Diarrhoea & Dehydration

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Contents

A Downloadable PDF is available below the brochure

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What is diarrhoea?

  • Diarrhoea is commonly called a runny tummy and is when you pass large volumes of watery stool at least 3 times in 1 day. A person can also vomit.5,6
  • Diarrhoea is a very common illness in all age groups, but children under 5 are the most vulnerable.
  • Across the world, more than 1.6 million people die of diarrhoea every year. Many of them are children under 5 years.21
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Causes of diarrhoea

  • Germs like viruses, bacteria or parasites that usually come from unclean water or food that has not been cooked or washed properly and unclean water.5,22
  • Certain medication, like antibiotics, can cause diarrhoea.5
  • Some diseases in the gut can cause diarrhoea for a short time (acute) or for a longer period (chronic). If diarrhoea lasts longer than 10-14 days, it could be due to these chronic conditions.5
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Signs and symptoms of diarrhoea

  • Loose, watery stools
  • Urgent need to go to the toilet
  • Abdominal pain (pain or cramps in your gut)
  • Nausea & vomiting – feeling sick and throwing up may sometimes occur with diarrhoea
  • Loss of appetite (especially if nauseous)
  • Feeling weak or tired
  • Fever or chills
  • Blood or mucus in the stool
  • Signs of dehydration
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Healthy tips when you have diarrhoea

When you have diarrhoea, the most important thing to do is to make sure you do not dehydrate.

  • Drink fluids to replace water and electrolytes.
  • Older children and adults should continue to eat food, and keep drinking oral rehydration solution while their tummy is still running.
  • Babies that are breastfed should continue to be nursed.
  • Healthy persons need to see a doctor if the diarrhoea lasts longer than 3 days despite treatment, or if they have severe abdominal pain, high fever, or bloody stools
  • Wash hands correctly and well, after going to the toilet.
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Treatment

Medication that can stop diarrhoea and prevent dehydration can be taken.

Some of the medicine can be bought from a pharmacy and you will not need a prescription from the doctor.

These include:

  • Oral rehydration solutions
  • Medicine to slow down or reduce passing of stools:
    This medicine works in the gut to help reduce passed stools as well as cramps.
  • Antibiotics:
    Are only needed if you have a fever, or have blood or mucus in the stool.
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What is dehydration?

You can become dehydrated when your body cannot balance the intake and loss of water, which makes up 60% of your body.

This tends to happen more easily to children or the elderly.4

Breathe: The air you breathe out is damp from the water in your lungs.

Sweat: Is when you cool your body

Urinate or Defecate: Is when the waste is removed from your body

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Causes of dehydration

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Signs and symptoms of dehydration

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Healthy tips to prevent dehydration

You need to drink enough water every day, no matter whether you are sick or not. You should drink 2-3 litres of water each day, depending on body weight and activity 4

When you lose water, you also lose electrolytes like sodium, chloride, potassium and bicarbonate.
Healthy fluids are:4,20

  •  ORS Oral Replacement Solution
  • Avoid fizzy high sugar and caffeinated drinks
  • Tea with no sugar
  • Water in which rice or cereal was cooked, with or without salt
  • You need to ensure you drink enough fluid when the weather is hot, or when you are sick especially with a fever, and when doing physical exercise
  • Ensure children drink enough water and take water bottles to school

 

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Treatment of dehydration

Oral Replacement Solution (ORS), which is normally a powder containing important electrolytes, that is mixed with clean water, should be taken as soon as possible. Make sure to mix it correctly and give it according to instructions. Drinking ORS too quickly could result in vomiting. Do not stop treatment; wait 5-10 minutes and try the ORS again, but more slowly.

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Please note: this is an education information leaflet only and should not be used for diagnosis. For more information on Diarrhoea & Dehydration, consult your healthcare professional.

More Information
Download Printable PDF

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11. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Cold vs Flu. Accessed on 16 November 2019. Available from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/coldflu.htm.
12. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in collaboration with The South African National Department of Health and World Health Organization (WHO). Healthcare Workers Handbook On Influenza (last updated:
May 2014). Accessed on 16 November 2019. Available at www.nicd.ac.za/assets/files/Healthcare%20Workers%20Handbook%20on%20Influenza%20in%20SA%20_12%20May%202014(1).pdf.
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2016. Lancet Infect Dis 2018; 18: 1211–28.
22. Hill DR, Ryan ET. Management of travellers’ diarrhoea. BMJ 2008;337:a1746.
23. Guidelines for the Management of Acute Diarrhea After a Disaster. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Accessed 2020/04/14. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/disease/diarrheaguidelines.html.
24. Allen S. How to deal with constipation. SAPJ 2008;75(7):23-26.
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