Diarrhea is a common ailment that may aggravate fast if one does not take the right measures early on. While many prescribed medications and treatments can help improve the condition, you also can check out certain home remedies to get rid of diarrhea.
Diarrhea is most often caused by a lack of basic hygiene or consuming contaminated food and water. Norovirus contamination, one of the most common causes of diarrhea, has been responsible for over 200,000 deaths in developing countries.
While most cases of diarrhea can be mild to start with, they often lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, cramps, bloating, and abdominal pain, among other symptoms. Therefore, it is important to keep yourself hydrated with oral rehydrating solutions and take ample rest to help your body recover.
If your symptoms seem mild, you can make use of some of the home remedies listed here to keep things under control. However, if the symptoms last beyond a week, you must consult a doctor for the right diagnosis and medications.
Symptoms of Diarrhea
- Signs of dehydration
- Diarrhea for more than 2 days, if you are an adult. For children, contact the provider if it lasts more than 24 hours.
- Severe pain in your abdomen or rectum (for adults)
- A fever of 102 degrees or higher
- Stools containing blood or pus
- Stools that are black and tarry
Natural Remedies
Coconut Water
Coconut water can be used as a rehydration solution for people with mild symptoms of diarrhea. However, it should be used together with early refeeding.
You Will Need
1 glass of fresh young coconut water
What You Have To Do
Drink a glass of young coconut water daily.
How Often You Should Do This
You must preferably drink this concoction after every bout of diarrhea.
Caution: This remedy should not be used to treat symptoms of dehydration. It should also not be used for cholera or renal impairment.
Almond Milk
Adults and infants who are lactose-intolerant tend to develop diarrhea on consuming dairy products.
Almond milk is a healthy and safe substitute.
You Will Need
Almond milk (as required)
What You Have To Do
Replace cow’s milk with almond milk in your cereals, smoothies, and other dishes.
How Often You Should Do This
You can make this a daily habit if you are lactose-intolerant.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. It may help fight the microbes responsible for causing diarrhea and soothe the inflamed intestines.
You Will Need
- 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
- 1 glass of water
- Honey (optional)
What You Have To Do
- Add two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water.
- Mix well and add some honey to it.
- Drink the mixture.
How Often You Should Do This
You can drink this mixture 2-3 times a day until the symptoms subside.
Lemon Water
The mixture of lemon juice, sugar, salt, and water is a popular remedy used by many to treat symptoms of diarrhea, like dehydration.
You Will Need
- ½ lemon
- 1 glass of water
- A pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
What You Have To Do
- Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into a glass of water.
- Add a pinch of salt and two teaspoons of sugar to it.
- Mix well and drink up.
How Often You Should Do This
Sip on this mixture every few minutes.
Peppermint Essential Oil
The active constituent of peppermint oil is menthol. Menthol can help relieve abdominal pain that accompanies diarrhea and other IBS symptoms. Two studies published in Digestive Diseases And Sciences and Mymensingh Medical Journal also confirmed the same post sustained release of encapsulated peppermint oil in the small intestine.
You Will Need
- 1 drop of food-grade peppermint oil
- 1 glass of warm water
What You Have To Do
- Add a drop of food-grade peppermint oil to a glass of warm water.
- Drink the solution.
How Often You Should Do This
You can drink this mixture 1-2 times daily.
Ginger
According to a study published in Yakugaku Zasshi, Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan, the acetone extract of ginger can help curb serotonin-induced diarrhea.
You Will Need
- 1-2 inches of sliced ginger
- 1 cup of water
What You Have To Do
- Add an inch or two of sliced ginger to a cup of water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil in a saucepan.
- Simmer and strain.
- Drink the warm ginger tea.
How Often You Should Do This
You can drink this mixture 2-3 times daily.
Green Tea
Among the many benefits of green tea, one is its ability to treat diarrhea in the affected individuals.
You Will Need
- 1 teaspoon of green tea
- 1 cup of hot water
What You Have To Do
- Steep a teaspoon of green tea in a cup of hot water for 5-7 minutes.
- Strain and drink the tea.
How Often You Should Do This
You can drink green tea 1-2 times daily.
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Electrolyte Drinks (ORS)
Consumption of electrolyte drinks, such as sports drinks, as well as the ever-popular oral rehydration solution (ORS), may help alleviate the symptoms of dehydration that often accompany diarrhea.
You Will Need
- 6 teaspoons of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 liter of boiled water
What You Have To Do
- Add six teaspoons of sugar to a liter of water. Mix well until it dissolves.
- Add a teaspoon of salt to the solution and mix well.
- Drink a cup of the solution.
How Often You Should Do This
You may do this after every watery bowel movement you have.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A deficiency is often associated with an increased risk of diarrhea. Hence, restoring this deficiency can reduce the severity of the symptoms.
You Will Need
Vitamin A-rich foods or supplements
What You Have To Do
- Increase your intake of vitamin A-rich foods, like carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots, winter squash, cantaloupe, and spinach.
- You can also take additional supplements for this vitamin after talking to your doctor about the required dosage for you.
How Often You Should Do This
You can include small amounts of vitamin A-rich foods in your daily diet.
Rice Water
Rice water can cut down the number of stools without having any adverse effects on your health. It is especially great for treating diarrhea in infants that occurs as a result of infantile gastroenteritis in developing countries.
You Will Need
½ glass of rice water
What You Have To Do
- Strain the water from cooked rice.
- Consume half a glass of rice water after every bout of diarrhea.
- This remedy can also be used for children.
How Often You Should Do This
You can do this 2-3 times or more daily.
While these remedies work their magic, you can also make some changes to your diet for a speedy recovery.
What Foods Help Stop Diarrhea?
Diarrhea can be quite uncomfortable. Hence, you must be a little careful about what you eat. This is where the BRAT diet comes into play.
BRAT is “bananas, rice, apple, and toast.” These bland foods will be quite easy on your stomach and will not aggravate your condition any further.
It is also necessary that you drink lots of fluids to keep yourself well-hydrated.
Foods To Eat
The foods that can help ease symptoms of diarrhea include:
- Clear broths
- Bananas
- Apples
- Toast
- White rice
- Mashed potatoes
- Yogurt
Foods To Avoid
Avoid these foods if you have diarrhea:
- Dairy products
- Fried or greasy foods
- Spices
- Raw vegetables
- Caffeine
- Citrus fruits
- Raw vegetables
- Pork
- Processed foods
- Alcohol
- Artificial sweeteners
These foods may either be too heavy for your recovering tummy or may further aggravate your condition if they are already contaminated, like in the case of raw vegetables. Hence, exercise caution.
Here are a few additional tips to prevent the recurrence of diarrhea.
How To Prevent Diarrhea
- Always wash your hands every time after using the washroom and also before you eat.
- Wash your hands if you come in contact with any contaminants or pets/animals.
- If you can’t get hold of water to wash your hands, use a sanitizer.
- Be careful when you are traveling to a new place. Do not eat or drink until you are sure the food and drinks are safe to be consumed.
- Wash your vegetables and fruits thoroughly before cooking them.
- Cook all meats well.
- Avoid eating uncooked or undercooked eggs.
- Avoid using dairy that is not pasteurized. If you are lactose-intolerant, avoid dairy altogether.
- Avoid handling food if you have diarrhea.
- Limit caffeine, alcohol, and other foods that have laxative potential.
When To See A Doctor
If your infant has had 6 bouts of watery bowel movements and 3 or more bouts of vomiting in 24 hours, do not waste any time in consulting a doctor. Children above 1 year should also be taken to a doctor if they have experienced 6 or more bouts of diarrhea in 24 hours.
You must also see a doctor immediately if you notice certain symptoms like:
- Continuous vomiting
- Persistent diarrhea
- Significant loss of weight
- Pus or blood in stool that may also turn the stool black
- Dehydration
