Managing Diarrhoea, Here are some useful tips.

Babies :You should contact doctor if your baby has had six or more episodes of diarrhoea in the past 24 hours, or if they’ve vomited three times or more in the past 24 hours. You should also seek advice if your baby has any symptoms of dehydration.

Children had six or more episodes of diarrhoea in the past 24 hours

diarrhoea and vomiting at the same time

watery poo

blood in their poo

a severe or continuous stomach ache

symptoms of dehydration

There’s blood in your poo

you’re vomiting persistently

you’ve lost a lot of weight

you’ve passed a large amount of very watery diarrhoea

it occurs at night and is disturbing your sleep

you’ve recently taken antibiotics or been treated in hospital

you have symptoms of dehydration

your poo is dark or black – this may be a sign of bleeding inside your stomach

You should also contact your doctor if you have persistent diarrhoea. Most cases in adults will pass in two to four days.

Causes of diarrhoea :There are many different causes of diarrhoea, but a bowel infection (gastroenteritis) is a common cause in both adults and children.

Gastroenteritis can be caused by: a virus – such as norovirus or rotavirus

bacteria – such as campylobacter or Escherichia coli (E. coli), which are often picked up from contaminated food

a parasite – such as the parasite that causes giardiasis, which is spread in contaminated water These infections can sometimes be caught during travel .This is known as travellers’ diarrhoea.

Diarrhoea can also be the result of: anxiety, a food allergy, medication a long-term condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) Consult your doctor to be sure what led to chronic diarrhoea and get evaluated.

Most cases of diarrhoea clear up after a few days without treatment. However, diarrhoea can lead to dehydration, so you should drink plenty of fluids until it passes. It’s very important that babies and small children don’t become dehydrated. Use an oral rehydration solution (ORS) if you or your child are particularly at risk of dehydration. You should eat solid food as soon as you feel able to. If you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding your baby and they have diarrhoea, you should try to feed them as normal. Stay at home until at least 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea to prevent spreading any infection to others. Medications to reduce diarrhoea, such as loperamide, are available. However, these aren’t usually necessary, and most types shouldn’t be given to children. Do not take these tablets without consulting a doctor

Preventing diarrhoea: Diarrhoea is often caused by an infection. You can reduce your risk by making sure you maintain high standards of hygiene. For example, you should:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after going to the toilet and before eating or preparing food

2.Clean the toilet, including the handle and the seat, with disinfectant after each bout of diarrhoea

3. Avoid sharing towels, flannels, cutlery or utensils with others wash soiled clothing and bed linen separately from other clothes and at the highest temperature possible – for example, 60C or higher for linen – after first removing any poo into the toilet

Traveller’s diarrhoea It’s important to practise good food and water hygiene while travelling such as avoiding potentially unsafe tap water and undercooked food.

Rotavirus vaccination :Rotavirus is a virus that commonly causes diarrhoea in children. A vaccine that helps protect children against rotavirus is now part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule. This vaccine is given as a liquid that’s dropped into a baby’s mouth. It’s given in two doses, with the first given at two months and another at three months.