What to Do to Prevent Dehydration if You’re Suffering from Diarrhea

Updated on December 16, 2022

Nobody likes having diarrhea, but it happens to all of us from time to time. When you’re going through it, you probably can’t wait till you get to the point where you feel better again.

Some people don’t realize that if you’re experiencing diarrhea, it’s very easy to become dehydrated. If that happens, you’ll feel even more miserable until the worst of what’s happening passes. 

You should know how to rehydrate fast at home, and we’ll talk about that in the following article.

Why Does Diarrhea Cause Dehydration?

Before we talk about how to rehydrate, we should make sure you understand the connection between dehydration and diarrhea. Dehydration simply means you’re losing a lot of your body’s fluids, which are composed chiefly of salts and water. If you are experiencing diarrhea, it amounts to your body very rapidly voiding itself of much of those salts and water.

That is why you often feel spent and generally unwell following bouts of diarrhea. You might not think about it at the time, but you are purging your body of the salts and water you need to maintain your equilibrium and feel healthy.  

What Are Your Options for Rehydrating Quickly?

If you understand when you’re experiencing diarrhea that you’re quickly losing the water and salts you need, you will also realize that rehydrating can be a significant step toward getting you to feel better as fast as possible. 

Drinking water is the most obvious thing you can do to counteract the effects of diarrhea. There is no set amount that you should drink, but you can judge how many glasses or how many ounces are appropriate by how thirsty you are. You might start by drinking one eight-ounce glass of water, and then you can see how you feel. If you’re still thirsty, drink more.

What Other Options Do You Have?

You can also replenish both water and electrolytes by drinking a sports drink like Gatorade or something similar. Gatorade is packed with electrolytes that are meant to rehydrate you when you’re playing sports. If you’re losing salts and water fast through diarrhea, though, it can be an adequate way to get you on the path toward feeling better.

It’s helpful to always have some sports drinks like Gatorade on hand that you can drink whenever you’re experiencing diarrhea. If you have a basement, root cellar, or pantry, you can keep a six-pack there that you can utilize when you need them. 

If you didn’t think to stock up on Gatorade at some point, you can head to the store to get some. If you don’t feel like you should stray far from the toilet at the moment, you might also ask a family member or friend to make a run to the store for you.

Diarrhea is no fun, but everyone has to go through it occasionally. If you make sure to consume plenty of water or sports drinks while it’s happening, that should flush out your system while keeping you hydrated. 

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The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.