When to See a Doctor About Diarrhea and When to Wait for It to Pass

When you’ve taken up permanent residency on your toilet thanks to diarrhea, you might start to wonder how normal your poop explosion really is. Sure, everyone has diarrhea from time to time, but when does it actually become a sign that you should see a doctor? Here, we consulted experts for the signals it’s time to seek treatment for diarrhea, plus what could be behind your butt’s excellent (and unfortunate) volcano impersonation.

Here’s exactly why diarrhea happens, first of all.

By definition, diarrhea means having loose, watery, stools that are more frequent than whatever amount of pooping is normal for you, the Mayo Clinic says.

Quick biology lesson: When the stuff you eat reaches your small intestine where a lot of your digestion takes place, it’s usually in liquid form, Kyle Staller, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, tells SELF. Your small intestine and colon (which is the longest part of your long intestine) absorb most of the fluid, transforming that matter into the solid-ish poop you see in your toilet. But when you have diarrhea, something has interfered with your small intestine or colon’s ability to soak up that liquid, so you end up with the runny, watery poop that you know as diarrhea, Dr. Staller explains.

The general rule is that if you have diarrhea for up to two days with no other symptoms, then it disappears, you can skip going to the doctor’s office.

Why’s that? Well, having diarrhea for a couple of days is just something that happens sometimes.

You can generally lump diarrhea into two categories: acute and chronic. Acute diarrhea can last anywhere from a few days to two weeks and is usually due to a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection, according to the Mayo Clinic. Sometimes that infection passes in a matter of days and is really nothing to worry about. That’s why if you have acute diarrhea that only lasts for a couple of days, you don’t have any weird symptoms along with it (we’ll get to what those symptoms are in a sec), and then it goes away, you should be fine to just stock up on toilet paper and roll with it, Ashkan Farhadi, M. D., a gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center and director of MemorialCare Medical Group’s Digestive Disease Project in Fountain Valley, California, tells SELF.

Chronic diarrhea, on the other hand, lasts for longer than four weeks at a minimum. That can point to serious issues like the inflammatory bowel diseases ulcerative colitis (a condition that causes inflammation and sores in your large intestine and rectum) and Crohn’s disease (another illness that causes inflammation in your digestive tract, but typically in your small intestine and colon), or irritable bowel syndrome, a chronic intestinal disorder that also affects your colon.

Sometimes there are major red flags that you need to see a doctor to treat your diarrhea.

Here are signs you should, at the very least, give your doctor’s office a call for guidance:

1. You’ve had diarrhea for two days and it hasn’t improved or is actually getting worse.

If your diarrhea is still terrible after at least two days, it could be a sign that you have an infection that’s sticking around, Dr. Farhadi says. While a viral infection will just have to run its course (sorry, pal), you may need antibiotics to clear up a bacterial or parasitic infection, the Mayo Clinic says.

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Having persistent diarrhea could also be a sign that a medication you’re on is upsetting your stomach or that something you’ve started eating regularly isn’t sitting well with you, Dr. Staller says. And, of course, long-lasting diarrhea could be a sign of one of the aforementioned conditions, like ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, or irritable bowel syndrome, although you’ll typically have other symptoms as well, which we’ll cover further down the list.

2. You’re experiencing signs of dehydration.

Diarrhea can cause dehydration because you’re losing so much liquid. In severe cases, dehydration can be life-threatening if it’s not treated, according to the Mayo Clinic. But even if you don’t pass that threshold, being dehydrated feels awful and can be treated.

The biggest signs of dehydration to look out for: You’re incredibly thirsty, your skin and mouth are dry, you’re not peeing much or at all (plus your urine is a dark yellow color when you do actually pee), and you feel weak, dizzy, faint, or fatigued. If you have any of these signs along with your diarrhea, get to the emergency room, Dr. Farhadi says. You may need IV fluids to replace what you’ve lost.

3. You’ve recently developed mouth sores.

When this happens along with diarrhea, doctors generally think of Crohn’s disease, Dr. Staller says. In addition to causing diarrhea, the inflammation that comes with Crohn’s can create sores in your digestive tissue. “Crohn’s disease can affect anywhere in the GI tract, from the mouth down to the anus,” he explains. This is as opposed to ulcerative colitis, which is limited to your large intestine and rectum.

This can also be a sign of celiac disease, a condition in which eating gluten leads to an immune response in your small intestine, according to the Mayo Clinic. You might be tempted to chalk up your mouth pain to something like a canker sore, but if you’re also dealing with diarrhea, you should see your doctor to make sure something larger isn’t going on.

4. You have severe stomach or rectal pain.

Severe stomach pain with diarrhea can signal many issues, from something as simple as gas to a potentially life-threatening condition like appendicitis, Christine Lee, M.D., a gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF.

This could also be a sign of a more chronic condition like IBS-D (irritable bowel syndrome where diarrhea is the main symptom) or, again, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, Dr. Staller says. “Any diarrheal disease can cause pain,” he says, because diarrhea inflames and irritates the area. “The rectum has very sensitive nerves,” he adds.

Unless you happen to be a gastroenterologist, it’s going to be really hard for you to tell what’s behind this pain + diarrhea equation on your own. If you’re experiencing diarrhea and a lot of pain, a visit to the doctor is in order.

5. There’s pus in your diarrhea.

Pus is a yellow-ish, mucus-y liquid your body produces when trying to fight infection, Dr. Staller says. “It’s a marker of inflammation,” he explains, adding that the inflammation is part of your body’s immune response to whatever it has deemed a threat.

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Diarrhea that contains pus is a common sign of ulcerative colitis, according to the Mayo Clinic. Those sores it creates in your gastrointestinal tract can lead to pus that comes out in your poop.

6. Your diarrhea is bloody or black.

Blood in your poop could hint at a range of things. You could have a hemorrhoid (a clump of bulging veins in your rectum or around your anus), Dr. Lee says, but that typically causes only a bit of blood, not the kind that might set off alarm bells. It can also be a sign of a foodborne illness, the Mayo Clinic says. (For instance, Campylobacter bacteria is notorious for causing this, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. )

But, like with many other items on this list, this could be a sign that you have a chronic condition like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. When you have these conditions, your immune system may attack your GI tract to the point that it bleeds, Dr. Staller says. Either way, if a good portion of your poop is bloody or black (which hints at blood that has oxidized, so bleeding may be coming from higher up in your GI tract), you need to see a doctor right away, Dr. Farhadi says.

7. You have a fever of more than 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

This generally indicates that you have some kind of infection that’s compromising your system, Dr. Lee says, although a fever can also be your body’s response to the inflammation that comes along with conditions like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. “Any time there is a fever and diarrhea, you should have your guard up,” Dr. Staller says. And, as you might guess, you should see your doctor.

In the meantime, you can try taking an over-the-counter fever reducer, but be sure to follow the instructions, since drugs like acetaminophen and ibuprofen can cause liver or kidney damage if you take too much, according to the Mayo Clinic.

8. You’re losing a lot of weight.

Sure, if you’re pooping your brains out, you’re probably going to lose a little weight because of all those fluids whooshing out of you. But if your diarrhea won’t stop and you lose a few pounds (on top of your normal fluctuations) in a few days, it could be a sign that you’re dealing with an issue like a severe infection, inflammatory bowel disease, or celiac disease, Dr. Lee says. Either way, you want to make sure your doctor looks into it so they can address the root cause of your unintended weight loss.

Your doctor’s next steps in diagnosing what’s behind your diarrhea will depend on your mix of symptoms.

They’ll likely do a blood test, stool test (where they try to figure out if a bacteria or parasite is causing your diarrhea), or colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy, procedures that look at the lining of your colon using a thin, lighted tube with a lens, according to the Mayo Clinic. After that, they can prescribe treatment.

If you’re dealing with diarrhea and you’re not sure what to make of it, call your doctor anyway, even if you don’t have the other symptoms on this list. “No one knows your body better than you, so trust your instincts,” Dr. Lee says. “If something doesn’t feel right, then get it checked out.”

Related:

• Is Diarrhea Really a Sign of Early Pregnancy?
• 12 Colonoscopy Prep Tips From Gastroenterologists to Make the Whole Thing Less Hellish
• 7 Things That Can Cause Bizarre Green Poop

When Should I Go to the ER for Diarrhea? | University of Utah Health

Interviewer: What should you do if you have a case of diarrhea? We’re going to find out next on The Scope.

Announcer: This is From the Frontlines, with emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen on The Scope.

Interviewer: Dr. Troy Madsen is an emergency room physician at University of Utah Health. Let’s talk about diarrhea and what should somebody do if they start having diarrhea? Should they be taking some medication? Should they be going to see their doctor? When should they start worrying?

Dr. Madsen: So diarrhea is obviously not the most pleasant topic. It’s something probably all of us have dealt with at some point or another. But it’s one of those things where you kind of have to give it time. And we do occasionally have people who come to the ER who have had diarrhea for say 12 hours or so. And they’re very concerned. And they don’t look particularly dehydrated, they’ve been able to drink plenty of fluids and stay hydrated. They don’t have other medical issues that would make them more likely to get really dehydrated. So those are the kind of situations where you know, you really want to give it some time to see what happens.

Are You Dehydrated?

Because most cases of diarrhea, assuming it’s from some sort of a bug or maybe something you ate, are going to get better within 24 hours. Maybe they’ll last two days, maybe up to three days, but even if someone comes to the ER and they said, “I’ve been having diarrhea for two or three days.” And I look at them and it’s not like their lips look really dry and their eyes look sunken or they look like they’re just really dehydrated. And they’re not the kind of person who has lots of medical issues that would make them more likely to get dehydrated. I say, well, not a lot of testing we really need to do here. We don’t really need to test for really unusual infections. You’re probably going to get better within a day and usually it does.

So if you’re someone who has diarrhea I’d say, give it a couple of days. Keep drinking fluids. You can try drinking electrolyte drinks. Those might help and make a difference. You’re not losing lots of electrolytes, which can be an issue. But if it’s gone on for longer than that.

Have You Been Traveling, Camping, or Have a New Pet?

If you’re getting beyond three days and maybe into four or five days and maybe you’ve been camping recently. Or you’ve been swimming in mountain streams or lakes or drinking from mountain streams. Or you have a new pet. Or you have a pet turtle you found out while you were traveling and you pulled it out of a stream. These unusual things that would set you up for something more serious like giardia or salmonella. Things where we start to think about unusual infections. Those would be cases to come to the ER or see your doctor and get tested for that.

Interviewer: So generally, up until about two days, if somebody came into the ER you wouldn’t run many tests if they looked healthy and they weren’t at high risk of something else, you just have them wait and see?

Dr. Madsen: Most likely. I mean the reality of the ER there is the dynamics of the ER where the fact that someone comes in the door they often just get testing done. But it’s typically not really necessary.

Diarrhea Treatment

Interviewer: So if it was a family member you would say just wait it out for another day or so?

Dr. Madsen: I would. If a family member called me and said I’ve had diarrhea for a day or two I’d say wait it out. I would ask them has it been bloody diarrhea? That raises concern for me. But most of these cases people are just having kind of normal diarrhea. Just frequent bowel movements. Watery, they’re not describing blood in their bowel movements. If you’re seeing those sorts of things, that’s going to change things a bit. But, typical diarrhea. Give it a couple of days.

Interviewer: Would you recommend taking any sort of antidiarrheal?

Dr. Madsen: If we’re worried about an infection like salmonella. So those unusual cases where let’s say you’ve had recent foreign travel or you have had recent exposure to mountain streams and you’re drinking from mountain streams or swimming in lakes. There we’re hesitant to say use something like Imodium. Just because people that have those infections can then become chronic carriers of the disease or it can make things worse. But in the average case of diarrhea where those are not a concern, I think Imodium is perfectly fine. I don’t think there’s a problem at all. If it can help you get through the day, get through work, whatever you have to do. No issues with that.

Severe Diarrhea Symptoms

Again we’re talking here about the average person who doesn’t have a lot of medical issues. Times where you would be more concerned about diarrhea. Even after a day or two would be . . . If you do have some medical problems that make you more prone to dehydration. Maybe you take a water pill. Something for heart failure or for kidney issues that takes water off. And then you’re losing fluids because of diarrhea. Maybe you then start to feel light headed. Or you’re dizzy. These would all be things where I would say where I would say yeah, you need to come to the ER. You may need some IV fluids. We may need to rehydrate you.

Also, very young children. If they are really just not taking fluids well. When they cry, they’re not making tears. Their eyes look sunken. You look at their mouth, their lips look dry. Again, reasons to go to the ER even after maybe even 12 to 24 hours of diarrhea.

Interviewer: Sounds like in the common cases it’s dehydration you’re most worried about?

Dr. Madsen: Exactly, dehydration and then along with that electrolyte abnormalities where you can lose electrolytes with the diarrhea.

Interviewer: All right, so watch out for those things. Think about, have I done anything strange or unusual recently that might be the cause of this that could be a little bit more insidious. Otherwise just wait it out.

Dr. Madsen: Exactly, give it some time. It’ll run its course. You’ll probably get better within a day or two.

Announcer: Have a question about a medical procedure? Want to learn more about a health condition? With over 2,000 interviews with our physicians and specialists, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll find what you want to know. Check it out at TheScopeRadio.com.

updated: May 30, 2018
originally published: September 6, 2016

Vomiting and diarrhea in a child – causes, what to do and how to treat

• Children’s Medical Center “Pediatrician and Me”

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  Articles

• Diarrhea and vomiting in a child

Diarrhea and vomiting in a child are fairly common symptoms. They occur against the background of infectious and non-infectious causes. What to do in such a situation and what should parents do?

Infectious causes of vomiting and diarrhea

Infectious diseases are often accompanied by loose stools and vomiting. It can be viral or bacterial pathologies. If there is an infection in the baby’s body, in addition to the symptoms listed above, there are:

• Pain and heaviness in the abdomen.
• Increase in body temperature up to 38…39 degrees.
• General malaise.
• Lack of appetite, etc.

Vomiting due to illness can be very frequent and painful. The child’s body loses a lot of fluid, increasing the risk of dehydration.

Viral infections are characterized by yellow-brown loose, watery stools. With a bacterial infection in the feces, impurities of mucus, blood, pus, and undigested pieces of food can be observed. The stool itself may have a greenish color and a very strong unpleasant odor.

Salmonellosis, eschecheriasis, and dysentery are considered the most dangerous among bacterial infections. These pathologies are especially dangerous for young children. In the absence of timely assistance, the risk of a fatal outcome increases.

Viral pathologies that cause diarrhea and vomiting include enteroviruses and rotaviruses. In addition to vomiting and diarrhea, viral infections are accompanied by a number of symptoms that are characteristic of colds. For example, a child may complain of sore throat, itching, coughing, nasal congestion, etc.

Regardless of the cause, persistent vomiting and diarrhea can lead to severe dehydration. Moreover, long-term intoxication of the body with the waste products of bacteria and viruses can cause a number of serious complications.

Sometimes purulent processes occurring in the intestines, including appendicitis, can provoke diarrhea and vomiting. In such cases, urgent surgical intervention is required.

Non-infectious causes

The most common non-infectious cause of persistent diarrhea and vomiting is poisoning. The baby can be poisoned by stale food, medicines, toxic substances, etc. If you suspect poisoning, you should immediately seek medical help. In severe cases, hospitalization of the child in a hospital is required.

Also non-infectious causes include malnutrition. For example, if a child has eaten fatty or uncharacteristic food for his body. An increase in temperature in such a situation occurs extremely rarely. Nevertheless, in no case should such a state be ignored. It is very important to ensure that the child drinks as much liquid as possible.

What should I do if my child has diarrhea and vomiting?

The causes of vomiting and diarrhea are difficult to determine at first glance. To understand why these symptoms arose, you need to contact a pediatrician or gastroenterologist. It is necessary to visit a doctor even if the unpleasant symptoms have disappeared the next day.

Urgent care and a doctor’s consultation are needed in the following situations:

• The baby is less than a year old.
• Vomiting and diarrhea accompanied by high fever.
• The baby became lethargic, there were signs of impaired consciousness.
• There are severe symptoms of dehydration.
• Diarrhea and vomiting accompanied by severe abdominal pain.

To make a diagnosis, a child may be prescribed:

• Complete blood count.
• Stool culture for the intestinal group.
• Analysis of feces for viruses.
• Ultrasound of the intestines and abdomen.

If necessary, the pediatrician can refer the child for additional examinations to highly specialized specialists. The main task of the doctor is to make an accurate diagnosis for the baby and choose the optimal and effective treatment.

To restore the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, the child is prescribed a sparing diet. Prescribe medications:

• Enzymes.
• Probiotics.
• Prokinetics.
• Enterosorbents, etc.

In some cases, antibiotics are required if unpleasant symptoms occur against the background of a bacterial infection of the body. In severe cases, in the presence of severe dehydration, hospitalization of the child and intravenous administration of drugs is required.

The most dangerous complication of diarrhea and vomiting is dehydration. Its symptoms:

• Feeling of dry mouth.
• Infrequent urination.
• Intense color of urine and pungent smell.

If dehydration is present, it is important to ensure that the child is drinking regularly and plentifully. In the pharmacy you can buy special drugs to maintain the water-salt balance.

If the baby has diarrhea and vomiting, do not self-medicate. It is important to consult a doctor as soon as possible and get qualified help, especially in cases where the disease is provoked by viruses and bacteria. Remember that such symptoms can indicate very dangerous pathologies.

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The article was written under the editorship of an expert, pediatrician, doctor of the highest category Storcheus Natalia Yurievna. To undergo the treatment mentioned in the article materials, you need to contact a specialist. The information in the article is not a call for self-treatment!

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Diarrhea in a puppy – causes and treatment of indigestion

17. Aug

Every dog ​​owner sooner or later faces an intestinal disorder in his pet. It is especially common for puppies to have diarrhea. Usually they can eat something on the street while the owner is distracted for a second. This condition must be taken very seriously. Diarrhea in a puppy can lead to rapid dehydration and death of a pet.

Very often, diarrhea in a puppy occurs due to a sudden change in food. First of all, you need to remember that it is necessary to introduce new food into the dog’s diet gradually. You can add new food to the main food. Or give it once a day, and give the rest of the feeding the puppy’s normal food. Maybe the food is simply not suitable, then this is checked by a complete rejection of this food.

If the puppy has diarrhea, then you need to stop feeding altogether for a while. Instead of food, it is better to give the puppy boiled water. The baby without fail needs to measure the temperature (rectally). Dogs have a much higher normal body temperature than humans. So, the body temperature of a dog can vary from 38 to 39degrees. Body temperature also depends on the breed of the dog.

If the puppy’s body temperature does not meet the above values, then you need to urgently contact a veterinary clinic. Self-treatment of diarrhea in puppies may not be effective if the diarrhea started due to an infection in the body.

The main reason for contacting a veterinarian is the presence of blood in the animal’s feces and also vomiting. If the puppy does not have a temperature and vomiting, then you can try to cope with diarrhea on your own. It is better not to feed the dog at all during the day. To prevent dehydration, the pet should be given a solution of rehydron. The daily amount of the solution must be determined based on the age and weight of the puppy. To prevent toxins from entering the body, the puppy is given adsorbents. This is activated carbon or polyphepan. Also, to stop diarrhea, a pet can be given a smect. If there are cramps and pains in the abdomen, you can give the puppy half a No-shpa tablet, and the other half in an hour.

If the puppy’s diarrhea has stopped, he can be gradually fed. Initially, the pet can be given rice water, as well as various decoctions and infusions recognized by folk medicine. You can also make tea, which can be slightly sweetened. Approximately two or three days after the end of diarrhea, you need to keep the puppy on a non-strict diet. These few days the puppy can be given boiled rice. They also give low-fat cottage cheese, lean broths, as well as boiled chicken breast.

It is advisable to give the baby special preparations that will restore and improve the microflora of his intestines. But at the same time, you should not buy them for your dog yourself.