Diarrhea

Almost all people will be confronted with diarrhea at some point during their lives. In many cases, the diarrhea is quite harmless and will go away on its own. Eating something that is too fatty or drinking fruit juices can be the cause of this, for example. However, in certain cases there may be more going on. Diarrhea can also be caused by bacteria or a virus, for example. Would you like to learn more about the causes of diarrhea and what you can do about it? Then be sure to take a closer look at the information you will find below on this page.

How do I recognize diarrhea?

Diarrhea is thin, watery poop that causes you to have to go to the toilet many more times a day than normal. When diarrhea occurs, you may also experience many other physical complaints. Consider, for example:

• Pain due to cramps in the abdomen;
• A feeling of nausea and vomiting;
• Feeling tired and weak;
• In some cases there may be a fever;

Not all cases where you have to go to the toilet more often will actually have diarrhea. For example, it is also possible that you simply have looser stools. In principle, diarrhea only really occurs when your poop is watery.

Can I do something about it myself?

The most important point to take into account with diarrhea is that you must drink enough. Diarrhea can cause you to lose (a lot of) fluid for a long time. It is important to compensate for this lost fluid. For people with diarrhea, it is recommended to drink about two to three liters of fluid per day. The more intense the diarrhea, the more you need to drink to compensate for the fluid loss. It is also preferable not to drink soft drinks or energy drinks and avoid fruit juices. You could possibly drink some dead Coke.

In addition, people suffering from diarrhea should be careful about what they eat for a few days. In particular, high-fat foods should be avoided at all costs. Moreover, it is also advisable to keep the quantities within limits. There is no harm in not eating or eating less for a few days. As long as you continue to drink enough.

Which medications are used for diarrhea?

In many cases, diarrhea goes away on its own. This means that of course no medications are required. Does the diarrhea persist or is it really bothering you so much that you are looking for a way to relieve it? Then you can look in the direction of:

• ORS;
• Loperamide;

ORS is strongly recommended for severe diarrhea. This way you can prevent yourself from dehydrating. ORS is a drink that contains special sugars and salts. The body needs this to absorb and retain fluid. ORS can be purchased at the pharmacy without a prescription being required.

Finally, there is also the so-called Loperamide. This is a kind of stopping agent. This medicine will therefore not solve the problem. However, the diarrhea can be stopped (temporarily). Loperamide is recommended if, for example, you experience diarrhea while traveling. This way you don't have to experience your holiday from the toilet.

Suitable diarrhea medications:

Imodium
Loperamide
Norimode
Dioralyte