Diarrhea

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Diarrhea?

Let's see the best way to take care of this.
Pharmacist

This can go away on its own. Or it may be a sign of a serious problem leading to dehydration and loss of energy.


Boy holding his stomach

We will start by making sure your child is not facing a medical emergency.

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The most common cause is a viral infection of the digestive track. Bacteria and parasites can also cause diarrhea and this can be very contagious. This will usually be preceded by nausea and vomiting.

FYI Continue

 

 

 

Diarrhea

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Emergency care?

With this diarrhea, is he or she also feeling faint

Feeling dizzy?
Pharmacist

 

Yes?
Watch out for dehydration which can be dangerous.
Pharmacist

 

Is he or she feeling confused?
Pharmacist

 

Seek urgent care or call the pediatrician.
Pharmacist

Here is why:

  • Possible electrolyte imbalance.
  • May be facing severe dehydration.
  • If he or she is too weak, go to the nearest emergency room now.

Nearest ER

 

Ask the child:
Does your mouth feel dry or sticky?
Pharmacist

 

Seek urgent care or call the pediatrician.
Pharmacist

Here is why:

  • Possible electrolyte imbalance.
  • May be facing severe dehydration.
  • If he or she is too weak, go to the nearest emergency room now.

Nearest ER

 

Does it look like the child is breathing abnormally to you?
Pharmacist

 

Seek urgent care or emergency room.
Pharmacist

Here is why:

  • Sign of dehydration.

Nearest ER

 

Would you say the heart rate has increased?
Pharmacist

 

Seek urgent care or emergency room.
Pharmacist

Here is why:

  • Sign of dehydration

Nearest ER

 

Are his or her eyes looking blood shot?
Pharmacist

 

Seek urgent care or emergency room.
Pharmacist

Here is why:

  • your child is suffering from severe dehydration.
  • your child is suffering from electrolyte imbalance.

Nearest ER

 

Has it been more than 8 hours since the diarrhea started?

And the child has not had a urine output?
Pharmacist

 

Seek urgent care or call the pediatrician.
Pharmacist

Here is why:

  • Possible severe dehydration.

Nearest Clinic

 

Gently pinch and release the child's skin.

Did it flatten back to normal right away?
Pharmacist

 

Seek urgent care or emergency room.
Pharmacist

Here is why:

  • Possibly getting dehydrated.
  • When dehydrated, the skin does not flatten back to normal right away after being gently pinched and released.

Nearest ER

 


Those were some of the possible signs of dehydration.
Pharmacist

By continuing we will assume you are convinced from the questions so far that your child is not facing severe dehydration, at least not yet.

Let's see what type of diarrhea your child may be experiencing, how it started, what may have caused it, severity, and so on.

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Diarrhea

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Need a doctor?

Next question:
Should you take the child to see a doctor?

Let's answer that next.
Pharmacist

 

Any blood in the watery stool?
Pharmacist

 

Seek urgent care or emergency room.
Pharmacist

Here is why:

  • Possible bacteria or parasites invading your bowels.
  • Tests to determine the cause of the blood in the stool is required.
  • Maroon-colored or bright red blood often mean that the blood is coming from the small or large intestine, rectum, or anal area.

Nearest Clinic

 

Any fever above 101°F with this diarrhea?
Pharmacist

 

Seek urgent care or call the pediatrician.
Pharmacist

Here is why:

  • Possible bacteria, viral or parasite invasion.

Nearest Clinic

 

Is the diarrhea watery, oily?

And child also has stomach cramps?
With gas?
Pharmacist

 

Seek urgent care or call the pediatrician.
Pharmacist

Here is why:

  • Possible bacteria or parasite related diarrhea.
  • Need antibiotics for bacteria or parasite related diarrhea.
  • OTC antidiarrhea medications may prolong the problem.

Meanwhile, have child drink lots of fluid to prevent dehydration.

Nearest Clinic

 

Is child experiencing severe lower abdominal pain and cramping with this diarrhea?

And also feeling bloated?
Pharmacist

 

Seek urgent care or emergency room.
Pharmacist

Here is why:

  • May be looking at intestinal blockage.
  • Consider this an emergency especially if the pain is severe.

Nearest Clinic

 

Was the child constipated before and...

...all of a sudden child is having watery diarrhea?
Pharmacist

 

Seek urgent care or call the pediatrician.
Pharmacist

Here is why:

  • Possible fecal impaction.
  • There may be a large mass of dry hard stool trapped in the rectum.

Nearest Clinic

 

Did your child travel abroad lately?
Pharmacist

 

Seek urgent care or call the pediatrician.
Pharmacist

Here is why:

  • Possibly traveler's diarrhea caused by contaminated food or drink.
  • Do not try to have child ride it out.
  • Child will need antibiotics to deal with this.

 


Knowing the nature of the diarrhea can help decide on what to do.
Pharmacist

Let's see what we can come up with.

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Diarrhea

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What is the nature?

Is the diarrhea watery?

And child also has low grade fever?
Pharmacist

No

 

Let's make sure child is not looking at a stomach flu situation.
Pharmacist

 

Any body aches or headache?
Pharmacist

 

Yes?
Suspecting possible stomach flu or stomach virus situation.
Pharmacist

See the entry for stomach flu for a more detailed discussion or would you like to Continue?

Stomach flu

 

Does anybody else have the same symptoms your child is experiencing?
Pharmacist

 

Yes?
Suspecting possible stomach virus situation.
Pharmacist

Stomach virus can affect one person or a group of people who all ate the same food or drank the same water.

Stomach flu

 

Did the child come in contact with similarly ill people?

Within the last 2 days?
Pharmacist

 

Yes?
Strong possibility of stomach flu.
Pharmacist

Would you like to see the entry for stomach flu and see what a pharmacist recommend or Continue.

Stomach flu

 


Those questions should rule out stomach flu or virus.
Pharmacist

If you think your child is looking at stomach flu or virus, see our entry for stomach flu for a more detailed analysis.

If not, let's take a look at some other possible causes of diarrhea in children.

Stomach flu Continue

 

 

 

 

Diarrhea

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What caused it?

Did the diarrhea start after your child ate dairy products?
(like ice cream, yogurt, cream cheese)

Or drank milk?
Pharmacist

 

Yes?
Possible lactose intolerance.
Pharmacist

In this case, child is having problem digesting lactose (sugar found in milk products).

Know that certain types of sugar substitutes in excessive quantities can also cause diarrhea.

 

Is the volume of the diarrhea large?

Very watery or fatty?
Pharmacist

 

Yes?
The problem is likely with the small intestine.
Pharmacist

If it continues for more than 2 days, your child will have to see a doctor for this.

It could be due to the nerves, something speeding up movement of the intestines or even has to do with some types of hormones.

 

Is this more like small but frequent stools?

Mostly with stomach pain?
Pharmacist

 

Yes?
Possible problem with the colons or large intestine.
Pharmacist

If it continues for more than 2 days, have child see a doctor.

 

Has the child taken any antibiotic within the past 2 months?
Pharmacist

 

Yes?
Antibiotics can cause diarrhea up to 2 months later.
Pharmacist

They kill both the good and bad bacteria in the intestines.

If the good ones are not replaced on time while the bad ones grew faster, this can lead to diarrhea.

Also diarrhea causing bacteria such as Clostridium difficile can grow after the use of antibiotics.

Probiotics should be able to help with this. The pharmacist will discuss this with you later.

 

Goal with diarrhea is to prevent dehydration and electrolyte loss.
Pharmacist

Signs of dehydration include:

  • Dark colored urine
  • Thirst
  • Dry or sticky mouth
  • Dry skin
  • Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
  • Low or no urine output
  • Sunken eyes

Let's see what a pharmacist recommend for diarrhea. But before that just one more question.

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Diarrhea

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How many times has the child used the bathroom since it all started?
Pharmacist


Pharmacist

Option1

 

Option2

 

Option3