How to Treat or Cure Diarrhea

Treating diarrhea is a protocol, not a pill. Done right at home, most episodes end in 2-3 days; done wrong, they end in hospital. Here is the playbook.

Step 1: Start ORS immediately

• At the FIRST loose stool, not the tenth: ORS after every stool - adults a glass, children small frequent sips
• Packet ORS mixed exactly per directions, or homemade: 1 litre clean water + 6 level tsp sugar + half level tsp salt
• Vomiting does not stop ORS - wait 10 minutes, restart with a spoon every minute

Step 2: Feed, don't starve

• Light food early: khichdi, curd-rice, banana, dal-rice - small frequent portions
• Children: continue breastfeeding, continue normal soft foods; add zinc for 10-14 days as advised

Step 3: Watch the danger signs

• Track fluids in versus stools and vomiting out; track urine - scanty dark urine is the alarm
• Blood in stool, high fever, sunken eyes, lethargy, very little urine, or an infant/elderly patient deteriorating: hospital - this is the IV fluids stage, and delay is what makes diarrhea dangerous
• Vomiting that defeats all ORS: also the hospital

Step 4: What NOT to do

• No anti-motility pills (loperamide) for children, or for anyone with blood or high fever
• No antibiotics from the chemist without a doctor's diagnosis - most diarrhea is viral
• No strong herbal decoctions in the acute phase; no fasting the patient

Step 5: Recovery

• Stools firm over 3-5 days; appetite returns first - feed it
• Milk may briefly worsen things - pause it if so, curd is usually fine
• Loose stools beyond a week, or weight loss: review with a doctor

One-line summary

Treat diarrhea by starting ORS at the first stool and continuing after every one, feeding light food early (plus zinc for children), watching urine and eyes for dehydration, refusing stop-it pills and chemist antibiotics - and going to hospital for blood, high fever or deepening dehydration.