Diarrhoea

Definition A change in bowel habit to:

Going more frequently to have your bowels open, often with urgency

Passing larger amounts of loose watery stool

Persistent for a few days

It often starts abruptly lasts for a few days and then gets better.

Cause It is usually due to something that has been eaten and is self-limiting. It is very common and rarely is the cause of serious disease unless it persists.

Treatment If you don’t feel too unwell it is safe to wait for a few days to see if your symptoms settle with simple treatments – try a lower roughage diet (less fruit and vegetables and wheat fibre) and if necessary get some tablets from your local pharmacist to control the frequency of going to the toilet. However if it persists to see how quickly you should see your GP by clicking on ‘change in bowel habit’ in the ‘Symptom Checker’.

For further information and advice on treatment click on ‘Treatment for Bowel Smptoms’ below.