Diarrhoea – symptoms, causes, self care and treatments

Key facts

• Most diarrhoea is mild and clears up in a few days without treatment.
• Diarrhoea has many different causes, but gastroenteritis is a common one.
• Avoiding dehydration is very important, especially for children and in older people.
• Children and older people should use oral rehydration solutions to replace fluids.
• Children should not take anti-diarrhoeal medicine.
• Ask your pharmacist or doctor before taking anti-diarrhoeal medicines — they may not be suitable for you.

What is diarrhoea?

Diarrhoea is having 3 or more loose or liquid stools (poos) in one day, or more frequently than normal. If you have diarrhoea, you will experience an increase in the volume, wateriness or frequency of your bowel movements.

Diarrhoea episodes are often caused by a stomach bug (gastroenteritis) and clear up on their own in a few days. However, there are many other causes of diarrhoea.

Most diarrhoea is mild, but it can also be severe — even needing admission to hospital.

This article covers diarrhoea in adults and children over 12 years. See diarrhoea in children for information about the symptom in young children.

What symptoms relate to diarrhoea?

As well as the loose and watery stools of diarrhoea, you may sometimes have other symptoms, including:

• nausea (feeling sick)
• vomiting
• fever
• headache
• bloating and flatulence (excess gas)
• abdominal cramps, with a colicky pattern
• stomach pains
• loss of appetite
• weakness
• dehydration

You may feel an urgent need to go to the toilet.

CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the diarrhoea and vomiting Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.

What causes diarrhoea?

Diarrhoea happens when not enough water is removed from your stool, or too much fluid is secreted into the stool, making it loose.

There are many different causes of diarrhoea. It can be caused by a short-term illness that clears up in a few days, or it may be a symptom of an ongoing problem or chronic condition.

Short-term causes of diarrhoea

Short-term diarrhoea is often due to infections, such as:

• viral gastroenteritis — for example, caused by rotavirus or norovirus-infection
• waterborne parasites, such as cryptosporidium and giardia
• bacteria that cause food poisoning, such as clostridium, salmonella, E. coli and campylobacter bacteria

Other causes of short-term diarrhoea include:

• change in diet
• certain food ingredients, for example the artificial sweeteners sorbitol and mannitol, and the natural sugar fructose
• drinking too much alcohol
• stress

Long-term causes of diarrhoea

Diarrhoea can be caused by some long-term conditions, such as:

• inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis)
• irritable bowel syndrome
• food intolerances, such as lactose intolerance
• diverticulitis
• malabsorption syndromes — for example, after bowel surgery
• encopresis / chronic constipation — where diarrhoea overflows around impacted stool stuck in the bowel

People who are immunosuppressed or have weakened immune systems, such as those living with cancer, HIV/AIDS or who have had an organ transplant, are more likely to develop ongoing diarrhoea as a result of a bout of gastroenteritis.

Treatments which can cause diarrhoea

Some medical treatments may cause diarrhoea as a side effect:

• some medicines — for example, antibiotics
• laxatives, if too many are taken
• radiotherapy involving the abdomen or pelvis
• chemotherapy

More information is available about specific causes of diarrhoea and their symptoms.

When should I see my doctor?

An isolated episode of diarrhoea will generally clear up without any treatment.

Seek medical advice if you have any of the following:

• ongoing or severe diarrhoea
• blood and/or mucus in your stool (poo)
• fever as well as diarrhoea
• unexplained weight loss
• diarrhoea at night
• signs of dehydration (feeling tired, decreased urination, thirst and dry mouth)

Ongoing diarrhoea can lead to dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance, making it dangerous — especially to the very young or older people, who can be affected very quickly.

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How is diarrhoea diagnosed?

Diarrhoea can be diagnosed based on your symptoms and a medical history, taken by your doctor. If the diarrhoea goes away after a few days you may not find the cause.

Sometimes, tests will be needed to diagnose an underlying condition. These include:

• blood tests
• stool tests
• endoscopy or colonoscopy
• biopsy (very rarely)

If you have ongoing diarrhoea, your doctor may refer you to a gastroenterologist or other specialist to work out the underlying cause.

ASK YOUR DOCTOR — Preparing for an appointment? Use the Question Builder for general tips on what to ask your GP or specialist.

How is diarrhoea treated?

In the case of simple short-term episodes of diarrhoea, which usually clear up by themselves in healthy people, you will probably be able to manage your symptoms through home care.

You should try to do the following:

• rest at home
• stay off work or school until you have not had a loose bowel motion for 24 hours
• drink clear fluids or oral rehydration solution to replace lost fluids — take small sips if you feel sick
• avoid fruit juice, cordials and sugary drinks — they will prolong the diarrhoea
• avoid alcohol and caffeine
• manage your diet until you get back to normal — eat bland foods, such as rice, pasta and crackers, and avoid fatty foods or those high in insoluble fibre

Oral rehydration solutions

These are available over the counter from your pharmacist. For older people and children, oral rehydration solutions are a better choice than plain water. They are made specifically to replace both fluids and electrolytes (important minerals that your body needs to function) in the right concentrations. Sports rehydration drinks are not recommended.

Anti-diarrhoeal medicines

Anti-diarrhoeal medicines should not be used to treat a diarrhoea attack in babies or children.

Your pharmacist or doctor will be able to advise you if you are thinking of taking over-the-counter anti-diarrhoeal medicines. They are not suitable for use in the case of diarrhoea caused by certain specific infections. Do not take them if you have a fever or have blood in your stool.

Remember that diarrhoea is your body’s way of getting rid of a gastrointestinal infection, so these medicines should not be taken long term because they slow your gut and may prolong your illness.

Anti-vomiting drugs

Anti-emetics may be prescribed by your doctor if you have gastroenteritis and are having problems due to vomiting.

Intravenous fluids

People who are not able to adequately rehydrate — for example, because they are vomiting — may need to be given intravenous fluids via a drip.

Antibiotics

Most sudden attacks of diarrhoea are caused by viruses and so antibiotics, which are only used to treat bacterial infections, are of no use. If your doctor determines — usually through testing a stool sample — that your diarrhoea is due to a bacterial or parasitic infection, then they may prescribe antibiotics.

Dietary changes

If you are experiencing diarrhoea for dietary reasons or due to irritable bowel syndrome, an accredited practising dietitian (APD) should be able to suggest some dietary changes.

What complications are associated with diarrhoea?

Diarrhoea may cause dehydration. More fluids are lost from the body when you have diarrhoea than normally. Dehydration can lead to a loss of electrolytes — minerals your body needs to function properly. This is why rehydration is so important.

Diarrhoea causes food to move quickly through your body. If this is ongoing it makes it difficult for you to absorb nutrients and can lead to malnutrition.

Some people may develop temporary lactose intolerance after an episode of diarrhoea or gastroenteritis. See your doctor if the symptoms continue for more than a couple of weeks.

Can diarrhoea be prevented?

Gastroenteritis — the most common cause of diarrhoea — is highly infectious, and mostly spread by contact with another person who has the illness, or from contaminated food.

These measures can help to stop the spread:

• wash hands frequently using a good handwashing technique
• follow proper food-safety practices
• if a household member has diarrhoea, they should not prepare food for the other members, and everyone should follow regular handwashing and hygiene practices
• someone who has diarrhoea should not visit hospitals, aged care facilities, or swimming pools
• babies can be vaccinated against rotavirus

Resources and support

If you need advice on what to do if you have diarrhoea, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria) to speak with a registered nurse, 24 hours, 7 days a week.

For more information and support, try these resources:

• The Gut Foundation
• GESA (Gastroenterological Society of Australia)

For information in languages other than English:

• Health translations — Gastroenteritis
• Health translations — Foodborne disease

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources:

• The Continence Foundation of Australia — Indigenous resources on bladder and bowel problems.

Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.

How to Treat Diarrhea Caused by Your Treatments and Medications

‎If you are having diarrhea, here are some things you can do:

• If you have to stay in bed, use a bedside commode (portable toilet) when possible. 
• Keep a record of your bowel movements (“poops”) and what you eat.
• Keep a list of foods that cause you more problems and try not to eat them. 
• Eating can often trigger a bowel movement. Try to schedule activities so you have enough time to go poop before planned activities.

Take care of your skin

When you have diarrhea, the skin around your anus (opening to your “bum”), can get irritated and sore.  

To protect your skin, keep the anal area clean with soap and water. 

If your skin has broken down (you have open sores or chapped skin) you can use a special cleanser. Ask your health care team if you do not know what cleanser to use.  

You can also take sitz baths (warm, shallow baths) to soothe the area. Ask your health care team for more information about this.

Food ideas to help with diarrhea 

• You may find the following nutrition tips helpful:
• Drink at least 1.5 – 2 litres (6-8 cups) of fluids every day. This will help keep you hydrated. It may help to sip fluids slowly. 
• Examples of fluids are water, juice, liquid nutritional drinks such as Ensure®, sports drinks, soups or broths and herbal tea. Limit drinks with caffeine and alcohol. These can bother your bowels.
• Eat small, frequent meals and snacks. Try to eat every 2-3 hours.
• Try not to eat too many high-fibre foods such as whole grain breads and cereals with bran, nuts, and seeds. Choose white bread or pasta, white rice, meat, poultry, eggs, and tofu. 
• Remove skins, seeds and fibres from fruits and vegetables. 
• Try not to eat too much corn, broccoli, beans, green leafy vegetables, prunes, berries, dried fruit, chickpeas and lentils.
• Do not eat spicy, deep-fried, or greasy foods.

If it makes your diarrhea worse, do not eat or drink milk and milk products. Lactaid® milk or milk substitutes, such as soy drinks, may be better for you.

If you are not sure what to eat or drink, talk to your health care team.

People with severe dehydration may need to get intravenous fluids (fluids given to you by putting a needle attached to a tube into your vein).

If you follow the instructions in this handout and your diarrhea is still not under control, ask to see a BC Cancer dietitian.  

If you are losing weight or you do not have an appetite, ask to see a BC Cancer Dietitian. 

You can also call 8-1-1 to speak to an oncology dietitian at Health Link BC.

Probiotics

There is not enough evidence to support the use of probiotics. Although probiotics might benefit you, there is a risk for patients with neutropenia (low white blood cell count).  

If you have neutropenia, your immune system is not working as well as it should. The bacteria in probiotics could give you an infection.

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Eating habits as a cause of diarrhea

Author, editor and medical expert – Zavgorodnyaya Ekaterina Aleksandrovna.

Editor and medical expert – Harutyunyan Mariam Harutyunovna.

Number of views: 116 719

Date last updated: Content:

Eating habits
Food and drink
How to identify harmful foods and eating habits
How to treat diarrhea

The appearance of diarrhea may be due to special eating habits that affect the functioning of the digestive system.

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Eating Habits

Below are some of the most common causes of diarrhea associated with eating habits:

• fast food intake. Only 20 minutes after eating, the stomach sends a signal to the brain that you are full. Therefore, at a fast pace of eating, you run the risk of overeating and creating an extra load on the stomach.

• rapid swallowing of food. When swallowed quickly, in addition to food, air also enters the stomach, which can cause flatulence and poor digestion.

• eating heavy meals in large portions. The body needs more time to digest such foods and dishes, while the digestive system has to work harder.

• late meal. In the evening, your digestive system works with minimal impact (the speed slows down, the kidneys and other organs begin to rest).

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Food and Drink

We are all different. In some people, a certain product can cause diarrhea (diarrhea), while others tolerate it perfectly and even use it as a sedative. It is worth mentioning here some foods and dishes that can usually cause diarrhea:

• alcohol. Your favorite wine or any other alcoholic drink can irritate the stomach. Drinks affect the human body in different ways, so you should determine which ones are not suitable for you and avoid drinking them.

• spicy food. Recent studies show that fatty and spicy foods, such as Chinese or Indian cuisine, can cause abdominal pain in those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. Experts believe that this is due to the complex substances that make up the chili pepper.

• fried and fatty foods. When digesting and processing such foods, natural gastrointestinal contractions become more intense, which can exacerbate the symptoms of diarrhea.

• excess fruit or vegetables. Excessive consumption of prunes, kiwifruit, legumes, broccoli, or cabbage can cause diarrhea in some people.

• dairy products. Milk, cheese, sour cream and other dairy products can cause diarrhea in some people. Replace them with non-dairy products like almonds or soy milk.

• coffee and tea. Caffeine is considered a trigger factor (starting the disorder process) for many people suffering from digestive disorders. Try to limit the amount of alcohol-containing drinks consumed and replace them with herbal tea.

• sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol and fructose, found in diet drinks, sweets, and chewing gum, can cause diarrhea in part because they are poorly absorbed by the small intestine. Look at the composition of the products on the packaging and try to choose natural substitutes.

Remember that the symptoms of diarrhea are caused not only by the foods that you consumed today, but also by those that entered your body yesterday. In addition, the cause of diarrhea may be the size of the serving and how quickly and at what time you ate food.

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How to Identify Unhealthy Foods and Eating Habits

If you have diarrhea, it could be due to certain foods or the way you eat them. You can identify foods or eating habits that are bad for you by using a diary, where you describe what food you eat every day, when and how you do it, so that you can then compare your notes with the symptoms that bother you.

Read tips on dieting and managing eating habits

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How to treat diarrhea

Of course, diarrhea must be treated.