People often find it uncomfortable to talk about diarrhea or go to the doctor about it. Often this loose stool is quite harmless, but when is it smart to go to the doctor? And what do you do if a child has diarrhea?
“To know when your poop is abnormal, it is good to first know what the definition of normal stool is,” explains Daniël Keszthelyi (38), gastroenterologist at Maastricht UMC +. “If you go to the toilet between once every three days or three times a day and your poop is not too thick or thin, then you are usually good.”
,, When you have diarrhoea, it is useful for a doctor to know how thin the poop is and how often you suffer from this per day. There is a handy tool for the consistency of the stool, the Bristol Stool Chart. This is a card with seven images of different thicknesses of poop, there is even a funny variant where poop is compared to Maltesers or chicken nuggets.”
Easier to talk about stool
“This tool makes it easier for both the patient and the doctor to talk about stool. As much as I want to remove poop from the taboo atmosphere, I would rather hear figures about the thickness of stool than get entire photo albums of the toilet bowl under my nose.”
Diarrhea is often not a cause for concern for the first 14 days, according to Keszthelyi. But if there are alarm symptoms such as blood loss, weight loss or general weakness, it is advisable to call the doctor. Fluid loss can also be dangerous, especially in older people. So diarrhea in itself is not necessarily serious.
Wrong food
“Sometimes diarrhea or irregular bowel movements are something that occurs after an infection or eating something wrong while traveling. It then takes time for the intestinal system to stabilize again. This can sometimes take up to a year for someone with an irritable bowel, without anything serious going on. You can also be temporarily lactose intolerant or sensitive to vegetables such as broccoli, onion and mushrooms.”
As a general tip, Keszthelyi mentions psyllium husks. ,,I’m a big supporter, I’ve already got all my neighbors on that stuff. Stir a spoon into your breakfast in the morning and you will do your intestines a lot of good with this completely natural remedy. In addition, we in the outpatient clinic are increasingly orienting ourselves on the person as a whole. Stress has a major impact on our organs, so we look beyond the gut itself for our diagnoses. Is there stress in your life? Are you afraid of something?”
Doctor Keszthelyi has some tips
• Use the Bristol Stool Chart to indicate your stool
• Psyllium husks are a good and natural remedy for your intestines
• Talking about poop is certainly not taboo, make it negotiable
• If diarrhea persists for two weeks, contact your doctor
• View intestinal complaints as more than just those of the body and see whether there are also psychological complaints to discuss with the doctor
That the psyche plays an important role, agrees Bart Koot (49), pediatrician MDL at the Emma Children’s Hospital in Amsterdam. “That is also what fascinates me about my work. Intestinal ailments can be very acute and physical on the one hand, on the other hand there can be a lot of psychology and feeling involved. In the case of children, the parents are often uneasy, sometimes more than the child itself.”
Harmless forms of diarrhea
According to Koot, there are also many harmless forms of diarrhea in children. “Children often contract viral infections of the intestines and recovery, like adults, can take two weeks or more. If diarrhea persists for a long time, there are alarm symptoms or there is a threat of dehydration, it is advisable to consult a doctor.”
“Toddler diarrhea is a common cause of prolonged loose stools. This form is harmless and children otherwise thrive. For the treatment of toddler diarrhoea, I use the four R’s: not too much fat, enough fiber, a healthy amount of fluid and not too much fruit juice. Irritable bowel is the most common cause of diarrhea in older children.”
Tips from pediatrician Koot
• Don’t panic if your child has diarrhea. Without alarm symptoms and if the child drinks well, it is usually harmless
• If your child’s diarrhea lasts longer than two weeks, see a doctor. It can quickly rule out many diagnoses
• For toddler diarrhoea, dietary adjustments can already help a lot
• For children with an irritable bowel, reassurance and psyllium fibers are especially important
• In the case of many additional abdominal pains, relaxation exercises can calm the child’s nervous system
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