Health Topics A-Z

What Are the Symptoms of Diarrhea?

• Increased frequency of bowel movements.
• Loose, watery stools.
• Urgency (having to go right away.
• Incontinence (leakage of stool).
• Bloating, gas.
• Rectal pain.
• Lower abdominal pain or cramping.
• Nausea, vomiting.
• Fever.
• Blood or flecks of mucus in the stool.
• Loss of appetite, weight loss.

Call Your Doctor If:

Call your doctor if you have diarrhea for more than four days, or if you have diarrhea with any of the following:

• Blood in your stool.
• Dark-black stool that looks like tar (But tell your doctor if you have been taking over-the-counter medications, which also can make the stool look darker than usual.)
• Mucus passed with no stool.
• Abdominal pain.
• Rectal pain.
• Fever.
• Dehydration.
• Recent travel out of the country.
• Recent seafood consumption.
• Reason to believe that you have food poisoning.
• Family members who have similar illness now, too.