For example, you may need to boil tap water before drinking it. Home Illnesses and conditions Stomach, liver and gastrointestinal tract Gastroenteritis. About gastroenteritis Gastroenteritis is a very common condition that causes diarrhoea and vomiting.
It affects people of all ages, but is particularly common in young children. This page covers: Symptoms of gastroenteritis What to do if you have gastroenteritis When to get medical advice Looking after a child with gastroenteritis Getting medical advice for your child How gastroenteritis is spread Preventing gastroenteritis Symptoms of gastroenteritis The main symptoms of gastroenteritis are: sudden, watery diarrhoea feeling sick vomiting, which can be projectile a mild fever Some people also have other symptoms, such as a loss of appetite, an upset stomach , aching limbs and headaches.
What to do if you have gastroenteritis If you experience sudden diarrhoea and vomiting, the best thing to do is stay at home until you're feeling better. To help ease your symptoms: Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration — You need to drink more than usual to replace the fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhoea. Water is best, but you could also try fruit juice and soup. Take paracetamol for any fever or aches and pains. Get plenty of rest. If you feel like eating, try small amounts of plain foods, such as soup, rice, pasta and bread.
Use special rehydration drinks made from sachets bought from pharmacies if you have signs of dehydration , such as a dry mouth or dark urine — read about treating dehydration. You can also ask your pharmacist or GP for advice about whether they're suitable. When to get medical advice You don't normally need to see your GP if you think you have gastroenteritis, as it should get better on its own. Get medical advice if: you have symptoms of severe dehydration , such as persistent dizziness , only passing small amounts of urine or no urine at all, or if you're losing consciousness you have bloody diarrhoea you're vomiting constantly and are unable to keep down any fluids you have a fever over 38C Looking after a child with gastroenteritis You can look after your child at home if they have diarrhoea and vomiting.
To help ease your child's symptoms: Encourage them to drink plenty of fluids. They need to replace the fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhoea. Water is generally best. Avoid giving them fizzy drinks or fruit juice, as they can make their diarrhoea worse. Babies should continue to feed as usual, either with breast milk or other milk feeds. Make sure they get plenty of rest. It can be very unpleasant, but usually goes away in about 2 days. The most important thing is to rest and have lots of fluids to avoid dehydration.
Find out how to treat diarrhoea and vomiting in children and adults. Stay off school or work until you have not been sick or had diarrhoea for at least 2 days. This is when you're most infectious. Washing your hands frequently with soap and water is the best way to stop it spreading. Infected food workers are frequently the source of outbreaks, often by touching ready-to-eat foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables, with their bare hands before serving them.
However, any food served raw or handled after being cooked can become contaminated with norovirus. Recreational or drinking water can get contaminated with norovirus and make you sick or contaminate your food. This can happen:. For more information on healthy water and how water can get contaminated, visit www. Surfaces can get contaminated with norovirus in many ways, including when:.
View larger image image icon. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. With norovirus — the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in adults — you're contagious when you begin to feel ill. Symptoms usually appear within one to two days of exposure.
Although you typically feel better after a day or two, you're contagious for a few days after you recover. The virus can remain in your stool for up to two weeks or more after recovery. Children should stay home from school or child care for at least 48 hours after the last time they vomit or have diarrhea. The viruses that cause gastroenteritis are spread through close contact with infected people, such as by sharing food or eating utensils, and by touching contaminated surfaces and objects.
Eating contaminated food also can cause norovirus. Washing your hands often with soap and water is the most effective way to stop the spread of these viruses to others. If you can't wash your hands, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, which can reduce germs. To help keep others from getting sick, disinfect contaminated surfaces immediately after someone vomits or has diarrhea. Wear disposable gloves, and use a bleach-based household cleanser or 2 cups 0.
Norovirus can survive for months on surfaces not adequately disinfected with bleach solution. Two oral rotavirus vaccines are available for young infants — RotaTeq and Rotarix.
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