Treating diarrhoea
Diarrhoea will usually clear up without treatment after a few days, particularly if it's caused by an infection.
In children, diarrhoea will usually pass within five to seven days and will rarely last longer than two weeks.
In adults, diarrhoea usually improves within two to four days, although some infections can last a week or more.
While waiting for your diarrhoea to pass, you can ease your symptoms by following the advice outlined below.
Drink fluids
It's important to drink plenty of fluids to avoid
dehydration, particularly if you are also vomiting. Take small, frequent sips of water.
Ideally, drink a lot of liquids that contain water, salt and sugar. Some examples include water mixed with juice, flavoured soda, and soup broth. If you are drinking enough fluids, your urine will be light yellow or almost clear.
It's also very important for babies and small children not to become dehydrated. Give your child frequent sips of water, even if they are vomiting. A small amount is better than none. Fruit juice or fizzy drinks should be avoided because they can make diarrhoea worse in children.
If you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding your baby and they have diarrhoea, you should continue to feed them as normal.
Oral rehydration solutions (ORS)