Diarrhea

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Campylobacter jejuni organism

Cryptosporidium, organism

Diarrhea

Digestive system

Stools - watery; Frequent bowel movements; Loose bowel movements

• Wash your hands often, especially after going to the bathroom and before eating.
• Teach children to not put objects in their mouth.
• When taking antibiotics, try eating food with Lactobacillus acidophilus, a healthy bacteria. This helps replenish the good bacteria that antibiotics can kill. Yogurt with active or live cultures is a good source of this good bacteria.
• Use alcohol-based hand gel frequently.

When traveling to underdeveloped areas, follow the steps below to avoid diarrhea:

• Drink only bottled water and DO NOT use ice.
• DO NOT eat uncooked vegetables or fruit that do not have peels.
• DO NOT eat raw shellfish or undercooked meat.
• DO NOT consume dairy products.

Yates J. Traveler's diarrhea. Am Fam Physician. 2005; 71(11): 2095-2100.

Guerrant RL. Practice guidelines for the management of infectious diarrhea. Clin Infect Dis. 2001; 32(3): 331-351.

Review Date: 05/08/2006
Reviewed By: Jenifer K. Lehrer, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Frankford-Torresdale Hospital, Jefferson Health System, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.