Diarrhoea

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Diarrhoea usually goes away on its own within a few days. Make sure you or your child drink plenty of fluids.

• adults with diarrhoea
• babies and toddlers with diarrhoea
• how long diarrhoea lasts
• what causes diarrhoea
• preventing diarrhoea

How you can treat diarrhoea yourself

Diarrhoea should go away on its own within a few days. It’s normal to also have stomach cramps.

It’s important that you drink enough fluids to avoid dehydration. Your pee should be light yellow or clear.

As soon as you feel able to eat, go back to your normal diet.

If you have a high temperature of 38C or more, take painkillers like paracetamol.

A pharmacist can help with diarrhoea

You can take medicines to help reduce the diarrhoea and shorten how long it lasts. But you don’t have to take these and they won’t cure your diarrhoea.

Describe your symptoms to the pharmacist. They can recommend the best medicine for you.

Frail or elderly people can dehydrate more easily. You can get sachets with salt, sugar and minerals at the pharmacy, which you can use in addition to your normal diet. They’re called oral rehydration solutions.

You can often safely look after your baby or toddler at home. But it’s very important to watch out for signs of dehydration.

Babies and toddlers can become dehydrated more quickly than older children when they have diarrhoea and vomiting.

If dehydration becomes severe, it can be dangerous, particularly in young babies.

How long diarrhoea lasts

Diarrhoea often lasts 2 to 4 days in adults and 5 to 7 days in babies or children.

Diarrhoea can be infectious.

To avoid giving it to other people, you should:

• stay off work for 2 days
• keep children at home for 2 days
• avoid swimming pools for 2 weeks

Check if you have diarrhoea

Symptoms for adults and children include:

• watery or loose poo
• stomach cramps
• feeling sick and vomiting
• headache
• no appetite

What causes diarrhoea

Diarrhoea is usually caused by a bowel infection. Other causes can be things like a food allergy, alcohol or appendicitis.

If you’re taking any medicine, check the side effects. Diarrhoea might be one of them.

You can’t always prevent diarrhoea

Good food hygiene can reduce the risk of getting it.

While you have diarrhoea:

• wash your hands well every time you’ve been to the toilet
• clean the toilet after you’ve gone
• don’t share towels and things you put in your mouth (like cutlery)
• wash soiled clothes or bed linen at 60 degrees or higher

Children are vaccinated against rotavirus, which causes diarrhoea, as part of their routine childhood vaccination.

Find out how to prevent travellers’ diarrhoea.