools more than three times a day and you're not drinking enough fluids, you could become dehydrated. That can be a serious problem if it's not treated.