Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea itself is common; the danger is dehydration. Children and older people can become seriously unwell within hours.
Get emergency help now if any of these are true
- Blood in the stool, or black, tarry stools
- No urine for 8 hours or more, sunken eyes, or a child who is floppy or hard to wake
- Severe or constant stomach pain
- Watery stools like rice water with vomiting (possible cholera — get help now)
- High fever with confusion or a fit (convulsion)
If you are unsure, treat it as an emergency. Find your country's emergency number.
See a health worker or doctor today if
- Diarrhoea lasting more than 3 days in an adult, or more than 24 hours in a young child
- Diarrhoea with fever or vomiting that is not settling
- You cannot drink enough to keep up with what you are losing
- You are pregnant, older, living with HIV, or caring for a baby under 6 months
If it gets worse, or does not get better
- Start oral rehydration solution (ORS) immediately, and zinc for children under 5 where advised locally.
- Keep feeding children and continue breastfeeding.
- Get help the same day if there is blood in the stool, or if drinking is not keeping up with the losses.
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