Diarrhea refers to frequent, loose, watery bowel movements. The bad news is that most people get diarrhea at some time during their lives. The good news is that diarrhea usually lasts only a couple of days.
What to Drink When You Have Diarrhea
When you have diarrhea it is very important to drink plenty of liquids. You lose a tremendous amount of body fluids along with your loose stools and you need to replace these fluids so you do not become dehydrated. Dehydration can be especially serious for children, older people, and people who have weakened immune systems.
You also need to replace the electrolytes—minerals and salts such as sodium, chloride, and potassium—that you lose along with the water. Bouillon and sports drinks like Gatorade are good for this purpose. In addition, adults with diarrhea can drink diluted fruit juices and weak herbal teas without caffeine. Children should drink special drinks designed to prevent dehydration in children. Grocery stores and pharmacies carry these oral rehydration solutions for children.
What to Eat When You Have Diarrhea
When you have diarrhea you may need to temporarily abandon your normal well-balanced diet because your intestines may not be able to absorb nutrients and digest fats and proteins. Reducing your intake of food may help you recover more quickly, but it leaves you without fuel for your body. Hard candy is one food you may want to eat because the sugar supplies fuel, helping to minimize the confused thinking that sometimes accompanies diarrhea.
As you start to recover from the diarrhea and feel better you can gradually add solid foods that are easy to digest to your diet. Eat slowly, chew your food well, and have small meals throughout the day.
The BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) diet consists of bland carbohydrates that are easy to digest. It can be a good transitional diet as you work back to your regular meals. You can also you it as a test to see if you are ready for solid food.
Plain boiled potatoes, crackers, cooked carrots, grits, and baked skinless white meat chicken are also good transitional foods.
What Not to Eat or Drink When You Have Diarrhea
You should avoid certain foods and beverages when you have diarrhea. The foods to avoid depend somewhat on the type of diarrhea or the cause of the diarrhea. There are, however, a number of common foods that aggravate most cases of diarrhea and should be avoided while you have diarrhea and when you are recovering from it. These include:
- Any food that seems to make the diarrhea worse, even if it is on the list of recommended foods;
- Caffeinated drinks, including tea, certain sodas, and coffee;
- Carbonated drinks;
- Fatty foods;
- Fiber-rich foods, including whole grain breads and cereals and most fruits;
- Spicy foods;
- Antacids that contain magnesium;
- Cakes, cookies, and other sweets; and
- Dairy products, especially if you are lactose intolerant.
Foods for infants and children who have diarrhea may be different from those recommended for adults. Consult a healthcare provider if your child has diarrhea for more than 24 hours.
Traveler’s Diarrhea
With traveler’s diarrhea, it’s not so much a matter of what to eat when you have diarrhea, but what not to eat in order to prevent diarrhea. Travelers– especially those who go to Latin America, Africa, and the south of Asia– can get diarrhea from food or water that is contaminated with certain bacteria, viruses, or parasites.
Diarrhea is particularly distressing when you are away from home and are trying to have a good time. According to the National Institutes of Health, travelers can take the following steps to prevent traveler’s diarrhea:
- Never drink water from the tap, brush your teeth with water from the tap, or use ice cubes that are made from water from the tap. If you do not know if you are being served a glass of tap water or a drink with ice cubes made from tap water, do not drink it.
- Never eat or drink milk products that are not pasteurized;
- Do not eat any raw vegetables or fruit unless you peel them yourself. If they cannot be peeled, do not eat them;
- Never eat meat or shellfish that is raw or that is not hot when it is served to you.
- Do not eat food from street vendors.
Symptoms of Diarrhea
A number of symptoms typically accompany diarrhea. When you have diarrhea, you may also have:
- Cramps or pain in the abdomen;
- An urgent need to use the bathroom;
- Loss of control of your bowels;
- Fever, chills, and bloody stools if the diarrhea is caused by a bacteria or virus;
- Dehydration; and/or
- The feeling of being stick to your stomach.
When to Talk to the Doctor
While many, if not most, cases of diarrhea go away in a day or two without medical treatment, sometimes they last longer. Diarrhea can be a symptom (or a cause) of other medical problems. You should see your doctor if:
- You become dehydrated. When you are hydrated your urine is a light, straw color. It darkens when you are dehydrated;
- Diarrhea lasts for more than two days (one day for children);
- You have severe pain in your abdomen or rectum;
- You have a fever of 102 degrees or higher; or
- Your stools contain blood or pus or look black.
Conclusion
Knowing about diarrhea and what to eat when you have diarrhea can help you speed up your recovery and reduce the risk of complications.