When diarrhea occurs, meals should be light, easy to digest, and in small amounts, using foods such as canja, vegetable puree, corn kernels and cooked fruits, for example.
In addition, during treatment for diarrhea, it is essential to drink water, tea, fruit juice and coconut water in the same proportion of water lost in the faeces, to avoid dehydration, which can cause complications such as decreased pressure and fainting, for example. See the food list on How to Stop Diarrhea Faster.
In the video below, our nutritionist gives quick and easy tips on eating meals during diarrhea.
Menu of what to eat in diarrhea
An example of a diarrhea menu can be:
| 1st day | 2nd Day | 3rd Day | |
| Breakfast | Chamomile tea with guava leaves and sugar | Rice porridge | French bread and guava juice |
| Lunch | Fried chicken soup | Soup with carrot | Rice cooked with boiled chicken and cooked apple for dessert |
| Snack | Roasted pear | Cornflakes and chamomile tea with sugar | Banana and cornstarch porridge |
| Dinner | Pumpkin and baked potato puree | Carrot puree with boiled potatoes and boiled apples | Mashed carrots, boiled potatoes and pumpkin and baked apple |
It is important to remember that if there is blood in the stool, fever or if diarrhea persists in the elderly and children, the doctor should be consulted to identify the cause of the problem and initiate appropriate treatment.
Home Remedies to Fight Diarrhea
Some home remedies can be used along with dietary precautions to combat diarrhea, such as:
- Chamomile tea;
- Apple syrup;
- Guava tea;
- Apple juice;
- Rice water.
These natural remedies soothe the gut and help trap stool, controlling pain and diarrhea. Here's how to prepare each by clicking here.
When to take medicine from the pharmacy
If diarrhea is severe and persists for more than 1 week, if there is fever or blood in the stool, or if diarrhea is in children or the elderly, the doctor should be consulted to assess the cause of the problem and avoid possible complications such as dehydration and fainting .
In these cases, the doctor may prescribe medications such as Imosec, Diasec, Avid and antibiotics. In addition, it may also be necessary to take probiotic medications to replenish the intestinal flora, such as Floratil and Simcaps.
Types of diarrhea
Diarrhea is characterized by an increase in the frequency of bowel movements per day, which occurs with very soft or liquid stools, which often cause urgency to go to the toilet and abdominal pain. In addition, various types of diarrhea, especially infectious ones, can cause fever.
However, according to the frequency of bowel movements and with the cause, diarrhea can be classified as:
Acute diarrhea
It occurs for a short time, usually 2 to 14 days, and its treatment is done by removing the food or medicine that causes diarrhea. It is usually caused by poor absorption of some nutrients such as lactose and fructose, but the cause may also be the use of medicines such as antacids, laxatives and nutritional supplements.
Severe diarrhea can cause other problems such as anal fissures, which should be treated using scarring ointments. Learn more about treatment in Learn how to treat anal fissures.
Chronic Diarrhea
Chronic diarrhea arises when fluid and constant bowel movements last for more than 2 weeks. In these cases, it is common for the doctor to order blood, stool, or colonoscopy tests to investigate the cause of the problem.
This type of diarrhea can have several causes, such as infection by viruses, bacteria or protozoa, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, ulcerative colitis, chronic pancreatitis, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, bowel tumor, celiac disease and others. Treatment for chronic diarrhea is done based on the correct diagnosis of the cause of the problem.
Infectious Diarrhea
Infectious diarrhea is a type of acute diarrhea, but it is caused by microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi or protozoa. Unlike food infection, in infectious diarrhea the change in diet does not improve the disease picture.
In these cases, the onset of fever is common and it is necessary to go to the doctor for blood and stool tests to identify the cause of the problem and take the appropriate medication.
When to go to the doctor
It is important to be alert to symptoms and seek medical help if one or more of the following occurs:
- If the diarrhea lasts more than a week;
- If the patient shows signs of dehydration, such as dry mouth and skin, little urine, weakness and malaise. See more symptoms here;
- Severe and persistent abdominal pain;
- Stools dark or bloody;
- High fever.
It is important to remember that diarrhea is more severe in children and the elderly, so care should be taken in these cases, seeking medical help if diarrhea persists for more than 3 days even with a change in diet.
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