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To treat or prevent dehydration, you need to replace lost fluids and electrolytes-called rehydration therapy-especially if you have acute diarrhea. How can I treat or prevent dehydration caused by diarrhea? You can prevent foodborne illnesses that cause diarrhea by properly storing, cooking, cleaning, and handling foods. Early treatment with antibiotics can shorten a case of travelers’ diarrhea. Doctors may recommend taking antibiotics before and during a trip to help prevent travelers’ diarrhea. If you are worried about travelers’ diarrhea, talk with your doctor before traveling. You can drink bottled water, soft drinks, and hot drinks such as coffee or tea made with boiling water.
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eating raw vegetables and most raw fruits.eating meat, fish, or shellfish that is raw, undercooked, or not served hot.drinking juice or milk or eating milk products that have not been pasteurized-heated to kill harmful microbes- viruses, bacteria, and parasites.using tap water to make ice, prepare foods or drinks, or brush your teeth.To reduce the chances of getting travelers’ diarrhea when traveling to developing countries, avoid Parents or caregivers of infants should discuss rotavirus vaccination with a doctor. Infants 15 weeks of age or older who have never received the rotavirus vaccine should not start the series. Doctors give infants this vaccine in two doses: at 2 months of age and at 4 months of age.įor the rotavirus vaccine to be effective, infants should receive all doses by 8 months of age. rotavirus vaccine, live, oral (Rotarix).Doctors give infants this vaccine in three doses: at 2 months of age, 4 months of age, and 6 months of age. rotavirus vaccine, live, oral, pentavalent (RotaTeq).Two oral vaccines are approved to protect children from rotavirus infections: The vaccines have reduced the number of cases of rotavirus and hospitalizations due to rotavirus among children in the United States. Rotavirus, which causes viral gastroenteritis, was the most common cause of diarrhea in infants before rotavirus vaccines became available. before and after handling or preparing food.You can reduce your chances of getting or spreading infections that can cause diarrhea by washing your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water for 15 to 30 seconds You can prevent certain types of diarrhea, such as those caused by infections-including rotavirus and traveler’s diarrhea-and foodborne illnesses. If your doctor recommends probiotics, talk with him or her about how much probiotics you should take and for how long. Researchers are still studying the use of probiotics to treat diarrhea.įor safety reasons, talk with your doctor before using probiotics or any other complementary or alternative medicines or practices. Probiotics are live microorganisms, most often bacteria, that are similar to microorganisms you normally have in your digestive tract.
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How doctors treat chronic diarrhea in children also depends on the cause.ĭoctors may recommend probiotics. Doctors may also prescribe medicines to treat some of the conditions that cause chronic diarrhea, such as Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or ulcerative colitis. Doctors may prescribe antibiotics and medicines that target parasites to treat bacterial or parasitic infections. How doctors treat persistent and chronic diarrhea depends on the cause. How do doctors treat persistent and chronic diarrhea? You can give your infant breast milk or formula as usual. You can give your child his or her usual age-appropriate diet. If your child’s diarrhea lasts more than 24 hours, see a doctor right away. Talk to a doctor before giving your child an over-the-counter medicine. Over-the-counter medicines to treat acute diarrhea in adults can be dangerous for infants, toddlers, and young children. How can I treat my child’s acute diarrhea? Learn more about eating when you have diarrhea. When your appetite returns, you can go back to eating your normal diet. When you have acute diarrhea, you may lose your appetite for a short time. In most cases, you can treat acute diarrhea with over-the-counter medicines. If your diarrhea lasts more than 2 days, see a doctor right away. Doctors generally do not recommend using over-the-counter medicines for people who have bloody stools or fever-signs of infection with bacteria or parasites. In most cases, you can treat your acute diarrhea with over-the-counter medicines such as loperamide (Imodium) and bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol, Kaopectate).
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