Almost everyone experiences diarrhea from time to time, usually as part of an overall "stomach flu" or gastrointestinal illness caused by a virus. However, some people get diarrhea while they're traveling to foreign countries, and others may suffer from it frequently due to irritable bowel syndrome. In all these cases, your diet can help you control diarrhea.
Symptoms
Diarrhea simply means loose and watery stools. If you have diarrhea, you typically pass at least three stools per day. Adults generally suffer from acute diarrhea about four times each year, and children will have up to 15 episodes of diarrhea by their fifth birthday, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Stomach Flu
Viral infections represent one of the most common causes of diarrhea, according to the University of Michigan. Symptoms of viral infections, or stomach flu, include nausea, vomiting and fever along with acute diarrhea. While you're in the initial stage of the illness, you should limit your diet to sips of water, juice and clear broth. Once you've started to feel better and can keep food down, you can graduate to what's called a BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce and toast without butter. Once your remaining diarrhea and other symptoms clear up, you can resume a normal diet.
Traveler's Diarrhea
Traveler's diarrhea, which can occur in countries where the sanitation isn't optimal, results from bacterial infections in contaminated water or food, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. You can prevent traveler's diarrhea by watching what you eat while abroad, according to Columbia University. Don't drink the tap water, and don't eat fresh fruits and vegetables that might have been washed in tap water. Skip ice cubes, and avoid any undercooked meats or fish. If you wind up with traveler's diarrhea despite your best efforts, the BRAT diet can help you recover more quickly.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome sufferers often have chronic diarrhea combined with bloating, flatulence and cramping pain, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. If you have been diagnosed with IBS, you'll probably need to alter your diet for the long term to improve your diarrhea. Focus on adding high-fiber foods, such as whole grains, to your diet. Meanwhile, you may need to avoid a few foods, such as broccoli, cabbage and beans, that often trigger IBS symptoms.
Considerations
In most cases, diarrhea won't hurt you and watching your diet can help you clear it up. But you should consult a physician if you have diarrhea for more than three days, you have a fever of more than 102 degrees F with the diarrhea, you suffer from severe pain in your abdomen or rectum or if you have blood in your stool, advises the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. In these cases, it might signal a more severe medical problem that requires attention.
