What is diarrhea?

Diarrhea describes bowel movements that are runny or watery, and happen 3 or more times in a day. Diarrhea is very common. Most adolescents and adults have diarrhea about 4 times a year. Just about everyone has it at some point.

What causes diarrhea?

Diarrhea can be caused by:

●Viruses

●Bacteria that live in food or water

●Parasites, such as tiny worms that you can catch in some countries

●Side effects from some medicines

●Problems digesting certain types of food

●Diseases that harm the digestive system

Is there anything I can do on my own to get better?

Yes. Here are some things you can try at home:

●Drink a lot of liquids that have water, salt, and sugar. Good choices are water mixed with juice, flavored soda, and soup broth. If you are drinking enough fluids, your urine will be light yellow or almost clear.

●Try to eat a little food. Good choices are potatoes, noodles, rice, oatmeal, crackers, bananas, soup, and boiled vegetables. Salty foods also help.

Should I see a doctor or nurse?

See your doctor or nurse if:

●You have more than 6 runny bowel movements in 24 hours

●You have blood in your bowel movements

●You have a fever higher than 101.3ºF (38.5ºC) that does not go away after a day

●You have severe belly pain

●You are 70 or older

●Your body has lost too much water. This is called "dehydration." Signs include:

•Lots of diarrhea that is very watery

•Feeling very tired

•Thirst

•Dry mouth or tongue

•Muscle cramps

•Dizziness

•Confusion

•Urine that is very yellow, or not needing to urinate for more than 5 hours

Can diarrhea be prevented?

You can reduce your chances of getting and spreading diarrhea by:

●Washing your hands after changing diapers, cooking, eating, going to the bathroom, taking out the trash, touching animals, and blowing your nose.

●Staying home from work or school until you feel better.

●Paying attention to food safety. Tips include:

•Not drinking unpasteurized milk or foods made with it

•Washing fruits and vegetables well before eating them

•Keeping the refrigerator colder than 40ºF and the freezer below 0ºF

•Cooking meat and seafood until well done

•Cooking eggs until the yolk is firm

•Washing hands, knives, and cutting boards after they touch raw food

Reference：This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Mar 12, 2020.