Diarrhea: A Practical Checklist
Diarrhea: what is worth doing, what is worth avoiding, and when to stop and see a doctor.
Passing loose or watery stools more frequently than is normal for you. Most episodes are short-lived infections, and the main risk in otherwise healthy adults is dehydration rather than the infection itself.
Key takeaways
- Common cause: viral gastroenteritis, including norovirus
- Staying home: for 2 days (48 hours) after norovirus symptoms stop
- Most useful single change: Keep fluids up and use an oral rehydration solution if needed.
- Commonest mistake: Antidiarrheal medicines if you have blood in the stool or a fever.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
Do
- Keep fluids up and use an oral rehydration solution if needed
- Wash hands with soap and water, not sanitizer alone
- Stay home from work or school until 48 hours after symptoms stop
- Eat when you feel able; there is no need to starve
Do not
- Antidiarrheal medicines if you have blood in the stool or a fever
- Preparing food for others while sick or for 2 days afterward
- Returning to work too early
The numbers behind the list
Those two lists follow from the published figures here.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Common cause | viral gastroenteritis, including norovirus |
| Staying home | for 2 days (48 hours) after norovirus symptoms stop |
| Rehydration | oral rehydration solutions, particularly for children and older adults |
| Hand hygiene | soap and water; hand sanitizer works poorly against norovirus |
| Antidiarrheal medicines | avoid if there is blood in the stool or a fever |
If you change one thing
Keep fluids up and use an oral rehydration solution if needed. That one first, and the others when you get to them.
Related topics
- Travelers' Diarrhea: What the Evidence Actually Says (Travel Health)
- What the Guidance Really Says About Norovirus (Infectious Diseases)
- Fluid and Kidney Health: What Published Guidance Supports (Kidney Health)
- The Evidence on Dietary Salt, Without the Hype (Nutrition)
Where to go next
- Diarrhea for Beginners: Where to Start
- A Q and A on Diarrhea
- Diarrhea — the reference entry
- Digestive Health: The Complete Guide
- What the Guidance Really Says About Hemorrhoids
- Food Intolerance: What the Evidence Actually Says
When to speak to a doctor
See your doctor for diarrhea lasting more than 2 days in an adult or more than 24 hours in a child, blood or pus in the stool, black stools, severe abdominal pain, a high fever, or signs of dehydration such as dizziness on standing and passing very little urine. Get advice early for babies, older adults, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system, who dehydrate faster. Call 911 for confusion, fainting or a baby who is very drowsy.
Where this comes from
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases — Diarrhea
- CDC — Preventing Norovirus
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.
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