Usually a bout of diarrhea only lasts a few days, going away on its own without any treatment. “But severe diarrhea, diarrhea that lasts more than a few days, or prolonged episodes of diarrhea are all reasons to see a doctor, as they could indicate something more serious,” saysStephen Bickston, MD, professor of internal medicine and director of the inflammatory bowel disease program at Virginia Commonwealth University Health Center in Richmond.
It's also important to remember thatdiarrhea treatmentsfor adults, especially medication, may not be the same forchildren with diarrhea, so always check with yourpediatricianbefore giving your children any medication.
If you have diarrhea, here are three ways you can ease your discomfort:
1. Be Sure to Stay Hydrated
Your body can lose a lot of fluids and salts when you have diarrhea, makingdehydrationa major concern. Frequent loose and watery stools can quickly lead to fluid loss. Here are some easy ways to stay hydrated:
- Select sports drinks.“Sports drinks make sense and are available in a wide variety of flavors," Dr. Bickston says. Sports drink work because of their sugar and salt content; both allow water to be more easily absorbed, and even more so when taken together. People can make their own sports drinks by adding a teaspoon of salt to a quart of apple juice, Bickston says. “That little amount of salt will help the body absorb fluids but isn't enough to make the apple juice taste bad.” Bickston recommends keeping your drinks at room temperature because a warm drink will sit better with you than a cold one.
- Stick to clear liquids.Some other good choices for treating diarrhea include clear broth and water, unless you're traveling outside of the country.
- Avoid drinks that can worsen symptoms.Caffeinated, alcoholic, and sugary drinks canworsen dehydration. Milk and other dairy products can also make your symptoms worse because diarrhea can cause temporarylactose intolerance.
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2. Try Eating a Bland Diet
When dealing with a brief bout of diarrhea, you want to keep your diet bland. You may find it best to only have clear liquids for the first 24 hours. Then you can slowly add bland foods to your diet. Some bland foods include bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast — otherwise known as the BRAT diet. An updated version of the diet that includes tea is referred to as BRATT. Research shows there'snot a lot of evidence to support the benefits of following this diet, but it may not hurt. At the same time, while bananas may be okay for adults, they're not recommended for children who've been vomiting. Crackers and mashed potatoes — minus the butter — may offer a better alternative for both adults and children.
If diarrhea lasts more than a few days, you might want to investigate the foods you're eating, as some can irritate your bowel and make diarrhea worse. These includefoods high in fiber, such as bran, whole grains, and brown rice, as well as greasy or excessively sweet foods. Foods that are sweetened withsorbitol也可能会加重腹泻,Bickston说。如果厕所se stools are a problem, then you may want to avoid these foods.
If you suspect diarrhea is caused by a certain food, try an elimination diet — cut the suspected food from your diet until you can determine whether or not it's a problem. If it's not, feel free to keep eating that food. “The difficulty I see in a lot of patients is that they don’t put things back into their diet even if they’re not causing a problem, and now they’ve painted themselves into a dietary corner,” Bickston says. “All they’re eating is mashed potatoes and rice.”
3. Try Some Over-the-Counter Medication
In most cases, over-the-counter medication can be helpful in stopping an occasional bout of diarrhea — especiallytraveler's diarrhea, which may result from ingesting contaminated food or water while abroad. Over-the-counter options includeImodium (loperamide)andPepto-Bismol or Kaopectate (bismuth subsalicylate). “These are reasonable to use on occasion and have the great advantage of not requiring a doctor’s prescription,” Bickston says, but they should not be used for more than two days.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you take pharmaceutical remedies for traveler's diarrhea, they may make you feel better sooner, but they could keep any bacteria, parasites, or viruses in your system longer. In most cases, diarrhea will go away on its own within a few days. If the diarrhea persists, talk to your doctor.
