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Diarrhea means having bowel movements more often or having ones that are more watery and loose than normal. When the intestines push stools through the bowel before the water in the stool can be reabsorbed, diarrhea occurs. It can also occur when inflammation of the bowel lining causes excess fluid to leak into the stool. Belly cramps, nausea, vomiting, or a fever may occur along with the diarrhea.
Diarrhea is one of the most common health problems. It affects people of all ages. Most adults will have 4 episodes of diarrhea each year. Diarrhea that comes on suddenly may last up to 14 days.
Diarrhea has many causes.
It's often caused by a stomach infection (gastroenteritis) or food poisoning. Diarrhea is your body's way of quickly clearing viruses, bacteria, or toxins from the digestive tract. Most cases of diarrhea are viral. They will clear up in a few days with good home treatment. E. coli is a common bacteria that causes diarrhea. E. coli infection is related to improper food preparation.
Drinking untreated water or unpasteurized dairy products can cause viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections, such as Giardia lamblia. This parasite can cause diarrhea that occurs 1 to 4 weeks later. These infections can also occur when you use untreated water to brush your teeth, wash your dishes or vegetables, or make ice for drinks.
Diarrhea can also occur from infections passed on by animals.
Many prescription and nonprescription medicines can cause diarrhea.
Antibiotics may cause mild diarrhea. It usually clears up without treatment. A more serious type of diarrhea caused by the bacteria Clostridioides difficile (sometimes called C. diff) may occur while you take an antibiotic or shortly after you finish the antibiotic.
Laxatives, such as Correctol, Dulcolax, Ex-Lax, or bisacodyl, may cause diarrhea.
Using too much of products that contain sorbitol (such as chewing gum) or fructose can cause diarrhea.
Some people get infections that cause diarrhea while they are traveling (traveler's diarrhea).
Diarrhea may also be caused by malabsorption problems and certain types of cancer.
Diarrhea may occur after stomach, bowel, or gallbladder surgery, or after bariatric surgery for obesity.
Many times the exact cause isn't known. Almost everyone has diarrhea now and then. Having diarrhea is annoying. But most cases aren't serious. They will clear up with home treatment.
Check Your Symptoms
Do you have diarrhea?
Yes
Diarrhea
No
Diarrhea
How old are you?
11 years or younger
11 years or younger
12 to 55 years
12 to 55 years
56 years or older
56 years or older
Are you male or female?
Male
Male
Female
Female
The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have.
If you are transgender or nonbinary, choose the sex that matches the body parts (such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina) you now have in the area where you are having symptoms.
If your symptoms aren’t related to those organs, you can choose the gender you identify with.
If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice (once as "male" and once as "female"). This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you.
Are you pregnant?
Yes, you know that you're pregnant.
Pregnancy
No, you're not pregnant, or you're not sure if you're pregnant.
Pregnancy
Do you have moderate or severe belly pain?
This is not the cramping type of pain you have with diarrhea.
NOTE: Most people have an average body temperature of about 98.6°F (37°C). But it can vary by a degree or more and still be considered normal. If a low body temperature is your only symptom, it’s usually not something to worry about. But be sure to watch for other symptoms.
High: 104°F (40°C) or higher, oral
High fever: 104°F (40°C) or higher, oral
Moderate: 100.4°F (38°C) to 103.9°F (39.9°C), oral
Moderate fever: 100.4°F (38°C) to 103.9°F (39.9°C), oral
Do you think that a medicine could be causing the diarrhea?
Think about whether the diarrhea started after you began taking a new medicine or a higher dose of a medicine.
Yes
Medicine may be causing diarrhea
No
Medicine may be causing diarrhea
Many things can affect how your body responds to a symptom and what kind of care you may need. These include:
Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker.
Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner.
Medicines you take. Certain medicines, such as blood thinners (anticoagulants), medicines that suppress the immune system like steroids or chemotherapy, herbal remedies, or supplements can cause symptoms or make them worse.
Recent health events, such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious.
Your health habits and lifestyle, such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel.
Try Home Treatment
You have answered all the questions. Based on your answers, you may be able to take care of this problem at home.
Try home treatment to relieve the symptoms.
Call your doctor if symptoms get worse or you have any concerns (for example, if symptoms are not getting better as you would expect). You may need care sooner.
If you're not sure if a fever is high, moderate, or mild, think about these issues:
With a high fever:
You feel very hot.
It is likely one of the highest fevers you've ever had. High fevers are not that common, especially in adults.
With a moderate fever:
You feel warm or hot.
You know you have a fever.
With a mild fever:
You may feel a little warm.
You think you might have a fever, but you're not sure.
Temperature varies a little depending on how you measure it. For adults and children age 12 and older, these are the ranges for high, moderate, and mild, according to how you took the temperature.
Oral (by mouth) temperature
High: 104°F (40°C) and higher
Moderate: 100.4°F (38°C) to 103.9°F (39.9°C)
Mild: 100.3°F (37.9°C) and lower
A forehead (temporal) scanner is usually 0.5°F (0.3°C) to 1°F (0.6°C) lower than an oral temperature.
Ear temperature
High: 105°F (40.6°C) and higher
Moderate: 101.4°F (38.6°C) to 104.9°F (40.5°C)
Mild: 101.3°F (38.5°C) and lower
Armpit (axillary) temperature
High: 103°F (39.5°C) and higher
Moderate: 99.4°F (37.4°C) to 102.9°F (39.4°C)
Mild: 99.3°F (37.3°C) and lower
Symptoms of serious illness may include:
A severe headache.
A stiff neck.
Mental changes, such as feeling confused or much less alert.
Extreme fatigue (to the point where it's hard for you to function).
Shaking chills.
Certain health conditions and medicines weaken the immune system's ability to fight off infection and illness. Some examples in adults are:
Diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS.
Long-term alcohol and drug problems.
Steroid medicines, which may be used to treat a variety of conditions.
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer.
Other medicines used to treat autoimmune disease.
Medicines taken after organ transplant.
Not having a spleen.
Severe diarrhea means having more than 10 loose, watery stools in a single day (24 hours).
Moderate diarrhea means having more than a few but not more than 10 diarrhea stools in a day.
Mild diarrhea means having a few diarrhea stools in a day.
You can get dehydrated when you lose a lot of fluids because of problems like vomiting or fever.
Symptoms of dehydration can range from mild to severe. For example:
You may feel tired and edgy (mild dehydration), or you may feel weak, not alert, and not able to think clearly (severe dehydration).
You may pass less urine than usual (mild dehydration), or you may not be passing urine at all (severe dehydration).
Severe dehydration means:
Your mouth and eyes may be extremely dry.
You may pass little or no urine for 12 or more hours.
You may not feel alert or be able to think clearly.
You may be too weak or dizzy to stand.
You may pass out.
Moderate dehydration means:
You may be a lot more thirsty than usual.
Your mouth and eyes may be drier than usual.
You may pass little or no urine for 8 or more hours.
You may feel dizzy when you stand or sit up.
Mild dehydration means:
You may be more thirsty than usual.
You may pass less urine than usual.
Many prescription and nonprescription medicines can cause diarrhea. A few examples are:
Antibiotics.
Antidepressants.
Antacids.
Proton pump inhibitors, such as omeprazole (Prilosec) and lansoprazole (Prevacid).
Medicines used to treat cancer (chemotherapy).
It is easy for your diabetes to become out of control when you are sick. Because of an illness:
Your blood sugar may be too high or too low.
You may not be able take your diabetes medicine (if you are vomiting or having trouble keeping food or fluids down).
You may not know how to adjust the timing or dose of your diabetes medicine.
You may not be eating enough or drinking enough fluids.
An illness plan for people with diabetes usually covers things like:
How often to test blood sugar and what the target range is.
Whether and how to adjust the dose and timing of insulin or other diabetes medicines.
What to do if you have trouble keeping food or fluids down.
When to call your doctor.
The plan is designed to help keep your diabetes in control even though you are sick. When you have diabetes, even a minor illness can cause problems.
Blood in the stool can come from anywhere in the digestive tract, such as the stomach or intestines. Depending on where the blood is coming from and how fast it is moving, it may be bright red, reddish brown, or black like tar.
A little bit of bright red blood on the stool or on the toilet paper is often caused by mild irritation of the rectum. For example, this can happen if you have to strain hard to pass a stool or if you have a hemorrhoid.
A large amount of blood in the stool may mean a more serious problem is present. For example, if there is a lot of blood in the stool, not just on the surface, you may need to call your doctor right away. If there are just a few drops on the stool or in the diaper, you may need to let your doctor know today to discuss your symptoms. Black stools may mean you have blood in the digestive tract that may need treatment right away, or may go away on its own.
Certain medicines and foods can affect the color of stool. Diarrhea medicines (such as Pepto-Bismol) and iron tablets can make the stool black. Eating lots of beets may turn the stool red. Eating foods with black or dark blue food coloring can turn the stool black.
If you take aspirin or some other medicine (called a blood thinner) that prevents blood clots, it can cause some blood in your stools. If you take a blood thinner and have ongoing blood in your stools, call your doctor to discuss your symptoms.
Seek Care Today
Based on your answers, you may need care soon. The problem probably will not get better without medical care.
Call your doctor today to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.
If you cannot reach your doctor or you don't have one, seek care today.
If it is evening, watch the symptoms and seek care in the morning.
Sometimes people don't want to call 911. They may think that their symptoms aren't serious or that they can just get someone else to drive them. Or they might be concerned about the cost. But based on your answers, the safest and quickest way for you to get the care you need is to call 911 for medical transport to the hospital.
Abdominal Pain, Age 12 and Older
Pregnancy-Related Problems
Diarrhea, Age 11 and Younger
Self-Care
Here are some things you can do at home to treat your diarrhea and avoid other related problems, such as dehydration.
Take frequent, small sips of water or a rehydration drink and small bites of salty crackers. But if you have kidney, heart, or liver disease and have to limit fluids, talk with your doctor before you increase the amount of fluids you drink.
When you feel like eating, start with small amounts of food.
Nonprescription medicines for diarrhea
Nonprescription medicines may be helpful in treating your diarrhea. Follow these tips when you take them.
Read and follow all label directions on the bottle or box. Be sure to take the recommended dose.
Long-term use of these medicines isn't recommended. To avoid constipation, stop taking the medicine as soon as stools thicken.
If your child or teen also has chickenpox or the flu and diarrhea, don't use over-the-counter medicines that contain bismuth subsalicylate (such as Pepto-Bismol and Kaopectate) for the diarrhea. This ingredient has been linked to Reye syndrome, a rare but serious illness. If you are concerned that your child has more serious symptoms, you may need to check with his or her doctor.
There are different types of antidiarrheal medicines. Some absorb water and thicken the stool. Some slow intestinal spasms.
Thickening mixtures (such as psyllium) absorb water. This helps bulk up the stool and make it more firm.
Antispasmodic antidiarrheals slow intestinal spasms. Examples are Imodium A-D and Pepto Diarrhea Control. Some products contain both thickening and antispasmodic ingredients.
Probiotics, such as Lactobacillus, are available in both pills and powder. These bacteria occur naturally in the intestine and may help with digestion. When you have diarrhea, the number of these bacteria is reduced.
If you are pregnant, talk with your doctor before you take any medicines for diarrhea.
When to call for help during self-care
Call a doctor if any of the following occur during self-care at home:
Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff Clinical Review Board All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
Clinical Review Board All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
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