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Things that stop diarrhea. 15 Common Causes and How To Treat Diarrhea

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What causes diarrhea? How can you treat it? Learn about 15 common causes of diarrhea and effective ways to find relief.

Causes of Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a common condition that can be caused by a variety of factors. Some of the most common causes include:

  1. Viral Infections: Viruses, such as the “stomach flu” or “intestinal flu,” are a leading cause of diarrhea. These viral infections can irritate the digestive system and lead to loose, watery stools.
  2. Bacterial Infections: Bacteria, including E. coli, Salmonella, and Shigella, can also cause diarrhea, often as a result of food poisoning.
  3. Parasitic Infections: Certain parasites, such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium, can infect the intestines and lead to diarrhea.
  4. Medications: Some medications, including antibiotics, laxatives, and certain cancer treatments, can have diarrhea as a side effect.
  5. Food Allergies and Intolerances: Allergies or intolerances to specific foods, such as lactose or gluten, can cause diarrhea.
  6. Chronic Conditions: Certain chronic conditions, like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), can also lead to episodes of diarrhea.
  7. Stress and Anxiety: Emotional stress and anxiety can disrupt the normal functioning of the digestive system and contribute to diarrhea.

Symptoms of Diarrhea

The primary symptom of diarrhea is loose, watery stools. Other common symptoms include:

  • Abdominal cramps or pain
  • Nausea and/or vomiting
  • Bloating
  • Urgent need to have a bowel movement
  • Dehydration (if diarrhea is severe and prolonged)

When to Seek Medical Attention

Most cases of diarrhea are mild and resolve within a few days. However, it’s important to seek medical attention if you experience any of the following:

  1. Diarrhea lasting more than 2 days in adults or 24 hours in children
  2. Severe abdominal pain or cramps
  3. Blood or mucus in the stool
  4. Fever above 101°F (38.3°C)
  5. Signs of dehydration, such as excessive thirst, dry mouth, and decreased urination
  6. Diarrhea after returning from a foreign country
  7. Persistent or worsening symptoms in individuals with underlying medical conditions, such as cancer or inflammatory bowel disease

Diagnosing the Cause of Diarrhea

To determine the cause of diarrhea, your healthcare provider may perform the following tests:

  • Medical History and Physical Exam: Your provider will ask about your symptoms, medical history, and any recent travel or dietary changes.
  • Blood Tests: Blood tests can help identify underlying medical conditions that may be contributing to your diarrhea.
  • Stool Tests: Stool samples may be analyzed to check for the presence of bacteria, parasites, or other pathogens.
  • Imaging Tests: In some cases, your provider may order imaging tests, such as a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy, to examine the digestive tract.

Treating Diarrhea

The treatment for diarrhea depends on the underlying cause. In many cases, diarrhea can be managed with the following strategies:

  1. Hydration: Drink plenty of fluids, such as water, broth, and electrolyte-rich sports drinks, to replace lost fluids and prevent dehydration.
  2. Dietary Changes: Avoid dairy products, caffeine, and high-fat or high-fiber foods, which can worsen diarrhea. Instead, opt for bland, easily digestible foods like bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.
  3. Over-the-Counter Medications: Medications like bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) or loperamide (Imodium) can help slow down and firm up stool.
  4. Probiotics: Consuming probiotic-rich foods or supplements may help restore the balance of beneficial gut bacteria and alleviate diarrhea.
  5. Treatment for Underlying Conditions: If the diarrhea is caused by a chronic condition, such as Crohn’s disease or IBS, your healthcare provider may recommend specific treatments to address the underlying issue.

Preventing Diarrhea

To help prevent diarrhea, consider the following strategies:

  • Practice good hand hygiene, especially before handling food and after using the bathroom.
  • Avoid consuming undercooked or contaminated food and water, especially when traveling to developing countries.
  • Manage stress and anxiety, which can disrupt the normal functioning of the digestive system.
  • Maintain a healthy, balanced diet that includes probiotic-rich foods to support gut health.
  • If you have a chronic condition that can cause diarrhea, work closely with your healthcare provider to manage your symptoms.

When Diarrhea Becomes Chronic

If your diarrhea lasts for more than 4 weeks, it is considered chronic. Chronic diarrhea can have a significant impact on your quality of life and may be a sign of an underlying medical condition. If you experience persistent or worsening diarrhea, it’s important to consult your healthcare provider. They can help determine the cause and develop an appropriate treatment plan to manage your symptoms and address the underlying issue.

15 Common Causes and How To Treat It

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

  • What Is Diarrhea?
  • Diarrhea Causes
  • Diarrhea Symptoms
  • Serious Symptoms of Diarrhea
  • When to See a Doctor for Diarrhea
  • Diarrhea Diagnosis
  • Treatment for Diarrhea
  • Relief From Diarrhea Symptoms
  • When Diarrhea Won’t Go Away
  • More

When you have diarrhea, your bowel movements (or stools) are loose and watery. It’s common and usually not serious.

Many people get diarrhea a few times a year. It normally lasts 2 to 3 days. Some people get it more often. That could be because they have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or other conditions.

Usually, diarrhea happens because of a virus that gets into your gut. Some people call it “intestinal flu” or “stomach flu.”

Other causes include:

  • Allergies to certain foods
  • Diseases of the intestines (such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis)
  • Eating foods that upset the digestive system
  • Infection by bacteria (the cause of most types of food poisoning) or other organisms
  • Laxative abuse
  • Running (Some people get “runner’s diarrhea” for reasons that aren’t clear. )
  • Some cancers
  • Surgery on your digestive system
  • Trouble absorbing certain nutrients, also called “malabsorption”

Diarrhea may also follow constipation, especially for people who have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

You may have:

  • Bloating in your belly
  • Thin or loose stools
  • Watery stools
  • An urgent feeling that you need to have a bowel movement
  • Nausea and throwing up

Most cases of diarrhea are nothing more than a brief inconvenience. But sometimes, they warn of a serious condition. Talk with your doctor if your child has diarrhea for more than 24 hours. If you have it for more than 3 days, make an appointment.

Also, be sure to let your doctor know about your diarrhea if you have cancer, or have had recent treatment for it.

More serious symptoms of diarrhea include:

  • Blood or mucus in your stool
  • Weight loss

If you have watery stools more than three times a day and you’re not drinking enough fluids, you could become dehydrated. That can be a serious problem if it’s not treated.

Call your doctor right away if you have:

  • Blood in your diarrhea or black, tarry stools
  • A fever that is high (above 101 F) or that lasts more than 24 hours
  • Diarrhea lasting longer than 2 days
  • Nausea or throwing up that prevents you from drinking liquids to replace lost fluids
  • Severe pain in your belly (especially the right lower quadrant) or rear end
  • Diarrhea after coming back from a foreign country

These can be warning signs of things like:

  • Infection
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Pancreatitis
  • Colon cancer

Also, call your doctor right away if you have diarrhea and any of these signs of dehydration:

  • Dark urine
  • Smaller than usual amounts of urine or, in a child, fewer wet diapers than usual
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Headaches
  • Dry skin
  • Crankiness
  • Confusion

Your doctor will ask about your medical history and what medications you take, as well as what you’ve eaten or had to drink recently. They will give you a physical exam to look for signs of dehydration or belly pain.

Certain tests can help pinpoint the cause of your diarrhea, including:

  • Blood tests to look for certain diseases or disorders
  • Colonoscopy, in rare cases, in which your doctor looks inside your colon with a thin, flexible tube that holds a tiny camera and light. They can also use this device to take a small sample of tissue. Or your doctor might need to do only a sigmoidoscopy, which looks at just the lower colon.
  • Stool tests to look for bacteria or parasites

If your case is mild, you may not need to take anything. Adults can take an over-the-counter medicine such as bismuth subsalicylate or loperamide, which you can get as liquids or tablets.

You also need to stay hydrated. You should drink at least six 8-ounce glasses of fluids each day. Choose electrolyte replacement drinks or soda without caffeine. Chicken broth (without the fat), tea with honey, and sports drinks are also good choices. Instead of drinking liquids with your meals, drink liquids between meals. Sip small amounts of fluids often. Liquid probiotics may also help.

Your rectal area may become sore because of all the bowel movements that diarrhea brings. You may have itching, burning, or pain when you go to the bathroom.

For relief, take a warm bath or sitz bath. Afterward, pat the area dry (don’t rub) with a clean, soft towel. You may also try using a hemorrhoid cream or petroleum jelly on the affected area. If this continues for several days, you should contact your doctor.

If you still have diarrhea after 4 weeks, then you have chronic diarrhea.

To figure out the cause, your doctor will want to know your symptoms and medical history. You’ll get the most out of your appointment if you can tell them:

  • How long you’ve had diarrhea
  • Whether your diarrhea comes and goes, or is continuous
  • If you think certain foods and situations make things better or worse
  • If your stool looks bloody, oily, fatty, or watery
  • Other symptoms you have and how long you’ve had them
  • If you have a family history of chronic diarrhea
  • Places you’ve traveled to recently
  • Unusual foods you’ve tried in the last little while
  • Any medication or supplements you’re taking
  • If you’ve lost a lot of weight

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Dos and Don’ts for Quick Relief of Diarrhea

If you’re suffering from diarrhea, a condition that can be caused by bacteria, viruses, medication, foods, or various digestive disorders, there are things to do — and not do — so you can feel better fast.

Diarrhea is defined as having three or more loose, watery stools a day. It’s unpleasant and can also be dangerous if left untreated. So if you have it, it’s a good bet you’ll want to get rid of it as quickly as possible.

“The thing we worry about most is dehydration,” says Lisa Ganjhu, DO, a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Health in New York City.

Signs of dehydration include:

  • Thirst
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Dark-colored urine or less urine than normal
  • Dry skin
  • A decrease in skin turgor, the elasticity of the skin

When you lose more water than you take in, as is the case when you have diarrhea, you also lose essential electrolytes — important minerals that are found in blood, urine, tissues, and other body fluids, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Although dehydration is the biggest worry with diarrhea, it’s not the only one. If diarrhea is severe and persists beyond a few days, complications, including kidney and urinary problems, can arise, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It could also be a symptom of a more serious condition, like Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or a sign of a more severe infection.

Follow these dos and don’ts for managing this condition so you can feel better as fast as possible.

What to Do About Fluids When You Have Diarrhea

Do drink plenty of fluids. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least 1 cup of liquid every time you have a loose bowel movement. Water, Pedialyte, fruit juices, caffeine-free soda, and salty broths are some good choices. According to the Cleveland Clinic, salt helps slow down the fluid loss, and sugar will help your body absorb the salt.

Don’t consume beverages at extreme temperatures. Consume all liquids at room temperature, or slightly warmed, advises Dr. Ganjhu. “Anything too hot or too cold can cause nausea.”

Do drink herbal tea. There is some research to suggest that products containing certain combinations of herbs may help an upset stomach. One research review cited the potential favorable effects of drinking a chamomile preparation that is combined with other herbs in treating diarrhea.

Don’t consume caffeine, alcohol, or certain sodas. Caffeine and alcohol can irritate the digestive tract and worsen diarrhea, according to the U.S. Library of Medicine. Sodas containing high-fructose corn syrup can also cause trouble when you have an upset stomach. According to a study published in the journal Healthcare, large amounts of fructose can lead to gas, bloating, and diarrhea.

Dilute your water with fruit juice. Water can sometimes be nauseating when you have diarrhea. Ganjhu recommends diluting it with fruit juice, like cranberry or apple juice, to make it easier to tolerate.

What to Do About Nutrition When You Have Diarrhea

Do stick with bland foods. One tried-and-true diet for diarrhea is the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. Low in fiber, bland, and starchy, these foods can help replace lost nutrients and firm up your stools. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), you can also try boiled potatoes, crackers, or cooked carrots.

Do eat small meals. Too much food will stimulate your gastrointestinal tract to move even more, says Ganjhu, and possibly worsen the diarrhea. Eating five or six small meals, rather than three large ones, can give your intestines a chance to digest the food more easily.

Don’t eat fried food. Prepare foods like beef, pork, chicken, fish, or turkey by baking or broiling, not frying, which can worsen diarrhea. Cooked eggs are okay, too, according to MedlinePlus.

Do eat when hunger strikes. Listen to your body and don’t force yourself to eat, which can worsen symptoms. Trust your body to tell you when — and how much — it can tolerate, notes Ganjhu.

Don’t eat fruits and vegetables that cause gas. Eating gassy food when you have diarrhea can increase intestinal gas and should be avoided. This includes fruits and vegetables like beans, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and leafy greens and sweet foods like cookies or cakes, per the Mayo Clinic.

Lifestyle Dos and Don’ts When You Have Diarrhea

Along with knowing what to eat and drink when you’re dealing with gastrointestinal woes, it’s also important to be mindful of other everyday habits to help you deal with diarrhea.

Do wash your hands. Since diarrhea can sometimes be transmitted by person-to-person contact or from contaminated hands, washing your hands after using the bathroom and before you eat or prepare food can help block possible diarrhea-causing pathogens. Handwashing can reduce episodes of diarrhea by about 30 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To wash properly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wetting your hands, then applying soap and rubbing them together for at least 20 seconds. Make sure to include the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. Rinse with clean, running water and dry thoroughly. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol can work, too.

Do know when to call the doctor. Mayo Clinic advises to seek medical help if you have any of the following symptoms:

  • Your diarrhea lasts more than two days.
  • You experience severe abdominal pain or pain in your rectum.
  • You’re dehydrated or exceptionally weak.
  • You have a fever of 102 degrees F or higher.
  • Your stools are bloody or black and tar-like.

Do consider medication. Over-the-counter (OTC) medicine containing bismuth subsalicylate (like Pepto-Bismol or Kaopectate) can help reduce intestinal inflammation and kill diarrhea-causing organisms. (Note that bismuth products can cause dark or black stools that look like blood.) Although loperamide (Imodium), another OTC antidiarrheal medication, is sometimes recommended, Ganjhu advises against it. “This is an anti-mobility, meaning that it stops your gastrointestinal tract from moving. Although it can slow down the diarrhea, it’s better instead for it to come out,” she says. “It’s your body’s way of ridding itself of any toxins.”

Don’t exercise. Strenuous exercise has the potential to cause dehydration, stomach distress, nausea, and heartburn, which can worsen your symptoms. It’s wise to avoid it until your diarrhea subsides, advises Ganjhu, who says to wait until you’re fully recovered to go back to the gym.

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  2. About the polyclinic

    • 29.01.2019
    Views: 210495

    There are several traditional remedies for diarrhea. The principle of their action is different, although in 90% of cases the cause of diarrhea is infection. Therefore, the choice of a remedy for diarrhea should take into account that this condition is only a symptom, which must be dealt with by acting on the cause.

    In an acute intestinal infection, choosing a drug that acts only on the symptom can be dangerous. For example, Imodium and its cheaper counterparts containing loperamide stop diarrhea by stimulating the gut’s opiate receptors. This leads to the fact that the tone of the locking sphincters increases, and the liquid from the feces is intensively absorbed back into the intestine. And this means that toxins, which are formed in excess as a result of infection with pathogens of intestinal infections, are also absorbed into the blood. Therefore, Loperamide is not so safe: it is forbidden to give it to children under 6 years of age.

    The best choice for an intestinal infection is a drug that acts in the intestinal lumen and eliminates pathogens, doctors say. Therefore, for diarrhea in adults and children, drugs are used – derivatives of nitrofuran. Furazolidone, which is included in this series and has been quite popular for many years, despite its low cost, due to its side effects (toxic effects on the liver), has lost the palm to Nifuroxazide, a safe antiseptic that acts exclusively in the intestines, not being absorbed into the blood. Popular and recommended by doctors and pharmacists Nifuroxazide is the European drug Enterofuril. It has three forms (capsules of 100 and 200 mg, suspensions of 200 mg / 5 ml, which can be given to children from 1 month), so it is convenient to use. It has proven itself in the rapid treatment of diarrhea caused by bacteria, however, with viral diarrhea, its use is justified, doctors say: this drug prevents bacterial complications that almost always accompany viral diarrhea.

    Foreign and Russian clinical studies have shown that the drug preserves the beneficial intestinal microflora, eliminating such common infectious agents as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Shigella – the causative agent of dysentery. The effect has also been proven against the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which plays a major role in the development of gastritis and stomach ulcers.

    When choosing Nifuroxazide for a child, you need to be careful: the dosage of Nifuroxazide recommended by the Ministry of Health for a child is 100 or 200 mg, depending on age, and in the form of a suspension of 200 mg in 5 ml. In pharmacies, there is a suspension with a higher dosage of 220 mg / 5 ml from other manufacturers, which attracts a slightly lower cost. However, it is better to follow official recommendations and not take risks, because we are talking about the health of the child.

    Nifuroxazide is important to have in the traveler’s first aid kit: a change in the usual water and food is very often the cause of “travelers’ diarrhea”, equally insidious for both children and adults. If your child is over 3 years old, then you can save money and take the universal dosage of Enterofuril 100 mg: an adult will take two capsules, and one is enough for a child. Additionally, it is recommended to use sorbents: they help to bind and remove toxins from the intestines.

    Remember that in the case of a severe intestinal infection, accompanied by dehydration, intoxication and other serious symptoms, antibiotics may be required. Therefore, in any case, you must consult a doctor.

    Attention should be paid to the prevention of diarrhea. Required:

    – Observe personal hygiene, wash hands.
    – Subject meat, milk, chicken eggs, fish to thorough heat treatment. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating.
    – If possible, boil water, especially the one that is in doubt. Avoid drinks with ice, as it is not known what water it was made from.
    – Store food properly. It is especially necessary to be careful in the summer, when the air temperature is elevated, and food deteriorates faster. If you don’t like the taste or smell of a product, throw it away immediately.

    https://www.evrika.ru/show/kak-bystro-i-nadezhno-ostanovit-diareyu/fresh_feed/3

    How to stop diarrhea – diagnosis and stages of diarrhea treatment

    Author, editor and medical expert – Zavgorodnyaya Ekaterina Aleksandrovna.

    Editor and medical expert – Harutyunyan Mariam Harutyunovna.

    Number of views: 61 201

    Date last updated: you can meet a person who has never suffered from diarrhea (diarrhea). It can occur at any age. This uncomfortable condition significantly worsens the quality of life and sometimes even requires inpatient treatment due to the development of dangerous complications. With severe or persistent diarrhea, you should consult a doctor who will select the necessary treatment to stop the diarrhea.

    Should diarrhea always be stopped?

    Diarrhea should be treated in any case, even if it is caused by the use of laxatives or laxative products, overeating or dietary errors.

    In some situations, you need to see a doctor immediately. Medical assistance will be required if fever, intoxication or dehydration has appeared and is growing (especially in children and the elderly), if blood, pus or copious mucus is found in the stool, with severe pain in the abdomen, if diarrhea has not stopped within 2 days.

    What the doctor should do when diagnosing diarrhea

    When diagnosing diarrhea, the doctor solves several problems. It is important to find out the etiology, since diarrhea can be stopped by eliminating its causes.

    Set the duration

    Be sure to determine the nature of the disorder, this is important for further examination tactics. The fact is that in acute diarrhea, it is necessary first of all to exclude an infectious cause, while in the case of a chronic process, most likely, non-infectious causes should be sought.

    Detect the presence and severity of disorders

    The doctor must identify and evaluate the severity of all possible disorders that require urgent measures. This can be dehydration, intoxication, etc.

    Exclude acute surgical diseases in the diagnosis

    An important task in diagnosing the causes of intestinal disorders is to exclude acute surgical pathology. Diarrhea syndrome can accompany acute inflammatory processes of the abdominal cavity, volvulus and intussusception of the intestine, exacerbations of chronic diseases, ulcerative necrotic or tumor lesions of different parts of the digestive system.

    What are the steps in the treatment of diarrhea

    It is not always possible to quickly and reliably determine the cause of the stool disorder. Often, therapy has to be started before the final results of various examinations are obtained, especially in the case of a severe course of the process and the development of complications. Therefore, the treatment of any type of diarrhea consists of several mandatory steps.

    Symptomatic treatment

    This is the name of the impact to eliminate the main manifestations of the disease. It does not eliminate the underlying cause of the disturbances that have arisen, but it improves the patient’s well-being and can stop the development of life-threatening conditions. First of all, rehydration is carried out to combat dehydration. The second task is to reduce the impact of toxins with the help of adsorbents. Additionally, astringents and enveloping agents are used for diarrhea. It is also important to influence intestinal motility, secretion and concomitant bloating. Symptomatic therapy is carried out against the background of a diet.

    Selection of etiotropic therapy

    According to modern views, the appointment of antimicrobial drugs is made only after the cause of diarrhea has been established. At the same time, the sensitivity of isolated pathogens to drugs is taken into account, and the treatment carried out is monitored. If the intestinal disorder is of a non-infectious nature, the doctor prescribes drugs of various groups to treat the underlying disease.

    Rehabilitative and preventive therapy

    After relief of the main symptoms of diarrhea, it is necessary to restore the disturbed intestinal microflora, to eliminate concomitant changes in the functioning of various sections of the gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes it is necessary to prescribe drugs with a sedative or antidepressant effect to normalize the functioning of the nervous system. If diarrhea was caused by endocrine pathology or diseases of internal organs, they must be compensated. In case of poisoning and intoxication, measures are taken to prevent a repeated episode of exposure to the factor.

    Application IMODIUM

    ® Express

    IMODIUM ® Express affects intestinal motility and anal sphincter tone, prolongs the passage of feces through the large intestine, reduces the secretion of water and ions, and also promotes fluid absorption.