FACTS On Diarrhea

FACTS on Diarrhea
Facts about diarrhea and your digestive system:
 People with diarrhea caused by certain infections can lose up to 20 litres of fluids per
day.
 A bout of diarrhea typically lasts for 1 to 2 days. But some people can have diarrhea that
lasts much longer, due to underlying health conditions.
 The average human intestine is about 8 metres long.
Facts about diarrhea causes:
 You may have heard about recent hospital outbreaks of a serious type of diarrhea called
C. difficile colitis, which can cause fever, abdominal pain, and severe dehydration. But
did you know that although it does not usually affect healthy people, healthy people can
still spread the infection if they do not wash their hands properly?
 If you suffer from frequent diarrhea, you may have a food allergy. Allergies to milk
products (lactose intolerance) and wheat (gluten intolerance) can cause diarrhea.
Facts about diarrhea treatments:
 You may have heard it's better to let diarrhea run its course rather than treating it. But
except in a few cases where you should see your doctor (see "How to find diarrhea relief"
for more information), you can treat your diarrhea at home with nonprescription
medications.
 "Colon cleansing" is often touted as a cure for all kinds of illnesses, including diarrhea.
But colon cleansing regimens often contain large amounts of laxatives that can lead to
severe diarrhea and dehydration. They are generally not recommended unless you need to
clean out your bowel before a surgery or medical test.
If you have questions about diarrhea or how to treat it, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Diarrhea can be caused by a variety of different germs, including bacteria,

viruses, and parasites. However, children can sometimes have diarrhea
without having an infection, such as when diarrhea is caused by food
allergies or as a result of taking medicines such as antibiotics. A child should
be considered to have diarrhea when the child’s bowel movements are both
more frequent than usual and looser and more watery than usual.
Children with diarrhea may have additional symptoms including nausea,

vomiting, stomach aches, headache, or fever. Children who are not toilet
trained and have diarrhea should be excluded from child care
settings regardless of the cause.
Diarrhea is spread from person to person when a person touches the stool of
an infected person or an object contaminated with the stool of an infected
person and then ingests the germs, usually by touching the mouth with a
contaminated hand. Diarrhea can also be spread by contaminated food. For
more information on how to prevent foodborne diseases, see the information
sheet, “ Foodborne Diseases in the Child Care Setting” in this section.
Children in diapers and child care providers who change their diapers have
an increased risk of diarrheal diseases.
To prevent diarrheal diseases from spreading in the child care setting:

xExclude any child or adult who has diarrhea until these symptoms are gone.
Make sure that everyone in the child care setting practices good
handwashing technique. Wash your hands after using the toilet, helping a
child use the toilet, and diapering a child and before preparing, serving, or
eating food. Have children wash their hands upon arrival at your child care
facility, after using the toilet, after having their diapers changed (an adult
should wash an infant's or small child's hands), and before eating snacks or
meals. Disinfect toys, bathrooms, and food preparation surfaces daily. Use
disposable paper towels for handwashing. Notify parents of children who
have been in direct contact with a child who has diarrhea. Parents should
contact the child's physician if their child develops diarrhea. Use disposable
table liners on changing tables and disinfect tables after each use. If at all
possible, the person who prepares and/or serves food should not change
diapers. If possible, diapered children should be cared for by different
caregivers in a room separate from toilet-trained children. Use diapers with
waterproof outer covers that can contain liquid stool or urine, or use plastic
pants Make sure that children always wear clothes over diapers.
Notify the local health department if two or more children in one classroom
or home have diarrhea within a 48-hour period. Also notify the local health
department if you learn that a child in your care has diarrhea due to
Shigella, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, or
Escherichia (E). coli. Any child with prolonged or severe diarrhea or diarrhea
with fever, or a known exposure to someone with infectious diarrhea, should
be seen by a health care provider.

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FACTS on Diarrhea

Facts about diarrhea and your digestive system:

Facts about diarrhea causes:

Facts about diarrhea treatments:

Diarrhea can be caused by a variety of different germs, including bacteria,

Children with diarrhea may have additional symptoms including nausea,

To prevent diarrheal diseases from spreading in the child care setting:

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