{"id":1374,"date":"2019-07-17T01:09:12","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T01:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahmeysclinic.com\/?page_id=1374"},"modified":"2021-08-23T12:09:07","modified_gmt":"2021-08-23T12:09:07","slug":"diarrhoea","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ahmeysclinic.com\/digestive-problems\/diarrhoea\/","title":{"rendered":"Diarrhoea"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Diarrhoea<\/h2>\n<p>Diarrhoea is common and can affect people of all ages from time to time. It is the passing of looser stools or passing stools more frequently than is normal for you.<\/p>\n<p>There are many different potential causes and most cases will clear up after a few days without treatment. In both adults and children, diarrhoea usually stops within seven to five days.<\/p>\n<h2>Symptoms<\/h2>\n<p>You are likely to have diarrhoea if:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ac-list ac-warn\">\n<li>Your stool is looser than usual<\/li>\n<li>You need to use the toilet more frequently than normal<\/li>\n<li>You may also have a stomach ache and feel sick<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>When to see an expert at <span class=\"text-highlight\">Ahmeys<\/span>?<\/h2>\n<p>In most cases, diarrhoea clears up after a few days without treatment. However, diarrhoea can lead to dehydration which can be dangerous, especially in babies and young children. Symptoms of dehydration in children and adults include:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ac-list\">\n<li>Feeling thirsty<\/li>\n<li>Dark yellow or strong-smelling urine<\/li>\n<li>Feeling lightheaded or dizzy<\/li>\n<li>Drowsiness<\/li>\n<li>Dry lips, mouth and eyes<\/li>\n<li>Passing urine less than four times a day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Call to make an urgent appointment with <span class=\"text-highlight\">Ahmeys<\/span> if:<\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.105&#8243;]<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ac-list ac-warn\">\n<li>You or your child has had diarrhoea for more than seven days<\/li>\n<li>You are worried about a baby under 12 months<\/li>\n<li>Your child stops breast or bottle-feeding<\/li>\n<li>Your child under five years has signs of dehydration (fewer wet nappies, seem drowsy, breath fast, have few or no tears when they cry, have a sunken fontanelle (soft spot on their head that sinks inwards), have a dry mouth, dark-yellow or strong-smelling urine or cold and blotchy-looking feet and hands)<\/li>\n<li>You or your child (over five years) still have signs of dehydration after using oral rehydration sachets<\/li>\n<li>You or your child cannot keep fluid down<\/li>\n<li>You or your child have bloody diarrhoea or rectal bleeding<\/li>\n<li>You are experiencing weight loss<\/li>\n<li>Have a moderate or continuous stomach ache<\/li>\n<li>Your stool is dark or black (this could indicate bleeding in the stomach)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"ac-alert ac-warn\">Check with Ahmeys before going in. It may be possible to speak to an expert over the phone to avoid spreading your diarrhoea.<\/p>\n<h2>When to seek emergency <span class=\"text-highlight\">care<\/span>?<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"ac-list ac-danger\">\n<li>If you have a sudden, severe headache or stomach ache (pain so bad that it is hard to think, talk, sleep or move)<\/li>\n<li>If you have also been vomiting for more than two days. Especially if you are vomiting blood or vomit that looks like ground coffee or is bright green or yellow<\/li>\n<li>If you might have swallowed something poisonous<\/li>\n<li>If you are also experiencing other symptoms of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) such as swelling of the throat and tongue, facial swelling, additional skin reactions, including itching, hives and pale or flushed skin, difficulty breathing, a weak, rapid pulse, dizziness, fainting or loss of consciousness<\/li>\n<li>If you have a stiff neck and pain when looking at bright lights<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Causes<\/h2>\n<p>Diarrhoea has many potential causes, the most common are:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ac-list\">\n<li>A stomach bug (gastroenteritis \u2013 which can be caused by a virus, bacteria, or a parasite)<\/li>\n<li>Norovirus (also accompanied by vomiting and also called the \u2018vomiting bug\u2019)<\/li>\n<li>Food poisoning<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Less likely causes can include:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ac-list\">\n<li>Anxiety<\/li>\n<li>Food intolerance or allergy<\/li>\n<li>Medication<\/li>\n<li>IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)<\/li>\n<li>Inflammatory Bowel Disease<\/li>\n<li>Coeliac Disease (a common digestive condition where the small intestine becomes inflamed and unable to absorb nutrients caused by an adverse reaction to gluten)<\/li>\n<li>Diverticular Disease<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Diagnosis<\/h2>\n<p>If you are able to recognise from the list of symptoms that you have diarrhoea, you can usually treat it at home with rest, making sure you drink enough fluids and eating solid foods as soon as you are able.<\/p>\n<p>If you are concerned that your symptoms are severe or have lasted for a long time, call Ahmeys to book an appointment with one of our experts to discuss your symptoms and potential treatments. An expert at Ahmeys will review your symptoms either in person or over the phone to assess how to treat you.<\/p>\n<h2>Treatment<\/h2>\n<p>Once one of our experts has assessed you, they will discuss treatment options with you. Treatments may include:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ac-list\">\n<li>An oral rehydration solution if you or your child are particularly at risk of dehydration<\/li>\n<li>Potentially prescribe antibiotics if your diarrhoea has been confirmed to have a bacterial cause<\/li>\n<li>Send off a stool sample for analysis<\/li>\n<li>Hospital referral for IV rehydration in cases of extreme dehydration<\/li>\n<li>Hospital referral for extreme and potentially life-threatening symptoms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How to manage your symptoms<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"ac-list\">\n<li>Diarrhoea can spread easily. If possible, stay off work and keep your child off school until you have not had diarrhoea for at least two days<\/li>\n<li>Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration \u2013 small, frequent sips of water<\/li>\n<li>Eat solid food as soon as you feel able to<\/li>\n<li>If you are breast or bottle feeding your baby and they have diarrhoea, try to feed them as normal<\/li>\n<li>Remember to wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap, especially after using the toilet and before eating and preparing food<\/li>\n<li>If travelling abroad, practice good food and water hygiene and avoid undercooked food or any food or drink that has been prepared or contains unsafe tap water<\/li>\n<li>If you are in discomfort, take paracetamol \u2013 check the leaflet before giving it to your child<\/li>\n<li>Do not have or give your child fruit juice or fizzy drinks as they can make diarrhoea worse<\/li>\n<li>Do not give children under the age of 12 medicine to stop diarrhoea<\/li>\n<li>Do not give aspirin to children under the age of 16<\/li>\n<li>Cut down on high-fibre foods (such as brown rice, brown bread and seeds)<\/li>\n<li>Avoid products containing sorbitol (a common sweetener)<\/li>\n<li>Call Ahmeys to speak to an expert and discuss medicines that can help, like Imodium (Loperamide)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"ac-alert ac-warn\">How to avoid spreading an infection<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"ac-list\">\n<li>Wash your hands frequently with soap and water<\/li>\n<li>Wash any clothing or bedding with faecal matter or vomit on in a separate, hot wash<\/li>\n<li>Clean toilet seats, taps, surfaces and flush handles every day<\/li>\n<li>If possible, do not prepare food for other people<\/li>\n<li>Do not share flannels, cutlery, drinks, food, towels or utensils with other people<\/li>\n<li>Wait for two weeks after the symptoms have stopped to use the swimming pool<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Diarrhoea Diarrhoea is common and can affect people of all ages from time to time. It is the passing of looser stools or passing stools more frequently than is normal for you. There are many different potential causes and most cases will clear up after a few days without treatment. In both adults and children, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1391,"parent":1372,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Diarrhoea - Ahmeys Clinic<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahmeysclinic.com\/digestive-problems\/diarrhoea\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Diarrhoea - Ahmeys Clinic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Diarrhoea Diarrhoea is common and can affect people of all ages from time to time. It is the passing of looser stools or passing stools more frequently than is normal for you. There are many different potential causes and most cases will clear up after a few days without treatment. 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It is the passing of looser stools or passing stools more frequently than is normal for you. There are many different potential causes and most cases will clear up after a few days without treatment. 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