Diarrhea is usually easy to treat at home with over-the-counter remedies and some dietary changes. Though rarely serious, you do need to watch out for dehydration, which means your body has lost so much fluid and salt that it can't function properly. This can be especially dangerous in babies, young children and older people.
Symptoms
Diarrhea means you have three or more loose, watery bowel movements in a single day. You may also have cramping, swelling, an urgent need to defecate or have incontinence, chills, fever, nausea or vomiting. Though uncomfortable, most of the time, diarrhea isn't serious and will get better in a few days, according to MedlinePlus.
The condition can cause dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration in adults include thirst, reduced or dark urine, dry skin, fatigue, dizziness and fainting. In babies and young children, signs of dehydration are crying without tears, dry mouth and tongue, going more than three hours without wetting the diaper, fever, unusual sleepiness, and skin that doesn't quickly go back to normal if it's pinched and released.
The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearing House, or NDDIC, advises that you call your doctor if your child has symptoms of dehydration.
Replacing Fluids
Since diarrhea usually clears up on its own in a few days, the main treatment is to replace lost fluids to prevent dehydration, according to the NIH. You should drink 8 to 10 glasses of water or other clear fluids a day, according to MedlinePlus. Make sure to drink at least eight ounces after every loose bowel movement.
Eating salty foods like pretzels and high potassium foods like bananas can also help.
Dietary Approaches
Avoid foods that make diarrhea worse, such as dairy products, high-fat and high-fiber foods, fatty or greasy foods, sweets, caffeine, alcohol or carbonated drinks as well as foods that might cause gas, according to MedlinePlus.
Instead, start with the BRAT diet: bananas, plain rice, applesauce and toast, according to the NDDIC. As you feel better, you can add cooked, soft vegetables and baked or broiled meat or poultry, advises Medline Plus.
Other Treatments
Over-the-counter medicines can help you feel better though they don't cure you any faster, according to Family Doctor. These include loperamide and bismuth subsalicylate. If your diarrhea is caused by a bacterial infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics.
When to Call the Doctor
Adults should seek medical care if their diarrhea lasts more than two days, produces stools with an unusual color, odor or with blood or mucous in them, or if they have nausea, vomiting, fever over 102 or severe pain.
Children are more susceptible to dehydration, so call your doctor if your child's diarrhea doesn't improve in 24 hours. Also, call your doctor if your child has a fever of over 101.4, black stools or stools that contain blood or pus, sunken eyes, pain, listlessness or any symptoms of dehydration, counsels MedlinePlus.
