Diarrhoea in adults may last a just few days, or it might be a symptom of something more serious. Learn about the causes and treatments for diarrhoea.
Neobsahuje asdsemwkjgrdiarrhea
What is diarrhoea?Diarrhoea is when you have 3 or more loose or liquid stools (poos) in one day, or more frequently than normal. If you have diarrhoea, you will notice an increase in the volume, wateriness or frequency of your bowel movements. Diarrhoea episodes are often caused by a stomach bug (gastroenteritis) and clear up on their own in a few days. However, there are many other causes of diarrhoea. Most diarrhoea is mild, but it can also be severe enough to need to go to hospital. This article covers diarrhoea in adults and children over 12 years. See diarrhoea in children for information about diarrhoea in young children.What causes diarrhoea?Diarrhoea happens when not enough water is removed from your stool, or too much fluid is secreted into the stool, making it loose. There are many different causes of diarrhoea. It can be caused by a short-term illness that clears up in a few days. If diarrhoea continues for weeks, it is likely to be a symptom of an ongoing problem or chronic condition. Short-term causes of diarrhoea Short-term diarrhoea is often due to infections, such as: food poisoning viral gastroenteritis — for example, caused by rotavirus or norovirus infection COVID-19 — nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting can all be symptoms of COVID-19 waterborne parasites, such as cryptosporidium and giardia Other causes of short-term diarrhoea can include: a change in diet certain food ingredients drinking too much alcohol stress Long-term causes of diarrhoea Diarrhoea can be caused by some long-term conditions, such as: inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) irritable bowel syndrome food intolerances, such as lactose intolerance diverticular disease malabsorption syndromes — for example, after bowel surgery People who are immunosuppressed or have weakened immune systems are more likely to develop ongoing diarrhoea after a bout of gastroenteritis. This includes people who have: cancer HIV/AIDS had an organ transplant Medical treatments that can cause diarrhoea Medical treatments that may cause diarrhoea as a side effect include: some medicines — for example, antibiotics laxatives, if too many are taken some treatments for cancerHow is diarrhoea treated?Simple diarrhoea usually clears up by itself in healthy people. In many cases you will be able to manage your symptoms at home. If your diarrhoea doesn't clear up on its own there are medicines and other treatments available.
Plain food such as bananas, rice, applesauce and toast can help you overcome diarrhea. Sip on electrolyte drinks, too, to stay hydrated and replace lost nutrients.
Acute diarrhea is defined as the abrupt onset of 3 or more loose stools per day. The augmented water content in the stools (above the normal value of approximately 10 mL/kg/d in the infant and young child, or 200 g/d in the teenager and…