Treating diarrhea promptly can help you feel better sooner and prevent dehydration. Loose, runny stools common in diarrhea can occur due to a variety of reasons, including food sensitivities or viral, bacterial or parasitic infections. Although treatment options vary slightly depending on the cause of the problem, replacing fluids is an important step in curing diarrhea.
Fluid Replacement
Drinking liquids can help your body replenish fluids lost during frequent bouts of diarrhea. While drinking water and juice can help replace lost fluids, they don't contain the minerals, potassium, salts and nutrients that your body needs to recover. KidsHealth from Nemours reports that drinking ginger ale, water, soda, tea, fruit juice, gelatin, chicken broth or sports drinks can even make diarrhea worse. Oral rehydration solutions, available at drug and grocery stores without a prescription, can help replace both fluids and nutrients. If diarrhea causes severe dehydration, you may need to receive intravenous fluids at a hospital. Signs of dehydration include thirst, dry mouth, fatigue, reduced urination, dizziness, muscle weakness and headache.
Eating Safe Foods
Although you may not feel like eating if you have diarrhea, avoiding food may make you feel weaker and can deprive your body of needed nutrients. MayoClinic.com suggests adding low-fiber and semi-solid foods, such as toast, eggs, soda crackers, chicken or rice, as your bowel movements return to normal. If you notice that certain foods trigger diarrhea, it is a good idea to avoid those foods until your bowel movements return to normal. Eating spicy, high-fiber or fatty foods and consuming alcohol, caffeinated drinks and diary products can worsen diarrhea. Continuing to feed infants breast milk or formula while they are experiencing diarrhea will help ensure that the baby receives nutrients and fluids lost through loose bowel movements.
Medications
Anti-diarrheal medication can reduce the duration of diarrhea in some cases. While the medication can be helpful, it can also worsen diarrhea and should not be used unless recommended by your doctor. Diarrhea occurs because your body is trying to get rid of the source of the problem, such as a virus or contaminated food, according to Medline Plus. Taking anti-diarrheal medication will keep the virus or other infectious agents in your body longer, prolonging your illness. If your diarrhea is caused by bacteria or a parasite, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic to treat the underlying infection.
Treating Chronic Problems
If a chronic health problem, such as irritable bowel syndrome or another gastrointestinal condition is causing diarrhea, treating the problem can help resolve or reduce diarrhea. If diarrhea does not get better using home care remedies or returns, a visit to your doctor can help determine if your problem is a symptom of a disease or health condition. Some medications doctors prescribe to treat health problems can cause diarrhea as a side effect. Changing your medication or dosage may help relieve diarrhea.
