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Diarrhoea facts

Find out more about diarrhoea

Diarrhoea can affect anyone, causing discomfort and disruption to people’s daily routines.

 

There are actually two types of diarrhoea: acute and chronic. The symptoms for both are basically the same: frequent passing of loose, watery stools, which may be accompanied by abdominal pain, cramps or bloating. The difference lies in the duration of the symptoms.

 

Acute diarrhoea is sudden and short-lived – it’s usually over within a couple of days. In most cases you can deal with this kind of diarrhoea with a diarrhoea treatment like IMODIUM®, which will help to stop diarrhoea fast, helping restore your digestive system to its normal rhythm and minimising the amount of disruption to your day.

 

Chronic diarrhoea is more persistent or recurring. It may not happen everyday but unlike acute diarrhoea, it keeps recurring and never seems to clear up. Chronic diarrhoea can leave you weak and dehydrated and may be a symptom of an underlying medical condition and should be investigated by your GP.

 

Here are some myths commonly associated with diarrhoea...

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  • MYTH: Diarrhoea is better 'out' than 'in'

    FACT: Some people believe that diarrhoea is the body’s way of flushing out the bacteria that are causing diarrhoea. However, diarrhoea can often be due to other non-infectious causes and not bacteria at all. Whether bacteria are involved or not, IMODIUM® can stop diarrhoea in less than one hour, while your body’s immune system deals with the infection, helping you feel better and enabling you to carry on with your everyday life.

  • MYTH: Diarrhoea treatments cause constipation

    FACT: Contrary to popular belief, diarrhoea treatments like IMODIUM® do not prevent stools from passing; they actually help restore your body’s bowel movements back to their natural normalrhythm. As long as you follow the recommended dosage, IMODIUM® can provide you with fast (within 1 hour), effective relief of diarrhoea, often in just one dose; constipation is rarely a problem.

  • MYTH: Children shouldn't be given diarrhoea treatments

    FACT: Diarrhoea causes the body to lose precious fluids and nutrients. Children are not as able as adults at coping with this drain on their bodies, so it’s important to replace their fluids quickly and, if possible, stop the diarrhoea. Children over the age of 12 can be treated with IMODIUM® and your pharmacist can also provide oral rehydration treatments. But if the problem continues, it may be advisable to see your doctor.

  • MYTH: You can't 'catch' diarrhoea

    FACT: Because diarrhoea can be caused by infectious agents (bacteria or viruses), it is possible to ‘catch’ it. Infections can be passed on through contact with people, surfaces, or objects that are contaminated, or by eating or drinking contaminated food or water.

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