When To Call The Doctor
If your child has severe diarrhea or vomiting, call your healthcare provider. Young children are at a higher risk of dehydration than adults. Moreover, you cannot treat a childs diarrhea the same way you would for an adult. You need to keep your child hydrated, however, over-the-counter medications can be dangerous in young children and treatment of diarrhea in children should be under the guidance of their doctor.
When To See A Veterinarian
If your dog suffers from severe or watery diarrhea, an immediate vet visit is advisable. The same applies if the symptoms have not improved after 24 hours.
If your dog suffers from diarrhea and vomiting at the same time or has a fever , this is a reason to go to the vet. This is also advisable if the dog has bloody diarrhea, if the feces appear to be made up of mucus or if it looks strange.
If the diarrhea persists, your dog can become dehydrated. This can be life threatening. If your dog drinks too little or nothing, a visit to the vet is also necessary.
Attention! Additional symptoms such as tremors, weakness, or loss of appetite may indicate poisoning. Here it says: Off to the vet, it is an emergency.
What Causes Vomiting And Diarrhea At The Same Time
According to The Canada College of Family Physicians, vomiting and diarrhea can occur as a result to a number of factors including viruses, bacteria, motion sickness, eating too fast and too much, and many more. However, Causes of vomiting and diarrhea differ according to age. The most common causes in adults are food poisoning, stress, and stomach flu. In children, common causes include food poisoning, viral infections, overeating or feeding, milk allergy, and coughing.
You can determine the cause of vomiting and diarrhea at the same time by observing the timing of the condition. For instance, vomiting shortly after eating can be as a result of food poisoning, bulimia, eating too much, and gastritis among other causes. Let us discuss some causes of vomiting and diarrhea at the same time.
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When Should A Doctor Be Consulted
The timing of the nausea or vomiting can indicate the cause. When it appears shortly after a meal, nausea or vomiting may indicate a mental disorder or a peptic ulcer. Nausea or vomiting one to eight hours after a meal may indicate food poisoning. Foodborne diseases, such as Salmonella, may take longer to produce symptoms because of the incubation time.
A person who is experiencing nausea should consult a physician if it lasts more than one week, and if there is a possibility of pregnancy. Vomiting usually lessens within six to 24 hours, and may be treated at home.
You should see your doctor if home treatment is not working, dehydration is present, or a known injury is causing the vomiting.
Take your infant or a child under 6 years old to the doctor if:
- Vomiting lasts more than a few hours
- Diarrhea is also present
- There is a fever higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit
- The child hasn’t urinated for six hours
Take your child over 6 years old to the doctor if:
- Vomiting lasts one day
- Diarrhea combined with vomiting lasts for more than 24 hours
- There are signs of dehydration
- There is a fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit
- The child hasn’t urinated for six hours
Adults should consult a doctor if vomiting occurs for more than one day, if diarrhea and vomiting last more than 24 hours, and if there are signs of moderate dehydration.
You should see a doctor immediately if the following signs or symptoms occur:
- Blood in the vomit
- Severe headache or stiff neck
- Lethargy
How Can I Treat Viral Gastroenteritis
In most cases, people with viral gastroenteritis get better on their own without medical treatment. You can treat viral gastroenteritis by replacing lost fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration. In some cases, over-the-counter medicines may help relieve your symptoms.
Research shows that following a restricted diet does not help treat viral gastroenteritis. When you have viral gastroenteritis, you may vomit after you eat or lose your appetite for a short time. When your appetite returns, you can most often go back to eating your normal diet, even if you still have diarrhea. Find tips on what to eat when you have viral gastroenteritis.
If your child has symptoms of viral gastroenteritis, such as vomiting or diarrhea, dont hesitate to call a doctor for advice.
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How Is The Cause Of Nausea And Vomiting Diagnosed
Diagnosis often can be made when the health care professional takes a careful history and performs a physical examination. Any tests that need to be ordered will be based on the information from the history and physical exam, and sometimes no further testing is required to make the diagnosis.
Laboratory tests and X-rays may be ordered to assess the stability of the patient and not necessarily to make the diagnosis. For example, a patient with food poisoning may need blood tests ordered to measure the electrolytes and other chemicals, since the patient may lose significant amounts of sodium, potassium, and chloride from the body from persistent vomiting and diarrhea.
Urinalysis may be helpful in assessing hydration status. Concentrated, dark urine is associated with dehydration because the kidneys try to preserve as much water as possible in the body. Ketones in the urine are also a sign of dehydration.
Should I Feed My Child During Sickness
Yes. Even though eating may cause the amount of diarrhea to increase, your child will be able to get some nutrients from the food. This may prevent your child from losing too much weight and help your child get better quicker.
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Breast-fed babies. If you are breast-feeding, keep breast-feeding while you give ORS.
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Formula-fed babies. If you have been giving your baby formula, some doctors suggest switching from formula to ORS for up to 12 to 24 hours and then switching back to giving formula. Talk to your doctor about what to do.
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Children on food. Children should begin eating within about 12 to 24 hours after starting to take ORS. Avoid foods with a lot of sugar and fat, such as ice cream, gelatin, pudding and fried foods.
If your child has had diarrhea, dairy products are best avoided for three to seven days. Sometimes bland foods are recommended for the first 24 hours. Foods that are bland include bananas, rice, applesauce, toast and unsweetened cereals. If these foods don’t bother your child, other foods can be added over the next 48 hours. Most children can return to normal eating habits in about three days after the vomiting and diarrhea stop.
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When Are Vomiting And Diarrhea An Emergency
If the vomiting and/or diarrhea continue after your pet eats, if your pet doesnt want to eat or if your pet acts lethargic, medical attention is warranted. Please see your veterinarian.If your dog is losing weight, if you see blood in the vomit or feces, or if your dog has ineffective vomiting , this is an important medical emergency. It can be caused by a life-threatening emergency called Bloat.
What Are Vomiting And Diarrhea
Vomiting is the act of expelling contents from the stomach through the mouth.
Diarrhea is the act of having abnormally loose or liquid stools. This can also be associated with an increased frequency of bowel movements. Some dogs will have a large amount of liquid or abnormally loose stools once and others will have semi-formed stools frequently with straining.
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Home Care For Dogs With Diarrhea And Vomiting
Vomiting and diarrhea are the most common symptoms seen in dogs. They can occur alone or together. It can be a minor self-limiting problem or a very significant major problem.
Below are some common questions pet owners ask when their dog has vomiting and diarrhea. The focus of this article will be on how you can care for these problems at home.
Stopping Vomiting And Diarrhea
In general, when it is caused by a virus, there isn’t a lot that you can do to stop a child from having vomiting and diarrhea. In some ways, that’s okay. Some scientists believe that vomiting and diarrhea play an important role in these infections, by ridding the body of the microorganism causing the problem in the first place.
Over the counter medications to stop diarrhea, such as Imodium or Kaopectate, aren’t recommended for younger children, and could potentially be dangerous. And medicines to stop vomiting, like Phenergan, aren’t used much because of the common side effect of making children so sleepy that they don’t drink enough to keep from getting dehydrated.
Emetrol is sometimes used to help control the symptom of nausea. The combination of glucose, fructose, and phosphoric acid coats the stomach and neutralizes stomach acid.
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What Causes Nausea And Vomiting
There are many causes of nausea and vomiting, for example:
- Acute gastritis
- Central causes in which signals from the vomiting center in the brain cause nausea and vomiting
- Other illnesses not due to stomach problems, for example, brain tumors, pancreatitis, and appendicitis
- Medications, medical treatments, and illicit or illegal drugs, drug or alcohol overdose
- Mechanical obstruction of the bowel
Dog Constantly Has Diarrhea: What To Do
Some dogs suffer from constant diarrhea that cannot be relieved by the above measures. This is usually a symptom of a chronic illness, for example a food allergy , chronic bowel inflammation or pancreatic insufficiency . It is therefore essential to take your dog to the vet if the diarrhea does not subside.
Dogs suffering from a food intolerance, an allergy to their food or a chronic gastrointestinal disease need special food on a permanent basis. Because of their illness, they cannot use the vitamins and nutrients from conventional dog food properly. In the long run, there is a risk of deficiency symptoms.
In this case, discuss with the veterinarian whether your dog needs food supplements or certain medications that will help it to alleviate the symptoms of his illness and prevent deficiency symptoms.
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How To Prevent Diarrhea
It might not always be possible to know what causes diarrhea in each case. However, you can take certain steps to better prevent your chances of having diarrhea.
Maintain good hygiene and sanitation habits: Washing your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom, as well as cooking, handling food, and eating, is important. Washing your hands thoroughly can help you prevent diarrhea and other infections.
Get vaccinated: Rotavirus, one of the causes of diarrhea, can be prevented by taking the rotavirus vaccine. This is given to infants in several stages during the first year of life.
Maintain food sanitation: Storing your food at the right temperatures and in clean places, not eating things that have spoilt, cooking food to the recommended temperature and handling all food safely are some of the ways you can prevent diarrhea.
Watch what you drink: Ensure that you and your family have a safe source of drinking water. Do not drink untreated water. Be aware of what you consume while traveling, Travelers diarrhea happens when you drink water that hasnt been treated correctly. This is more common in developing countries. Dont drink tap water, use ice cubes, brush your teeth with tap water, or consume unpasteurized milk, milk products or unpasteurized juices.
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Looking After A Child With Gastroenteritis
You can look after your child at home if they have diarrhoea and vomiting. There’s not usually any specific treatment and your child should start feeling better in a few days.
You don’t normally need to get medical advice unless their symptoms don’t improve or there’s a risk of a more serious problem.
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.
- Let your child eat if they’re eating solids and feel hungry. Try small amounts of plain foods, such as soup, rice, pasta and bread.
- Give them paracetamol if they have an uncomfortable fever or aches and pains. Young children may find liquid paracetamol easier to swallow than tablets.
- Use special rehydration drinks made from sachets bought from pharmacies if they’re dehydrated. Your GP or pharmacist can advise on how much to give your child. Don’t give them antidiarrhoeal and anti-vomiting medication, unless advised to by your GP or pharmacist.
Make sure you and your child wash your hands regularly while your child is ill and keep them away from school or nursery until at least 48 hours after their symptoms have cleared .
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Vomiting And Diarrhea At The Same Time Treatment
The way you deal with vomiting and diarrhea at the same time will mainly depend on what caused the condition. Therefore, its important to determine the cause of the complication before deciding on the treatment option. Below are some of the common ways on how to treat vomiting and diarrhea that occur at the same time.
What Procedures And Tests Diagnose Diarrhea
In healthy people with diarrhea, and who appear well otherwise, the health-care professional may elect to do no tests at all. Stool cultures are not usually necessary unless there is high fever, blood in the stool, recent travel, or prolonged disease.
- In some cases, the health care professional may send a sample of the stool to the laboratory to evaluate if the cause of diarrhea can be determined . It usually takes approximately one to two days for the results of these tests.
- Blood tests are sometimes necessary for patients with other medical problems or with severe disease.
- A colonoscopy is an endoscope procedure that allows the physician to view the entire colon to evaluate for infections or structural abnormalities that could cause the condition.
- Imaging tests such as X-rays or CT scans are performed to rule out structural abnormalities as the cause of diarrhea, particularly when pain is a prominent symptom.
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How To Treat Nausea And Vomiting
Sit quietly when you feel nauseated. Sometimes moving around can make nausea worse.
To make sure your body has enough fluids try to drink 8 to 10 cups of clear liquids every day. Water is best. You can also sip fruit juices and flat soda . Try sports drinks to replace minerals and other nutrients you may be losing when you throw up.
Try to eat 6 to 8 small meals throughout the day, instead of 3 big meals:
- Eat bland foods. Examples are crackers, English muffins, toast, baked chicken and fish, potatoes, noodles, and rice.
- Eat foods with a lot of water in them. Try clear soups, popsicles, and Jell-O.
- If you have a bad taste in your mouth, try rinsing with a solution of baking soda, salt, and warm water before you eat. Use 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 4 cups warm water. Spit out after rinsing.
- Sit up after you eat. Do not lie down.
- Find a quiet, pleasant place to eat, free of odors and distractions.
Other tips that may help:
- Suck on hard candies or rinse your mouth with water after vomiting. Or you can rinse with the baking soda and salt solution above.
- Try to get outside for some fresh air.
- Watch a movie or TV to take your mind away from your nausea.
Your provider may also recommend medicine:
If you are vomiting after taking any of your medicines, tell your doctor or nurse.
Vomiting And Diarrhea Treatment
Anyone who has had several bouts of vomiting or diarrhea will need to replace lost fluids and electrolytes.
- For babies: If you are breastfeeding, continue to give your baby breast milk. Breast milk has fluids and electrolytes needed to prevent dehydration. Your doctor may also want you to give your baby an oral rehydration solution . If you feed your baby formula, try switching to one that is lactose free while your baby is sick. Lactose can make diarrhea worse. Your doctor may also suggest switching from formula to an ORS for 12 to 24 hours, and then switching back.
- For toddlers and young children: Use an ORS, which contains the right mix of salt, sugar, potassium, and other nutrients to help replace lost body fluids. Children older than 1 year may also have clear soups, clear sodas, or juice mixed 50-50 with water to help prevent dehydration. You should avoid giving your child plain water and soft drinks. Water alone does not contain enough salt and nutrients to help with dehydration. Soft drinks are typically very high in sugar and can irritate your childs stomach.
- For adults and seniors: To replace the fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhea, adults and seniors should try to drink at least seven eight-ounce glasses of water each day. Seniors may also use ORS or liquid meal replacements to help replace lost body fluids.
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Recommended Fluids For Vomiting And Diarrhea
Parents often give water or juice to their kids when they have diarrhea or vomiting, but it is best to use an oral rehydration solution instead.
Oral rehydration solutions have the right mix of sugar and electrolytes to best help your child, while the high amount of sugar and lack of sodium in other fluids, like apple juice, might actually make your child worse. Similarly Gatorade’s high sugar content makes it controversial when used for diarrhea or vomiting.
Although the World Health Organization Oral Rehydration Solution is the gold standard for managing acute gastroenteritis, many parents and pediatricians use commercially available solutions such as Enfalyte or Pedialyte.
They are available in most supermarkets and drug stores without a prescription and come in good-tasting flavors, although some brands do taste better than others.