There are diet changes you can make to help relieve or stop diarrhea. These changes include limiting or avoiding foods and liquids that are high in sugar, fat, fiber, and lactose. Lactose is a sugar found in milk products. Milk products can cause diarrhea in people who are lactose intolerant. You should also drink extra liquids to replace fluids that are lost when you have diarrhea. Diarrhea can lead to dehydration.
For the first few days after your surgery, your diet should be made up of clear liquids, broth, and gelatin. Â;And while some alcoholic beverages may be clear, you should avoid alcohol for at least two days after your surgery.Â;
After the first few days, you can start gradually adding solid food back into your diet. You should stick with small meals at first.
Avoid these types of foods when you start adding foods back into your diet:Â;
Knowing basic diet guidelines helps to improve your conditions and avoid making your diarrhea worse. Certain foods will also help accelerate recovery.
Keep in mind that it is best to eat a clear liquid diet after diarrhea, including apple juice, weak tea, frozen pops, clear broth, plain gelatin or simple water. Clear liquids will help prevent irritation.
It is equally important to eat smaller meals more frequently to avoid putting stress on your digestive system. You can switch to a low-fiber diet after a couple of days of diarrhea. Be sure to drink water to avoid becoming dehydrated.
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Myth. Diarrhea often goes away on its own, so treatment isn’t usually necessary. But over-the-counter diarrhea medications can offer some relief from symptoms. Avoid them if you have a fever or other symptoms, such as bloody stool. Don’t give babies or children any diarrhea medicine unless a pediatrician recommends it.
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Myth. Seasonal flu — or influenza virus — can cause fever, body ache, and general misery, but it rarely causes diarrhea. Influenza is generally a disease of the airways and lungs. The sickness that some people call “stomach flu” can cause diarrhea, but that bug is different from influenza. “Stomach flu” is just a catch-all name for viral gastroenteritis, which is caused by many different germs.
If your diarrhea is caused by a bacterial infection, Mundkur says you may experience severe diarrhea, fever, and bloody stools; however, antibiotics can help treat the infection if it’s bacterial.;
On the other hand, persistent blood in your stools could also be an indication of something more serious. “Sometimes colon cancer can cause diarrhea and blood in the stool, so it is important to talk to your primary care physician about whether you need a colonoscopy,” says Mundkur.
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If you’ve recently suffered from a stomach bug, also known as gastroenteritis or stomach flu, you might be wondering, if anything, what you can eat. However, it’s crucial during this time to keep hydrated, and not overburden your system with heavy or stimulating foods. You should also be supplying your body with the essential nutrients it needs in order to help support your immune system, keep your energy levels up and fight off the invading bug.
This is why I recommend the following five foods to help support your recovery from a stomach bug:
Next, I explore exactly why you should eat these five foods if youre feeling sorry for yourself and have a stomach bug.
The most important thing to do when suffering from diarrhea is drink lots of fluids or clear liquids. Your body has lost hydration and electrolytes are lost from the body, which can make you feel weak, fatigued, dizzy and cause leg cramps. Severe dehydration can lead to low blood pressure and even turn life-threatening if it leads to hypovolemic shock.;
To replenish your body:
Following the BRAT diet during this period may help, since it consists of bland foods that are low in fiber and gentle on the stomach, and can also help bind the loose stools. The BRAT diet includes:
Bananas contain pectin that is beneficial for the digestive tract. Being a rich source of potassium, it also replenishes the body with potassium that is lost in diarrhea. One review article that analyzed several studies found that green banana pulp may reduce both diarrhea and constipation in children. Another study from 2016 found that consuming rice soups along with a rehydration solution was effective in reducing diarrhea in children.
To reap the maximum benefits of the BRAT diet, remember to maintain hydration by drinking lots of water and other fluids.
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People with diarrhea should eat small meals throughout the day instead of three big meals. Diarrhea, or loose watery stools, may be caused by stomach flu, food poisoning, radiation, chemotherapy, other medications and infections. The following diet tips may help control diarrhea.
If theres little to no difference between stomach flu and food poisoning symptoms, how do we tell them apart? In my experience, the main way to tell the two conditions apart is by taking a careful look at the patients background and recent history. With food poisoning, there is often a history of eating food that is contaminated or suspected to be contaminated. Food poisoning usually comes on quite quickly after eating contaminated food and tends to go away within a few hours to days. Meanwhile, depending upon the person and severity, stomach flu can last up to ten days.
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As Ive mentioned throughout this article, severe dehydration is what doctors are most concerned about when it comes to stomach flu and food poisoning. Therefore, if youre unable to hold down any fluids, its recommended to see a doctor. Here are some other potential warning signs to watch for. These may indicate the need for medical attention:
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or are considered a high-risk case, its time to speak to your doctor. During your visit, the doctor will probably ask for your medical history, do a physical exam, and take stool and blood tests. These will all help provide a diagnosis and determine if additional treatment is needed.
One additional red flag to know about is if youve recently been hospitalized or have used antibiotics in the last 3-6 months. If so, and you experience any of the concerning symptoms, you could have a C. diff bacterial infection.
This infection can develop after taking antibiotics and can cause severe abdominal pain, profuse diarrhea, fever, nausea, among other severe symptoms. Therefore, its worth talking to your doctor if any of these symptoms or indicators sound familiar.
You should avoid certain kinds of foods when you have diarrhea, including fried foods and greasy foods.
Avoid fruits and vegetables that can cause gas, such as broccoli, peppers, beans, peas, berries, prunes, chickpeas, green leafy vegetables, and corn.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated drinks.
Limit or cut out milk and other dairy products if they are making your diarrhea worse or causing gas and bloating.
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Fluids and food are central to helping your body regain its strength after the stomach flu or food poisoning. Though your appetite may be non-existent, drinking the right liquids and eating the right foods can help speed up your recovery. This is because your body has lost a lot of fluids, nutrients and electrolytes due to vomiting and diarrhea. You need to replace them to prevent dehydration, otherwise youll feel worse.
Whether youre suffering from the stomach flu or food poisoning, or whether youre vomiting or have diarrhea , the main rule is to do your best to hydrateand stay hydrated. In fact, drinking is something you should try to do from the time your first symptom rears its ugly head. While water is best, you can try herbal teas, sports drinks, or Pedialyte as long as you are able to keep them down. Small sips every few minutes will go a long way to help stay hydrated.
Follow these tips when you have a bout of diarrhea:
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While doctors generally agree that you can eat anything your stomach can tolerate, its best to avoid foods that are spicy and fatty. These can be much harder for your stomach to digest than the bland BRAT diet.
You may want to be cautious of dairy products, even with probiotics, since they may irritate your stomach. I would also caution you against eating a big meal.
Instead, start slowly with small meals to see how your stomach handles the food. When youre just starting to eat again, avoid foods with strong odors, as they may trigger nausea and/or vomiting.
The bottom line is to use common sense. Listen to your body about what foods your stomach can and cannot tolerate.
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Myth. Greasy, fried foods often make diarrhea worse because they’re hard to digest. But eating a little fat could help ease diarrhea. The slow digestion of fats may reduce diarrhea symptoms. As long as you don’t have a problem absorbing fat, add a teaspoon of mayo, a pat of butter, or a little lean meat to your next meal. It may help with your symptoms.
Most people can tolerate the foods and liquids listed below. If any of them make your symptoms worse, stop eating or drinking them until you feel better. If you are lactose intolerant, avoid milk products.
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Fact. Diarrhea causes you to lose fluids. Losing too much fluid can bring on dehydration, especially in children. A child may be dehydrated if they seem thirsty, has a dry mouth or sunken soft spots on the head , or is urinating less than usual or crying without tears. Adults may have similar symptoms, as well as sunken eyes and lethargy. Call your doctor if you see signs of dehydration. Your doctor may recommend drinking oral rehydration solutions, water, uncaffeinated, low-sugar sports drinks, diluted fruit juices, and broths.
There are many different causes of diarrhoea, but a bowel infection is a common cause in both adults and children.
Gastroenteritis;can be caused by:
These infections can sometimes be caught during travel abroad, particularly to areas with poor standards of public hygiene. This is known as travellers’ diarrhoea.
Diarrhoea can also be the result of anxiety,;a food allergy, medication, or a long-term condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome .
You should also contact your GP if you have persistent diarrhoea. Most cases in adults will pass in 2;to 4;days.
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In most cases, symptoms for the stomach flu and food poisoning are mild and last only a short time. If you have any other questions about what to eat after food poisoning or stomach flu, speak to a doctor.
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Stomach bugs are very often caused by viruses and common culprits include norovirus and rotavirus. Generally, these pesky pathogens;cause irritation and inflammation of the lining of your stomach, also known as gastritis,;which can give rise to symptoms such as:;
As your immune system works hard to fight off the virus, you can also experience a fever and aching muscles and joints, which are also;common symptoms of other types of viruses too, such as the flu virus.
Luckily, unlike some other viruses, those which cause a tummy bug can often be eradicated fairly quickly and many people experience a 24 hour bug, by which time your immune system has shunned the invader and your symptoms start to ease.;If your symptoms persist for longer, however, or you experience any of the following symptoms, it’s time to go to the doctor:
A note on children:;if its a child that your worried about, much of the same advice stands with regards to keeping them hydrated and trying them out with some bland or binding foods. However, watch out for the warning signs as mentioned above and get them to the doctor if their symptoms don’t seem to be subsiding.
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