How to Stop Diarrhea

When you have diarrhea, your stools are loose and watery. It is common and usually not serious. Many people get diarrhea a few times a year. It normally lasts 2 to 3 days. Acute diarrhea is most common type lasts a couple of days at the most and usually gets better without treatment. Persistent diarrhea lasts for a couple of weeks up to a month. Chronic diarrhea lasts longer than a month or appears and disappears over time.

Chronic diarrhea could be a sign of a serious health condition that needs your doctor’s attention. Usually, diarrhea happens because of a virus that gets into your gut. Other causes include allergies to certain foods, diseases of the intestines such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, eating foods that upset the digestive system, infection by bacteria or other organisms like parasites, laxative abuse or a reaction to medications like antibiotics and certain cancer drugs, running, some cancers, surgery on your digestive system, trouble absorbing certain nutrients, and overactive thyroid.

Diarrhea may also follow constipation, especially for people who have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Symptoms may include bloating in your belly, thin or loose or watery or leaking stools, an urgent feeling that you need to have a bowel movement, nausea and throwing up, and you can not control your bowels. Talk with your doctor if you have diarrhea for more than 24 hours.

More serious symptoms include blood or mucus in your stool and weight loss.

If you have watery stools more than three times a day and you are not drinking enough fluids, you could become dehydrated. That can be a serious problem if it is not treated. If your case is mild, you may not need to take anything. You can take an over-the-counter medicine such as bismuth subsalicylate or loperamide, available as liquids or tablets. Your doctor could also suggest antibiotics or anti-parasitic drugs to get rid of germs that cause infection, medicine to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or IBS, or probiotic to introduce good bacteria to your gut.

You also need to stay hydrated. You should drink at least six 8-ounce glasses of fluids each day. Choose electrolyte replacement drinks or soda without caffeine. Chicken broth, tea with honey, and sports drinks are also good choices. Instead of drinking liquids with your meals, drink liquids between meals. Sip small amounts of fluids often. Bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast (BRAT) diet will help firm your stools.

In addition to BRAT diet, you can also try potatoes, noodles, lean beef, fish, and skinless chicken or turkey. Caffeine, which is found in coffee, soda, certain teas, and chocolate, can make diarrhea worse. Alcohol can make you dehydrated. Avoid gas-causing foods such as beans, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, beer, and fizzy drinks. It is also best to avoid dairy while you have diarrhea since the condition can briefly make you lactose intolerant.

Your rectal area may become sore from 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 or sitz bath. Afterward, pat the area dry with a clean, soft towel. You may also try using a hemorrhoid cream or petroleum jelly on the affected area. If this continues for several days, you should contact your doctor. If you still have diarrhea after 4 weeks, then you have chronic diarrhea.

There are steps you can take to lower your chances of getting diarrhea from infections or contaminated food. Wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom or handling food. Hand sanitizer is an alternative. Get the rotavirus and covid vaccines to lower your odds of getting sick from these illnesses, which may trigger diarrhea. Keep food at safe temperatures and fully cook it.

Avoid untreated water, ice cubes, and unpasteurized drinks while traveling. And also avoid raw or undercooked meats, shellfish, and unwashed fruits and vegetables while traveling.