Diarrhea Relief Before Heading to the Doctor

Modern, stressful life can lead to poor dietary habits and occasional diarrhea. Over-the-counter medicine may provide temporary relief from your symptoms, but it usually doesn't reach the cause of your digestive problems.

Occasional diarrhea is usually caused by an imbalance of bacteria in your intestines. Processed foods including dairy products, conventional meats and fast food can increase your intake of bad bacteria. When the bad bacteria overpopulate the beneficial bacteria, digestive issues such as diarrhea can arise.

Diarrhea relief can start by taking control of your diet. These tips should alleviate some of your occasional diarrhea symptoms:

• Drink a minimum of eight glasses of purified water per day.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeinated and sugary drinks.
• Avoid milk and dairy products.
• Minimize conventional meat consumption.
• Avoid spicy, greasy or fried foods and fast food restaurants.
• Add fiber (such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains) to your diet.

Along with an improved diet, a daily regimen of probiotics can help restore and maintain levels of beneficial bacteria in your body for better digestive system function*

If you are experiencing severe diarrhea, you should seek medical advice. Your body may be warning you of other, more serious health conditions.

For newborns, any vomiting or diarrhea should be immediately reported to the pediatrician. For children over three months, any vomiting that lasts more than a few hours should be reported. For adults, if diarrhea persists for more than three days, consult a doctor.

Below signs require immediate medical attention:

• Bloody stool.
• Black or oily stool.
• Abdominal pain that persists after a bowel movement.
• Severe dehydration issues like dizziness or muscle cramps.
• An accompanying fever of over 101 in adults (100.4 in children).
• Diarrhea that occurs immediately after foreign travel.
• If you shared a meal with other people, and they are experiencing diarrhea too.
• Diarrhea that comes right after starting a new medication.

Diarrhea relief should be considered after evaluating your lifestyle. A regular exercise routine, a minimum of seven nightly hours of sleep, along with a healthy diet is imperative for a properly functioning digestive system and optimum health.

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