# Diarrhea: Causes and When to See a Doctor > Loose stool is most often a gut infection, but there are other causes. Here is diarrhea with vomiting, fever, blood, in a child and lasting long, and when not to wait. ## When to see a doctor urgently - Blood in the stool, black stool - Signs of dehydration: dry mouth, rare urination, marked weakness, dizziness - Diarrhea in a baby, a child refusing to drink, drowsy or crying without tears - High fever (39 °C and above) or a fever lasting over a day - Severe belly pain, a rigid and tender belly - Vomiting so that even water cannot be kept down - Diarrhea with a high fever after a trip to a place with poor sanitation - Diarrhea lasting more than two weeks, with weight loss If you have any of these signs, call 112 or go to emergency care. ## Which doctor to see - Gastroenterologist: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/gastroenterologist - Pediatrician: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/pediatrician ## What diarrhea is and how it varies Diarrhea is loose or watery stool three or more times a day. Most often it is acute and caused by a gut infection: viruses, bacteria, or simply food that was not fresh. This kind usually clears up within 5 to 7 days, although vomiting settles sooner. Less often diarrhea drags on because of lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, medicines or chronic bowel disease. The main danger of any diarrhea is losing fluid. ## Diarrhea and vomiting Loose stools with nausea and vomiting most often mean a gut infection or [food poisoning](https://bigmed.ge/en/diseases/food-poisoning). Vomiting usually passes within a day or two; see [Nausea and vomiting](https://bigmed.ge/en/symptoms/nausea-vomiting) for more. The key in this period is to drink small sips so you do not become dehydrated. ## Diarrhea with a fever A fever with diarrhea points to an infection. In children a common cause is [rotavirus infection](https://bigmed.ge/en/diseases/rotavirus), in adults bacteria and viruses from food and water. If the fever is high, lasts more than a day or the stool is bloody, see a doctor. For more on fever, see [Fever](https://bigmed.ge/en/symptoms/fever). If diarrhea and a high fever appear after a trip to a place with poor sanitation, tell the doctor, who may need to rule out [typhoid fever](https://bigmed.ge/en/diseases/typhoid), for example. ## Diarrhea with blood or mucus Blood in the stool, black stool or a lot of mucus is not something to wait out at home. Blood can appear with a bacterial infection, inflammatory bowel disease, hemorrhoids or fissures, but it cannot be sorted out without an examination. In a child, blood in the stool means a doctor visit the same day. ## Diarrhea in a child or baby In children diarrhea is dangerous because they lose fluid quickly. Warning signs are refusing to drink or eat, passing urine rarely, a dry mouth, crying without tears, drowsiness, sunken eyes and a high fever. A baby under one year, or a child who has stopped feeding, needs care the same day. Breastfeeding should continue. See a pediatrician, and do not give children medicines for diarrhea without a doctor. ## Diarrhea after antibiotics Antibiotics upset the balance of gut bacteria, and loose stool can appear during treatment or weeks afterward. Mild diarrhea often clears up by itself, but if the stool is watery and frequent, with a fever and belly pain (see [Abdominal pain](https://bigmed.ge/en/symptoms/abdominal-pain)), tell your doctor. Do not stop a prescribed antibiotic without their advice. ## Diarrhea that does not go away If loose stool lasts more than two weeks, keeps returning for weeks, or comes with weight loss, night-time urgency or anemia, see a gastroenterologist. Possible causes include lactose intolerance, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. If diarrhea alternates with constipation, see [Constipation](https://bigmed.ge/en/symptoms/constipation) and [Bloating](https://bigmed.ge/en/symptoms/bloating). ## What you can do before the visit - Drink plenty and often: water, weak tea, oral rehydration solutions from a pharmacy. If you feel sick, take small sips. - Eat light food when you can and avoid fatty and spicy dishes. Fruit juice and fizzy drinks can make diarrhea worse. - Do not take stool-stopping medicines or antibiotics without a doctor, especially with a fever or blood in the stool, and do not give them to children. - Wash your hands often with soap, and do not prepare food for others until the symptoms have passed, and for a few days after, because gut infections are contagious. - Note how many stools you have had, what they look like, whether there is blood or a fever, what you ate and took, and how often you pass urine. ## How a doctor finds the cause The doctor asks about duration, the look of the stool, food, trips, medicines and contact with sick people, then examines you and assesses dehydration. A stool test and blood tests may follow, and for lasting diarrhea tests for lactose intolerance or celiac disease, an ultrasound and a colonoscopy. Treatment depends on the cause; severe dehydration may call for a drip. ## Doctors - Sofiko Tsitskarava — Gastroenterologist: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/sofiko-cickarava (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/sofiko-cickarava.md) - Nino Vacheishvili — Gastroenterologist, General practitioner: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/nino-vaceisvili (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/nino-vaceisvili.md) - Temur Qvelidze — Gastroenterologist: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/temur-kvelidze (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/temur-kvelidze.md) - Karina — Dietitian, Gastroenterologist: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/karina-1 (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/karina-1.md) - Tamari Antelava — Gastroenterologist: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/tamari-antelava (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/tamari-antelava.md) - Mariia — Gastroenterologist: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/mariia (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/mariia.md) - Giorgi Basheleishvili — Pediatrician, General practitioner: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/giorgi-basheleishvili (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/giorgi-basheleishvili.md) - Salome Akhvlediani — Pediatrician: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/salome-ahvlediani (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/salome-ahvlediani.md) - Khatuna Loladze — Pediatrician: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/khatuna-loladze (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/khatuna-loladze.md) - Margarita Zakharevich — Pediatrician, Hematologist: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/margarita-zaharevic (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/margarita-zaharevic.md) - Dmitry Semin — Pediatrician: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/dimitri-siomin (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/doctors/dimitri-siomin.md) ## Frequently asked questions ### Which doctor should I see for diarrhea? An adult can see a general practitioner or a gastroenterologist, and a child a pediatrician. With signs of dehydration, blood in the stool or a high fever, go the same day. ### How long does diarrhea last with a gut infection? Usually 5 to 7 days, while vomiting settles sooner. If loose stool goes on longer and you feel worse, see a doctor. ### What should I drink with diarrhea? Water, weak tea and oral rehydration solutions from a pharmacy, often and in small amounts. Sweet juices and fizzy drinks can make diarrhea worse. ### Can I give a child medicine for diarrhea? Not without a doctor. For a child the key is small, frequent drinks and seeing a pediatrician promptly if there are signs of dehydration or blood in the stool. ### When is diarrhea after antibiotics a concern? If the stool is watery and frequent, with a fever and belly pain, tell your doctor. Do not stop a prescribed antibiotic without their advice. ## Related articles - Food Poisoning in Georgia: What to Do, Where to Seek Help, and How to Get Assistance: https://bigmed.ge/en/blog/food-poisoning-georgia (markdown: https://bigmed.ge/en/blog/food-poisoning-georgia.md) ## Possible Causes - Food Poisoning: https://bigmed.ge/en/diseases/food-poisoning - Rotavirus: https://bigmed.ge/en/diseases/rotavirus - Typhoid fever: https://bigmed.ge/en/diseases/typhoid --- Canonical: https://bigmed.ge/en/symptoms/diarrhea Country: Georgia (GE), the country in the South Caucasus Updated: 2026-10-04T21:13:51+04:00