Take the Tummy Trouble Quiz Digestive Disease Myths Slideshow Pictures Heartburn? Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid Slideshow

Medical Author:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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Medical Editor:

Bhupinder Anand, MD

When to Seek Medical Care

Diarrhea can usually be treated well with home care. In some cases, it may become more severe. A person should go to a hospital emergency department in the following situations:

• if the person has diarrhea along with high fever, moderate-to-severe abdominal pain, or dehydration that cannot be managed by drinking fluids;
  
  
• if the diarrhea appears to contain blood (it may be bright red or may look like black, thick tar); or
  
  
• If the person is very sleepy and is not acting like their usual selves (others may notice this and take the person to the emergency department).

Call a health care practitioner if a person has any of these complications:

• vomiting and unable to tolerate any food or drink;
  
  
• signs of dehydration;
  
  
• high fever, significant abdominal pain, very frequent loose bowel movements, or bloody diarrhea;
  
  
• if he or she is elderly or has serious underlying medical problems, particularly diabetes, heart, kidney, or liver disease, or HIV or AIDS (contact a health care practitioner when diarrhea first begins as the person may be at higher risk for developing complications);
  
  
• a parent or caregiver needs advice about preventing dehydration in newborns and infants;
  
  
• symptoms do not improve in two to three days or appear to become worse; or
  
  
• if he or she develops diarrhea after travel within their home country, or foreign travel.