A healthy digestive system isn’t the sexiest thing to covet, but anyone who suffers chronic diarrhea will agree this stomach-churning ailment can make or break your day.

The good news is that you can hit the ground running with four natural remedies that don’t require a trip to the doctor or a prescription. Save yourself a trip – or 20 – to the bathroom with these tried-and-true remedies. 

First off, what is diarrhea? 

Knowing how to battle the bathroom blues is only half the battle. It’s important to be aware of what causes this annoying health issue. The intestinal tract moves food and water through the body and absorbs nutrients and fluid into the body. But when infection, medication or even sugar substitutes impedes that absorption, that fluid has to go somewhere. And the end result is often a bad case of diarrhea.