Diarrhea: What is that Runny Stool?

You find yourself running to the bathroom, only to be sitting there for hours at a time with diarrhea. There doesn’t seem to be any end in site to how much liquid is running out of your behind. You think to yourself, man, why do I have to have diarrhea today? Diarrhea is not a fun thing to deal with, but you can you get control of it.

Ask yourself if you have some of these common symptoms. You might notice these when experiencing diarrhea:

1. A loose, runny stool. It will look watery and it wont stop coming out.

2. Cramping or abdominal pain

3. Do you feel dehydrated? Are you thirsty?

4. Are you vomiting or throwing up?

5. Do you have a fever?

6. Is there blood in your poop or fecal mater?

7. Do you feel fat or bloated?

There is a variety of causes of a loose, runny stool. There may be viruses, bacteria or parasites, and even certain types of medications that can cause you to have diarrhea. You can also have diarrhea from food poisoning, stress, infections, contaminated food or water, caffeine, ulcerative colitis, Chron’s disease, cancer, and not digesting your food properly. You may even have a food allergy that you don’t know about that can cause diarrhea.

Having diarrhea can cause a lot of fluid to be lost, so make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids. If you do not get enough fluid during this time, you may cause your body to become dehydrated. Your body can lose a lot of minerals such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium, that are important for heart health.

Eating a high fiber diet is important in bulking up your runny poop. Foods such as oat bran, rice bran, raw foods, soured products, and yogurt can help to add bulk to your runny stool. Just make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids when adding more fiber so that you do not become constipated.

Avoid drinking any dairy products, it will make your runny poop worse. When you have diarrhea, your body loses the ability to digest lactose. Stay away from fatty foods, gluten, barley, oats, rye, and wheat. Also, try to avoid drinking caffeinated beverages, alcohol, and eating spicy foods.

If the diarrhea last more than three days, has blood in the stool, the stool looks like black tar, you have a fever over 102 degrees Fahrenheit, severe abdominal pain, or rectal pain; then be sure to contact your doctor for further evaluation. Don’t suffer with that loose runny stool, get some help so you don’t have to sit on the toilet all day long.

If your diarrhea does not go away within a few days, then call your doctor for an appointment. When going to your doctors, make sure you have a list of all of your symptoms that you are experiencing. If you are taking any medications, make sure to have a list of them for your doctor to review. Try not to leave anything out and be up front about that runny poop coming out of your behind.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diarrhea/DS00292