There isn’t a person out there who hasn’t experienced occasional bouts of diarrhea – loose and watery bowel movements occurring several times per day. It is a common medical condition – MedlinePlus reports that the average adult in the United States gets acute (short-term) diarrhea once per year. For young children, the average is twice a year.
Therefore, everyone knows that it can cause a lot of discomfort. And there’s no two ways about it – absolutely nothing about this problem is comfortable. Particularly if you have a more severe case of it. Therefore, knowing how to stop diarrhea, or at least weaken its effects, can be rather valuable.
Unfortunately, the appropriate treatment for this condition can vary greatly. The reason for this is simple – there are quite a few different causes of it. And each specific cause requires specific treatment. Therefore, we need to examine this condition in greater detail in order to be able to provide a complete answer to the eponymous question.
However, before delving deeper into the potential causes of this problem, it is worth mentioning that there are some general steps one can take to try and stop diarrhea. So, we will look at those first.
How to Stop Diarrhea: General Treatment Steps
In most cases, diarrhea will only last a couple of days. It’s your organism’s response to a small infection or to the ingestion of food that did not sit well with you. Once the offending substance clears your system, your stool will return to normal.
In those situations, the only real way to deal with this issue is to wait it out. But in order to cope with the symptoms while you wait and speed up the process, you can try some of the following methods. And if you have a mild case, this can be enough to stop diarrhea in its tracks.
1) Eat Bland Foods
When you have diarrhea, the last thing you want to do is upset your stomach further when you eat. So, stick to bland, low-fiber ingredients for a few days.
Speaking of food used to combat diarrhea, you might have heard of something called the BRAT diet. It stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It is often suggested for kids (hence the colorful acronym), but there is absolutely no reason adults shouldn’t use it as well. You do not need to limit your diet exclusively to these ingredients, but making them a prominent part of your meals can help in shortening bouts of diarrhea.
You can also try potatoes, skinless chicken, or certain crackers. Conversely, avoid dairy, fatty or spicy foods, etc.
2) Drink Plenty of Clear Liquids
It might seem counterintuitive to drink lots of fluids when you have watery stools, but it is integral to dealing with this condition. The reason is that diarrhea can cause dehydration. In the most severe cases, diarrhea-induced dehydration can even be life-threatening.
It probably will not come to that, but a lack of fluid still weakens your organism. And your body needs its strength in order to deal with whatever caused the diarrhea in the first place. So, you need to replace what you’ve lost in order to get better.
For this purpose, go with water and juices. Chicken broth is also a good choice. If you have a more serious case, sports drinks offer a way to replenish electrolytes.
On the other hand, avoid alcohol or any drinks which contain caffeine.
3) Try Probiotics
Probiotics can help restore balance to your digestive tract, making these microorganisms helpful for certain types of diarrhea. You can get them in capsules and in certain brands of yogurt.
4) Consider Anti-Diarrheal Medicine
Finally, there are certain medications which can help reduce the intensity or frequency of diarrhea. Popular over-the-counter options include loperamide (sold as Imodium) and bismuth subsalicylate (known as Pepto-Bismol). However, you need to exercise extreme caution before taking them. This means that even though they are available without a prescription, it is not advised to use them without consulting your doctor first.
The reason for this is that they can actually make certain medical conditions worse. Namely, diarrhea is one of the ways for your body to get rid of substances that are harming it. By getting in the way of this process with medication, you could end up doing a lot more harm than good. Sometimes, you just have to suffer through the watery bowel movements in order to get better.
Specific Causes of Diarrhea
As mentioned, diarrhea will usually go away pretty much on its own after a few days. You can use the above-mentioned methods to speed this up and make the experience less uncomfortable. But if the condition lasts for more than two or three days, you need to see a doctor. You should also immediately do this if you notice signs of dehydration or severe symptoms.
If that happens, your doctor will need to determine the exact cause behind the condition and prescribe specific treatment. These causes include:
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Viruses
Viral hepatitis, rotavirus, and several others can be the reason you’re experiencing diarrhea. In order to stop it, you need special medication.
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Bacteria or Parasites
A common cause of diarrhea is contaminated water or food. Salmonella is a famous example of this, but there are many more. It is not rare to see this with people who visit different countries (particularly developing ones), which is why the term traveler’s diarrhea exists.
In these cases, antibiotics can help.
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Medication
Quite a few medications can have diarrhea as a side effect. If this is what’s happening to you, your doctor will need to adjust the dosage or switch you to an alternative.
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Lactose
If you’re lactose intolerant, diarrhea can follow after you consume dairy products. Once your doctor ascertains this, you will need to adjust your diet.
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Artificial Sweeteners
Certain artificial sweeteners can also cause diarrhea for some people. Once again, the only way to stop it is to determine the exact substance that’s harming you and steer clear of it.
There are even more potential causes of diarrhea (even running can be one), but the point is clear – you can’t stop it without knowing the exact reason behind it.
Conclusion
Diarrhea is a common issue that should pass in a day or two. Under those circumstances, you can take certain steps to ease the ordeal.
But if the symptoms persist, a trip to the doctor’s office is mandatory. Then, the only way to stop diarrhea is to determine the underlying condition and address it.
References:
https://medlineplus.gov/diarrhea.html
https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-treat-diarrhea-1298246
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diarrhea/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20352246
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diarrhea/symptoms-causes/syc-20352241
https://www.mayoclinic.org/runners-diarrhea/expert-answers/faq-20058107
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