How long will my diarrhoea last?

How long your diarrhoea will last is dependent on the cause.

Acute diarrhoea is the sudden onset of diarrhoea that typically doesn’t last any longer than 14 days. Generally, acute diarrhoea is caused by bowel infection, also called gastroenteritis.

Chronic or persistent diarrhoea is often a sign your gut is irritated or worse, inflamed. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder in which the role of the gut is disturbed. In cases of chronic diarrhoea the symptoms are likely to come and go in which we commonly call a ‘flare up’, your symptoms may become particularly exacerbated for a few days and then calm down until the next flare up.

Generally, if your symptoms are ongoing for more than four days at any one time we would advise that you pay a visit to your doctor

Ali Cullen
Nutritional therapist