Seattle Children’s Urgent Care Locations
If your childâs illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.
Be Careful About Bringing Antibiotics With You
In the past, doctors would often suggest that people from the United States pre-pack antibiotics with them in case travelers diarrhea strikes. But Lee says the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction. Lee explains that decades of travelers from resource-rich countries to the developing world has bred antibiotic-resistant E. coli, for instance, which would render antibiotics useless.
Another point about pre-packing antibiotics involves the fact that a lot of antibiotics can wipe out the good bacteria that can help protect you from infections, she adds.
The CDC recommends that you always ask your doctor first before taking any antibiotics with you on a trip overseas.
What is a good alternative? Lee says that packing something like Pepto-Bismol, which reduces inflammation and neutralizes acidity in the stomach, can help. And dont be alarmed if you notice the pink Pepto-Bismol substance turns your stool color black. Lee says this is a normal reaction. She says you can buy any generic brand of bismuth in a drug store.
What Does Typical Baby Poop Looks Like
Theres no one answer to what baby poop should look like. Opening a diaper might reveal a rainbow of colors and textures. This is because babies can have different kinds of watery poop or diarrhea at different ages and stages.
In fact, theres even a color chart to help parents and caregivers figure out whats going on with a little ones poops. A rule of thumb for poop: Any earthy color is just fine!
Your newborns very first poop is called meconium and doesnt even smell bad. Thats because its not really poop, but just a babys way of cleaning out their intestines from all that time in the womb.
Meconium poop is black to green and looks greasy or tarry. You might see a bit of it mixed in with other poop for a day or two more.
After a few days, your babys poop will turn into a yellow mustard color. It might be watery and loose, but its still not diarrhea unless your baby is passing more poops than normal.
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Can Otc Antidiarrheal Medicines Cause Problems With Other Medicines I Take
Taking certain medicines with antidiarrheal medicines can increase your risk for side effects. Bismuth subsalicylate also may affect some medicines, causing them not to work as well. Ask your doctor before taking loperamide or bismuth subsalicylate if you also take
- Medicines for arthritis
- Medicines for diabetes
Also ask your doctor before taking bismuth subsalicylate if you take pain relievers or cold medicines. These medicines may contain aspirin, which is a salicylate. You may get too much salicylate if you take more than one of these medicines at a time.
What Can I Do To Feel Better
You’ll feel better if you stay well hydrated, so drink lots of water. Electrolytes are also lost and need to be replaced because the body cannot function properly without them. Try sipping broth or soup, which contain sodium, and diluted fruit juice , which contains potassium.
When you feel ready to eat something more substantial, try soft fruits or vegetables, which also contain potassium. Avoid milk products and fatty, high-fiber, or very sweet foods until the diarrhea eases. And don’t drink sports drinks or soft drinks â they contain electrolytes, but their high sugar content can make diarrhea worse.
As uncomfortable as diarrhea may be, it is usually short-lived. Drink enough fluids and follow your doctor’s instructions, and you feel better in no time.
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Fda Urges Makers Of Diarrhea Drug To Help Stop Abuse
In most cases of diarrhea, over-the-counter medications can help ease the discomfort that comes with the condition.
These options include loperamide and bismuth subsalicylate .
However, while these medications may make you feel better sooner, its important to keep in mind that they may keep any parasites, bacteria, or viruses in your system longer. If diarrhea lasts longer than a few days, see your doctor as additional treatment may be needed.
Taking Precautions When Traveling
The risk of food poisoning is higher when traveling to countries with poor sanitation. As such, people should take the following precautions when traveling to such destinations:
- Eat well-cooked foods, especially meat, seafood, and dairy produce.
- Avoid raw fruits and vegetables unless it is possible to peel the produce.
- Drink only bottled water and other drinks in their original bottles.
- Do not consume tap water or ice, and do not use tap water for brushing teeth. However, boiled tap water is typically safe to drink.
- Check for travel warnings for disease outbreaks in the destination country.
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What About Baby Diarrhea
Newborn babies normally have soft, squishy poops, especially if theyre breastfed only. They also poop a lot sometimes several times a day. So it can be hard to know if they have diarrhea or not.
However, if your infant has stools that are very runny or larger in size maybe even leaking out of their diaper and are more frequent than usual, then they have diarrhea.
If your baby is partly or completely formula-fed, they might have less watery or loose poops. Formula milk usually gives babies firmer poops that are light tan in color. Diarrhea in formula-fed babies will still be a bit watery, though the color can vary just as with normal stool.
When To Seek Medical Help
You should never ignore diarrhea. If you have tried the above-listed home remedies and still have loose stools, call your doctor or your pharmacist. They might recommend over-the-counter medicine that can help.
On the other hand, you should see a doctor right away if you or your child have persistent or severe diarrhea or show signs of dehydration, such as:
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Normal Occurrence Of Diarrhea
Diarrhea can be an indication of serious illness especially in young children but in some cases it has a much simpler cause and can be easily cured.
If there are simply frequent loose stools three or more times per day without other symptoms of illness, the most common cause is food or drink.
Overuse of caffeine, beer, or wine has a laxative effect on some individuals. The artificial sweeteners sorbitol and mannitol are known laxatives, as are some herbal supplements and some over-the-counter vitamin and mineral preparations.
Lactose intolerance, or the inability to digest the natural sugar in milk, causes digestive upset and diarrhea.
Diarrhea can cause dehydration and mineral imbalance no matter what the cause, so it is still important to manage it.
The best treatment is to remove some items or supplements from the diet and watch the results. This will show which items are causing the diarrhea.
It’s always wise to use any new supplements in moderation so that if the trouble recurs, the cause will be plain.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: diarrhea, mild diarrhea
Symptoms that always occur with normal occurrence of diarrhea: diarrhea
Symptoms that never occur with normal occurrence of diarrhea: bloody diarrhea, severe diarrhea, worsening diarrhea, being severely ill, ill appearance
Urgency: Self-treatment
Effective Home Remedies & Techniques How To Get Rid Of Diarrhea
1. Eat Liquid Food
When you suffer from diarrhea, the important thing on how to get rid of diarrhea naturally is to avoid giving more pressure on your digestive system. It is said that patients with diarrhea should choose liquid foods rather than solid foods to eat. Moreover, it is better to consume liquid foods in a small amount.
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Why Do You Get Diarrhea With Covid
COVID-19 can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms as the virus affects the digestive tract. A review of 38 studies, covering more than 8,000 people diagnosed with COVID-19, found about 12% experienced diarrhea symptoms. The research suggests an association between more severe COVID-19 cases and diarrhea, with a call for early diagnosis and treatment.
Isnt It Better To Treat The Root Cause Of The Problem
Its true that its better to avoid trigger foods or stresses, if these are the factors that bring on diarrhea for you. But often you cant control the cause of your diarrhea, especially if you have a sensitive system. So the best you can do is treat the effects in order to limit the extra strain on your system caused by loss of fluids and salts. Treatment will stop your diarrhea and help your body to get back to recovery more quickly than if you dont treat at all.
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Switch Medications Or Treat Underlying Problems
Diarrhea may be a resulting symptom of a more serious health condition, such as a food allergy or an inflammatory bowel disease like Crohns or ulcerative colitis. Your doctor will work with you to figure out the underlying issue through testing and come up with an appropriate treatment plan.
Sometimes, diarrhea may be a side effect of medication youre taking to treat another health problem. If thats the case, your healthcare provider may alter the dose or switch you to another medication.
Tips To Prevent Dehydration
- Replace electrolytes
If you have nausea or vomiting, taking tiny, frequent sips rather than big gulps can help the fluids stay down.
Water should be your primary drink, but you should also address a potential electrolyte imbalance caused by watery diarrhea.
Electrolytes are charged particles, like sodium and potassium, that are key to your body’s health. They are found in a wide variety of sources, but if youre not feeling well, the easiest place to get them is through drinking beverages with a small amount of salt.
Sports drinks and special hydration fluids like Pedialyte work well, or you can make your own. Just add a pinch of salt and a small amount of sugar to lemon water.
Caffeinated and alcoholic beverages should be avoided. These can block your body from absorbing fluids, making you urinate more often than you normally would and speeding up fluid loss.
Be sure to avoid dehydration as your watery diarrhea symptoms get better on their own. If you do see a healthcare provider, they will ask questions about your symptoms, perform a physical exam, and run tests that can help guide treatment.
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When To See A Healthcare Provider
In many cases, diarrhea will clear up in a few days without the need for treatment or seeing a healthcare provider.¹
However, you should contact your healthcare provider if you have diarrhea and:²
- You have a fever of 102 degrees F or higher
- You are showing signs of dehydration
- You are an adult with diarrhea for more than two days
- Your child has had diarrhea for more than 24 hours
- You have severe pain in the rectum or abdomen
- You have stool that is tarry or black
- Your stool contains pus
- Your stool contains blood
What Stops Diarrhea Naturally
A diet known as BRAT may also quickly relieve diarrhea. BRAT stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. This diet is effective due to the bland nature of these foods, and the fact that theyre starchy, low-fiber foods. These foods have a binding effect in the digestive tract to make stools bulkier.
What causes sudden explosive diarrhea?
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What Procedures And Tests Diagnose Diarrhea
In healthy people with diarrhea, and who appear well otherwise, the doctor may elect to do no tests at all. Stool cultures are not usually necessary unless there is a high fever, blood in the stool, recent travel, or prolonged disease.
- Stool sample: In some cases, the healthcare professional may send a sample of the stool to the laboratory to evaluate if the cause of diarrhea can be determined . It usually takes approximately 1-2 days for the results of these tests.
- Blood test: Blood tests are sometimes necessary for patients with other medical problems or with severe disease.
- Colonoscopy: A colonoscopy is an endoscope procedure that allows the physician to view the entire colon to evaluate for infections or structural abnormalities that could cause the condition.
- Imaging tests: Imaging tests such as X-rays or CT scans are performed to rule out structural abnormalities as the cause of diarrhea, particularly when pain is a prominent symptom.
Food Poisoning By The Staphylococcus Bacteria
Food poisoning, also called foodborne illness or “stomach flu,” is an acute infection of the digestive tract from food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, or other toxins. It actually has no relation to influenza.
Any food can become contaminated if not prepared under clean conditions, cooked thoroughly, or stored at cold temperatures. Meat, fish, dairy products, and fresh fruits and vegetables are some of the most easily contaminated foods.
Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, and sometimes fever and chills.
Most people recover on their own with supportive care, meaning rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers.
However, dehydration can result if the vomiting and/or diarrhea are not controlled and IV fluids may be needed.
If there is also blurred vision, dizziness, or paralysis, the nervous system may be affected due to botulism. This is a medical emergency. Take the patient to the emergency room or call 9-1-1.
Proper food preparation and storage, along with frequent and thorough handwashing, is the best prevention.
Rarity: Uncommon
Top Symptoms: nausea, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps , vomiting
Symptoms that always occur with food poisoning by the staphylococcus bacteria: nausea or vomiting
Urgency: Self-treatment
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What Are The Possible Causes Of Diarrhea
Viral infections are the most common cause of diarrhea or loose stool. Rotavirus, calicivirus and adenovirus cause diarrhea.
A few other causes of diarrhea are
- Bacterial diarrhea caused by E coli, Campylobacter, V Cholerae, Shigella, Salmonellaor Staphylococcus aureus.
- Parasites, such as Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium parvum and Cestoda
- Intestinal disorders or diseases
Treating The Underlying Cause
If you’ve been diagnosed with a specific condition that’s causing your diarrhoea, treating this may help improve your symptoms.
For example:
- irritable bowel syndrome can be treated with changes to your diet and medications read more about managing IBS
- inflammatory bowel disease can be treated with medications that help reduce inflammation in the bowel
- coeliac disease can be treated by excluding foods containing gluten from your diet read more about treating coeliac disease
- bile acid malabsorption can be treated with medication that helps stop bile building up in the digestive system
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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
Diarrhea Caused By A Bacteria Called Vibrio
The Vibrio genus of bacteria causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that can be very serious. Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus are two of the species that cause this illness, which is also called vibriosis.
The primary risk factor is eating raw or undercooked seafood, especially oysters from any coastal waters and from the Gulf of Mexico in particular. People with weakened immune systems or liver disease are especially vulnerable to this infection.
Symptoms include fever, vomiting, and diarrhea, sometimes with mental confusion. These symptoms in a person who has recently eaten raw seafood, or has been swimming in ocean or bay water, are considered a medical emergency. Take the patient to the emergency room or call 9-1-1.
Some types of Vibrio-caused illness can worsen very quickly and lead to dehydration and septicemia, which can be life-threatening.
Diagnosis is made through patient history, physical examination, and lab tests on blood, urine, and stool samples.
Treatment will usually involve hospitalization for intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and supportive care.
Rarity: Rare
Top Symptoms: diarrhea, nausea, stomach bloating, headache, abdominal cramps
Symptoms that always occur with diarrhea caused by a bacteria called vibrio: diarrhea
Urgency: Self-treatment
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