You have been diagnosed with gastroenteritis?
The most common symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea. Others include headache, fever, abdominal cramping, loss of appetite, feeling tired and weak, nausea, chills, and aching muscles.
Drink plenty of fluids. Take tylenol or motrin for pain or fever. Follow instructions on bottle for proper dosing.
Drinking clear fluids allows the stomach and intestines to rest and heal. Fluid loss from diarrhea and vomiting can affect babies and children more than adults, so they may need oral rehydration solutions (such as Pedialyte®). Drinking fluids should start slowly.
If the stomach can keep fluids down, soft, bland foods can be tried slowly. Such foods include toast, broth, banana’s and apple’s. People with viral gastroenteritis should avoid drinking juice or soda. These can make diarrhea worse. If you can keep food down, it’s best to eat lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain breads and cereals. Avoid eating foods with a lot of fat or sugar, which can make symptoms worse.
Do NOT take anti-diarrhea medicines (medicines to stop diarrhea), or give these medicines to your child. These medicines can make the infection linger.
To keep enough fluid down fluid intake should be 1-2 tablespoons (medicine cup size) every 15minutes.
A common folk remedy is to use ginger to help with nausea symptoms.
Return to Emergency Department if you have blood in the toilet or if your symptoms worsen or fail to improve after a few days.
