We all get diarrhoea (US: Diarrhea) from time to time. Diarrhoea can be for a variety of reasons; an upset stomach, a stomach bug, food poisoning, IBS, diverticulitis and other bowel diseases or even nerves and stress. Diarrhoea is also quite common in those who have had their gallbladder removed.

Diarrhoea happens because not enough water is absorbed in the bowel leaving your faeces too watery. In the case of an upset stomach, stomach bug or food poisoning, having diarrhoea is beneficial since it helps our body to get rid of the bacteria causing the problem.
I personally only try to stop diarrhoea in situations where I don’t have free or easy access to a bathroom, such as, at work, while travelling, out shopping, etc.

If you do have diarrhoea, here are some handy tips to help you deal with it effectively.

Stay hydrated

Drink lots of water. Staying hydrated is very important because our body needs water to work. If we become dehydrated, we are likely to feel even worse. For example, dehydration can cause dizziness, headaches, confusion and nausea. Drinking lots of water will replace that being lost when we have diarrhea and help our body to work efficiently.

Rehydration sachets

If you have bad diarrhoea, re-hydrating with water may not be enough since you also loose salts and electrolytes. For these occasions, you can use rehydration sachets, one well known brand is Dioralyte. This is mixed with water and available in different fruit flavours such as blackcurrant, strawberry and orange.

BRAT diet

Now, if you have diarrhoea due to a stomach bug or food poisoning, I wouldn’t recommend eating at all until the diarrhea has stopped. However, if you have diarrhoea because of IBS or gallbladder, you could try the BRAT diet. This is eating small portions of B – bananas, R – rice, A – applesauce and T – toast. The bananas are especially useful since they can replenish any potassium that the body has lost.

Anti-diarrhoea medication

Taking medication for diarrhoea is not recommended in all cases and shouldn’t be done regularly unless instructed to do so by a medical professional. For example, in the case of diverticulitis, some doctors warn their patients away from anti-diarrhoea medication because it

There are a number of medications that can help stop diarrhoea. One of the most common is loperamide hydrochloride (often sold in the UK under the brand name, Imodium). However, many supermarket and pharmacy chains sell their own version of this medicine, which is the same and often cheaper.

Complications and when to seek help

You can click here for advice on diarrhoea and vomiting or here to see guidelines for when you should consider visiting your doctor.

NOTE: If you are diabetic, please take steps to ensure your blood sugar is well-controlled. You may want to speak to your diabetes nurse or consultant about what to do in this case.

Are these helpful tips? Do you do anything differently to deal with diarrhoea? Let us know in the comments.