Diarrhoea
& Vomiting
Diarrhoea
and vomiting caused by bugs are very rarely serious in themselves, though of
course, they can be. When you are sick, or have diarrhoea, your body is trying
to get rid of the bugs causing the poisoning to it’s system. The possible
serious problem they can cause is dehydration- fluid loss.
Your
treatment is aimed at putting back this fluid, whilst resting your intestines
whilst they are inflamed. We don’t give anything to stop the diarrhoea or
vomiting itself, as this would just keep the poisoning bugs in the body to do
their worst.
What
can you do?
Rest
your bowel and stomach- have nothing by mouth for 24 hours, except:-
-
paracetamol
-
regularly, every 6 hours, if you’re hot and sweaty, with a fever
-
frequent
small sips
of clear fluids-
don’t try and get a whole load down in one go, just small sips, frequent and often
-
for
a small child or baby, the
doctor may have prescribed sachets of a salt and sugar solution. It is
very important that you make up these sachets exactly as directed
-
-
in
each half pint of clean water, an adult can use a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt in it. Flavour
it, if you wish, with a small amount of cordial.
-
for
the larger child, and if a
small child refuses the sachets, you can try flat Coca Cola or lemonade
(not Diet), diluted one part Coke to four of water.
-
Warm Coke or
lemonade up in a saucepan to drive off the bubbles.
-
Do dilute the
Coke, as too high a sugar concentration can cause more diarrhoea.
-
if
the patient is hot and sweaty, give them paracetamol
regularly every six hours, keep them lightly
clothed, and sponge tepid water
over their face and body
The
warning signs of dehydration are:-
-
the
eyes lose their shine and become dry
-
the
skin goes back very slowly when gently
pinched up
-
the
mouth and tongue becomes dry all the time
-
only
passing very small amounts of urine, or dry nappies in a baby
-
losing
5% of their weight
If
this happens, and fluids by mouth haven’t worked,
the doctor may well ask you to take the patient to hospital, for fluids
into a vein via a drip.
After
twenty-four hours, if symptoms have settled,
gradually reintroduce solids. Avoid dairy products, including milk, for
another forty-eight hours. Milk has a certain sugar in it that can irritate
the bowel again. Natural yoghurt doesn’t. Try
-
well-boiled
apple, flavoured with honey
-
natural
unsweetened yoghurt, flavoured with honey
If
symptoms haven’t settled, but the patient is not dehydrated, try a second
spell of 24 hours of fluids only.
When
should a doctor be involved?
In
future, you now have the information to deal with diarrhoea and vomiting
yourself, at home.
You
should come to see one of the doctors if:-
-
there
are warning signs of dehydration, as above
-
there
is blood in the motion
-
the
patient is in increasing pain (although a lot of people with simple
D&V have gripey, colicky pains just before passing a loose motion)
-
the
D&V goes on for more than 48 hours
-
you
are otherwise worried
So
now you know how to treat most cases of diarrhoea and vomiting yourself, at
home, without coming to the surgery.
