If you have persistent diarrhoea and your GP is unable to find the cause, they may refer you to your local hospital for further investigation. Diarrhoea will usually clear up without treatment after a few days, particularly if it's caused by an infection.
In children, diarrhoea will usually pass within 5 to 7 days and will rarely last longer than 2 weeks. In adults, diarrhoea usually improves within 2 to 4 days, although some infections can last a week or more. While waiting for your diarrhoea to pass, you can ease your symptoms by following the advice outlined below.
It's important to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration , particularly if you're also vomiting. Take small, frequent sips of water. Ideally, adults should drink a lot of liquids that contain water, salt, and sugar. Examples are water mixed with juice and soup broth.
If you're drinking enough fluid, your urine will be light yellow or almost clear. It's also very important for babies and small children not to become dehydrated. Give your child frequent sips of water, even if they are vomiting. A small amount is better than none. If you're breastfeeding or bottle feeding your baby and they have diarrhoea, you should continue to feed them as normal.
Contact your GP immediately if you or your child develop any symptoms of dehydration. Your GP or pharmacist may suggest using an oral rehydration solution ORS to prevent dehydration if you're at risk — for example, if you're frail or elderly. ORS can also be used to treat dehydration that has already occurred. Rehydration solutions usually come in sachets available from your local pharmacist without a prescription. They are dissolved in water and replace salt, glucose, and other important minerals that are lost if you are dehydrated.
Your GP or pharmacist may recommend giving your child an ORS if they are dehydrated or at risk of becoming dehydrated. The usual recommendation is for your child to drink an ORS each time they have an episode of diarrhoea. The amount they should drink will depend on their size and weight. Your pharmacist can advise you about this. The manufacturer's instructions should also give information about the recommended dose. You may be able to give your baby an ORS if they become dehydrated, but check with your GP, pharmacist, or health visitor first.
Opinion is divided over when and what you should eat if you have diarrhoea. However, most experts agree you should eat solid food as soon as you feel able to. Eat small, light meals and avoid fatty or spicy foods. Good examples are potatoes, rice, bananas, soup, and boiled vegetables. Salty foods help the most.
You don't need to eat if you've lost your appetite, but you should continue to drink fluids and eat as soon as you feel able to. If your child is dehydrated, do not give them any solid food until they have drunk enough fluids. Once they have stopped showing signs of dehydration, they can start eating their normal diet.
If your child is not dehydrated, offer them their normal diet. If they refuse to eat, continue to give them fluids and wait until their appetite returns. Antidiarrhoeal medicines may help reduce your diarrhoea and slightly shorten how long it lasts.
However, they're not usually necessary. Loperamide is the main antidiarrhoeal medicine used, as it has been shown to be effective and causes few side effects. Loperamide slows down the muscle movements in your gut so more water is absorbed from your stools. This makes your stools firmer and they're passed less frequently. An alternative to loperamide is a different type of antidiarrhoeal medicine called racecadotril, which works by reducing the amount of water produced by the small intestine.
Evidence suggests this medication may be as effective as loperamide for treating diarrhoea. Some antidiarrhoeal medicines can be bought from a pharmacy without a prescription. Check the patient information leaflet that comes with the medicine to find out whether it's suitable for you and what dose you should take.
Ask your pharmacist for advice if you're unsure. Do not take antidiarrhoeal medicines if there is blood or mucus in your stools or you have a high temperature fever.
Instead, you should contact your GP for advice. Most antidiarrhoeal medicines should not be given to children. Racecadotril can be used in children over 3 months old if it's combined with oral rehydration and the other measures mentioned above, although not all doctors recommend it.
Painkillers will not treat diarrhoea, but paracetamol or ibuprofen can help relieve a fever and a headache. If necessary, you can give your child liquid paracetamol or ibuprofen. Always read the patient information leaflet that comes with the medication to check if it's suitable for you or your child and find out the correct dose.
Children under 16 years of age should not be given aspirin. Treatment with antibiotics is not recommended for diarrhoea if the cause is unknown.
This is because antibiotics:. Antibiotics may be recommended if you have severe diarrhoea and a specific type of bacteria has been identified as the cause. They may also be used if you have an underlying health problem, such as a weakened immune system. Occasionally, hospital treatment may be needed if you or your child are seriously dehydrated.
Treatment will involve administering fluids and nutrients directly into a vein intravenously. If you've been diagnosed with a specific condition that's causing your diarrhoea, treating this may help improve your symptoms. Read more about common causes of diarrhoea.
To prevent the spread of infections that cause diarrhoea, you should always maintain high standards of hygiene. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Experiencing diarrhea right after you eat is known as postprandial diarrhea. It may just have started occurring, in which case it is acute, or you may have had it for a long time and it is a chronic condition. Learning about the common causes of diarrhea after meals will help you be able to work with your healthcare provider on an effective treatment plan.
Any new or ongoing digestive symptom should be brought to the attention of your healthcare provider so that you can obtain an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. Although diarrhea after eating may be the result of one of the health conditions described here, it can also be a sign of other serious diseases. Acute diarrhea is a sudden onset of diarrhea episodes.
Diarrhea due to any cause may occur after eating, as the simple act of eating stimulates muscle movement within your large intestine to empty your bowels. When you have an underlying cause such as an infection, food poisoning, or IBS, these contractions may be stronger and more painful than usual and come with a sense of urgency. These may be causes of acute diarrhea:. Follow these tips when you have a bout of diarrhea:.
You should call your healthcare provider immediately if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:. An ongoing problem with diarrhea after meals may be due to a wide variety of health problems that have chronic diarrhea as a symptom.
If you have one of these disorders, the simple act of eating a meal may serve as a trigger for diarrhea episodes. Addressing the underlying illness can help to bring about relief from the symptom of running to the bathroom after meals:.
Follow these tips if you have ongoing problems with diarrhea after eating:. New theories are emerging to suggest that something else might be going on for some patients who have been diagnosed with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome IBS-D.
Research on postprandial diarrhea is quite limited. Here are avenues that preliminary research has identified. Two IBS researchers, Drs. Money and Camilleri, have proposed three possible causes for what they call "postprandial diarrhea syndrome. They believe three diagnoses should be considered: bile acid malabsorption BAM , pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, and glucosidase deficiency.
Excessive amounts of gastric acid have long been associated with the development of gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD. A small study found that GERD medications given to a group of IBS-D patients resulted in a significant decrease in symptoms of diarrhea and postprandial urgency. However, this finding has not been replicated. A group of researchers found that, compared to healthy control subjects, IBS-D patients have lower amounts of water in the small intestine and it passes through quicker to the large intestine, which may contribute to postprandial diarrhea.
If true, the development of medications that would slow transit time and thus better regulate the flow of liquid into the large intestine may be of value. Clearly, research into the factors behind postprandial diarrhea in IBS is quite limited, and therefore no definitive conclusions can be drawn. In addition, despite the variety of plausible theories explaining the problem, data regarding treatments for this condition don't exist, so it's unclear thus far which treatments will help patients, and which do not.
Hopefully, further research will shed more light on the subject and offer some effective treatment options. In the meantime, if you tend to experience urgent diarrhea episodes after eating, discuss the subject with your healthcare provider to see if any of the proposed interventions would be a safe option for you.
When diarrhea happens right after eating it becomes hard to enjoy a meal. You may become wary of what to eat and anxious about eating anything at all. You are not alone. Many people have this symptom. Work with your healthcare provider to find the underlying cause. You may be able to find solutions so you can enjoy your meals without fear of needing to rush to the restroom. Some foods are more likely to cause diarrhea and may include foods high in sugar, dairy products, gluten-containing foods, fried foods or foods high in fat, spicy foods, and caffeine.
These foods include wheat, rye, onions, garlic, artificial sweeteners, beans, pistachios, asparagus, and artichokes. In addition to diarrhea, a person with food poisoning may experience stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Eggs, poultry, soft cheeses, or raw foods are the most common culprits of this type of infection and diarrhea. Some people have an allergy to milk or are not able to digest lactose, which is the sugar in milk.
This means that if they drink or eat milk, it can cause diarrhea, cramping, and gas. Some parasites, most commonly found in food, can cause acute diarrhea.
The symptoms tend to last until the parasite is identified and removed. These types of parasites are not common in developed countries and are usually contracted while traveling. Acute diarrhea is common in young children who drink a lot of sugary drinks, such as fruit juice. The high amount of sugar causes water to enter the intestines, making the stool more watery. Some antibiotics can cause a stomach upset and acute diarrhea. The symptoms tend to resolve once the antibiotics are stopped.
Chronic diarrhea is diarrhea that lasts for at least 4 weeks , with a minimum of three loose or watery bowel movements each day. Potential causes of chronic diarrhea may include:. IBS is a relatively common condition. Usually, it can be controlled with dietary changes, medication, and stress management strategies. Inflammatory bowel disease IBD is an autoimmune disease, where the immune system causes inflammation and irritability in the intestines.
Both cause persistent diarrhea, cramping, weight loss, and tiredness. Some hormonal disorders, such as hyperthyroidism and diabetes , can cause chronic diarrhea, especially if there is nerve damage to the intestinal tract.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that prevents people consuming gluten, the protein found in wheat and wheat products. People with this condition have diarrhea whenever they eat food that contains wheat, barley, or rye.
Diarrhea can lead to dehydration if the lost fluids are not replaced. People with mild to moderate diarrhea can use the following to replace lost fluids:. Someone with acute diarrhea should eat bland foods until their stomach is starting to feel better.
Bananas , rice, soup, and crackers are particularly easy to digest and can help to harden stool. As long as there is no fever or blood in the stools, medications can be used to reduce the frequency of loose stools. These will not cure the cause of diarrhea but can make someone feel better and cut down the fluid loss. Hand-washing and other hygiene measures are crucial to prevent the spread of diarrhea if it has been caused by an infection.
This is because very young and very old people are extremely prone to diarrhea and dehydration. People with diarrhea that does not improve with home measures or within 48 hours should see their doctor. A doctor will take a thorough history, do a physical exam, and may order additional diagnostic tests.
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