Diarrhea is an increase in the wateriness, volume, or frequency of bowel movements. When you have diarrhea, foods and fluid pass too quickly, or in too large an amount through your colon, and your body does not absorb the fluid. Almost everyone has an episode of diarrhea at some time.
Acute diarrhea is uncomfortable, but usually is not serious and will go away in a few days on its own. You should see a doctor, however, if your stool contains blood, if the diarrhea is severe, or if it lasts more than a few days. Children and elderly people are at higher risk of dehydration and should see their doctor sooner.
Diarrhea is a symptom of another health issue, such as an infection or a virus. Chronic diarrhea, lasting longer than 4 weeks, can be a sign of a serious illness, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Symptoms may include:
If your child has diarrhea, call your pediatrician if it lasts more than 24 hours, or if your child seems dehydrated. For an infant, this could mean having a dry diaper for several hours or crying without tears.
Most diarrhea is caused by bacteria, parasites, or viruses, often from food or water. Eating local food and drinking local water during travel can result in "traveler's diarrhea." Diarrhea can also be caused by:
Diarrhea that results in blood in the stool, accompanied by fever or abdominal pain, could be caused by intestinal disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or Crohn disease, and requires a doctor's care.
Your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms. Your doctor will also check to see if you are dehydrated, and may feel your abdomen to see if it is tender, and listen to your abdomen with a stethoscope. In some cases, you may need a blood test or you may need to provide a stool sample to check for an infection.
In many cases, diarrhea will go away on its own. However, in severe cases your doctor may prescribe diphenoxylate and atropine (Lomotil). Your doctor also may prescribe antibiotics if the diarrhea is due to a bacterial infection.
Since diarrhea is your body's way of getting rid of toxins, it is best to let it run its course. However, you may use over-the-counter antidiarrheal remedies for convenience, including:
DO NOT take bismuth sub-salicylate with the herbs meadowsweet (Spirea ulmaria), white willow (Salix alba), or wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens).
Work with your doctor to find remedies that are right for you. If you are pregnant, or thinking of becoming pregnant, DO NOT use any complementary and alternative therapies (CAM) therapies unless directed to do so by your doctor.
DO NOT use herbs to treat diarrhea without talking to your doctor first. Always talk to your doctor before treating diarrhea in an infant. If your diarrhea is caused by certain types of infections, herbal treatments could make it worse. The most common herbal remedies for diarrhea are described below. They can be used as teas unless otherwise noted. Make teas with 1 tsp. herb per cup of hot water. Steep covered 5 to 10 minutes for leaf or flowers, and 10 to 20 minutes for roots. Drink 2 to 4 cups per day. Always tell your doctor about any herbs you may be taking.
Astringent herbs:
Inflammation reducers:
Infection fighters:
Bulk forming agent:
Some evidence suggests that homeopathic treatment may help diarrhea. In one study, children with acute diarrhea who received an individualized homeopathic treatment for 5 days had diarrhea for significantly less time than children who had placebo. Before prescribing a remedy, homeopaths take into account a person's constitutional type, includes your physical, emotional, and intellectual makeup. An experienced homeopath assesses all of these factors when determining the most appropriate remedy for a particular individual. Some of the most effective homeopathic remedies include:
Although several studies in Traditional Chinese Medicine journals have reported success in treating childhood diarrhea, acupuncturists in the United States do not generally treat this condition in children. However, acupuncture may be used when conventional treatment has failed. In this case, acupuncturists look at both the nutritional value and the "energetic" qualities of food that might be affecting digestion.
Acupuncture is also combined with conventional medicine in treating diarrhea in adults.
Acupuncturists treat people with diarrhea based on an individualized assessment of the excesses and deficiencies of qi located in various meridians. In the case of diarrhea, a qi deficiency is usually detected in the spleen meridian. As a result, acupuncture treatments often focus on strengthening this meridian. Acupuncturists often use moxibustion (a technique in which the herb mugwort is burned over specific acupuncture points) because they believe it reaches deeper into the body than needling alone.
If your diarrhea does not stop in 3 to 5 days, or if you become dehydrated, call your doctor.
If you are pregnant, tell your doctor. Dehydration can trigger early labor. Also, diarrhea-related spasms may cause you to have contractions. DO NOT take goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), barberry (Berberis vulgaris), or high doses of vitamin A if you are pregnant.
Diarrhea can be serious, even fatal, for infants and elderly people because of dehydration and the loss of electrolytes.
Abdullah M, Firmansyah MA. Clinical approach and management of chronic diarrhea. Acta Med Indones. 2013;45(2):157-65.
Barr W, Smith A. Acute diarrhea. Am Fam Physician. 2014;89(3):180-9.
Chen CC, Walker WA. Clinical applications of probiotics in gastrointestinal disorders in children. [Review]. Natl Med J India. 2011;24(3):153-60.
Choi CH, Jo SY, Park HJ, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial of saccharomyces boulardii in irritable bowel syndrome: effect on quality of life. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2011;45(8):679-83.
Corinaldesi R, Stanghellini V, Barbara G, et al. Clinical approach to diarrhea. Intern Emerg Med. 2012;7 Suppl 3:S255-62.
Dinleyici EC, Dalgic N, Guven S, et al. Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 shortens acute infectious diarrhea in a pediatric outpatient setting. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2015;91(4):392-6.
Eren M, Dinleyici EC, Vandenplas Y. Clinical efficacy comparison of Saccharomyces boulardii and yogurt fluid in acute non-bloody diarrhea in children: a randomized, controlled, open label study. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2010;82(3):488-91.
Feizizadeh S, Salehi-Abargouei A, Akbari V. Efficacy and safety of Saccharomyces boulardii for acute diarrhea. Pediatrics. 2014;134(1):e176-91.
Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 8th ed. Philiadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2006.
Festini F, Giusti F, Paoletti E, et al. Is early use of pacifier a risk for diarrhea? Minerva Pediatr. 2012;64(3):303-5.
Fox T, Manaloor J, Christenson J. Travel-Related Infections in Children. Pediatric Clinics of North America. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2013:60(2).
Grandy G, Medina M, Soria R, et al. Probiotics in the treatment of acute rotavirus diarrhoea. A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial using two different probiotic preparations in Bolivian children. BMC Infect Dis. 2010;10:253.
Guandalini S. Probiotics for children with diarrhea: an update. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2008;42 Suppl 2:S53-7.
Jacobs J, Jiménez M, Malthouse S, et al. Homeopathic treatment of acute childhood diarrhea: results from a clinical trial in Nepal. J Altern Complement Med. 2000;6(2):131-9.
Jin CQ, Jia YX, Dong HX, et al. Stir-fried white pepper can treat diarrhea in infants and children efficiently: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Chin Med. 2013;41(4):765-72.
Jones K. Probiotics: preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea. J Spec Pediatr Nurs. 2010;15(2):160-2.
Lukacik M, Thomas RL, Aranda JV. A meta-analysis of the effects of oral zinc in the treatment of acute and presistent diarrhea. Pediatrics. 2008;121(2):326-36.
McFarland LV. Meta-analysis of probiotics for the prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhea and the treatment of Clostridium difficile disease. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006;101:812-22.
McFarland LV. Systematic review and meta-analysis of Saccharomyces boulardii in adult patients. [Review]. World J Gastroenterol. 2010;16(18):2202-22.
Otto W, Najnigier B, Stelmasiak T, et al. Randomized control trials using a tablet formulation of hyperimmune bovine colostrum to prevent diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in volunteers. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2011;46(7-8):862-8.
Patel AV, Rojas-Vera J, Dacke CG. Therapeutic constituents and actions of Rubus species. Curr Med Chem. 2004 Jun;11(11):1501-12.
Playford RJ, Macdonald CE, Johnson WS. Colostrum and milk-derived peptide growth factors for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. Am J ClinNutr. 2000;72:5-14.
Riaz M, Alam S, Malik A, et al. Efficacy and safety of Saccharomyces boulardii in acute childhood diarrhea: a double blind randomised controlled trial. Indian J Pediatr. 2012;79(4):478-82.
Rohde Cl, Bartolini V, Jones N. The use of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of antibiotic-associated diarrhea with special interest in Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. Nutr Clin Pract. 2009;24(1):33-40.
Sandhu DK, Surawicz C. Update on chronic diarrhea: a run-through for the clinician. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2012;14(5):421-7.
Saavedra J. Probiotics and infectious diarrhea. Am J Gastroenterol. 2000;95:S16-S18.
Spanier JA, Howden CW, Jones MP. A systematic review of alternative therapies in the irritable bowel syndrome. Arch Intern Med. 2003;163(3):265-74.
Steffen R, Hill DR, DuPont HL. Traveler's diarrhea: a clinical review. JAMA. 2015;313(1):71-80.
Thomas DW, Greer FR; American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition; American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. Probiotics and prebiotics in pediatrics. [Review]. Pediatrics. 2010;126(6):1217-31.
Thomas MR, Litin SC, Osmon DR, et al. Lack of effect of Lactobacillus GG on antibiotic-associated diarrhea: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Mayo Clin Proc. 2001;76:883-9.
Van Niel CW, Feudtner C, Garrison MM, et al. Lactobacillus therapy for acute infectious diarrhea in children: a meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 2002;109:678-84.
Zhang HY, Lu SF, Xiao N. Effect of warming moxibustion on Shenque acupoint for the treatment of acute diarrhea in children with infantile cerebral palsy. Chin J Integr Med. 2009;15(6):454-7.
Reviewed By: Steven D. Ehrlich, NMD, Solutions Acupuncture, a private practice specializing in complementary and alternative medicine, Phoenix, AZ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. |
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- 2024 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.