What To Eat When Vomiting And Diarrhea

Vomiting And Diarrhea Medications And Medical Treatment

There are over-the-counter medications and medical treatments available for diarrhea and vomiting. While generally safe for adults, OTC medications shouldnt be taken without consulting a doctor first.

OTC medications include:

• loperamide
• antiemetic drugs, such as Dramamine and Gravol

A doctor may recommend antibiotics to treat vomiting and diarrhea caused by bacterial infections .

Sometimes medical treatment may be required for diarrhea and vomiting.

What Foods Can I Eat After Vomiting And/or Diarrhea

When your stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea have fully or partially subsided, you may feel up to eating again. The goal is to reintroduce bland foods that are easy for your stomach to digest. The most recommended foods to eat after the stomach flu, food poisoning or a regular stomach ache are part of whats known as the BRAT diet. BRAT stands for bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. These particular foods are ideal because of their blandness and because theyre easy to digest. Plus, their high starch content will help bind your stool together, which may reduce bouts of continued diarrhea. BRAT foods are considered low-residual, meaning they stay in your stomach for less time.

What Causes Diarrhea Or Decomposition

Multiple causes can lead to diarrhea, and we all know how uncomfortable it can be not to control daily bowel movements.

Although the advice presented here is beneficial, it is advisable to meet with a medical consultant to determine the conditions origin.

It would be best if you did it, because it may be due to:

• A parasite infection.
• A virus.
• Eating intoxicated foods.
• And also, bacteria infections such as salmonella, shigella, Clostridium, or E-coli. These are all serious medical concerns.

A psychological cause could cause a disorder like this.

We know this is irritable bowel syndrome, and the causes may be under enormous pressure or stress.

You may unknowingly suffer from different medical problems, as varied as they are:

• Lactose intolerance.
• Intestinal ischemic diseases.
• Endocrine system diseases.

Another cause can be an inadequate diet, which is a diet based on saturated fats, excess sugars that negatively affect our body and our intestinal flora, and is deficient in nutrients and fibers.

A sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and alcohol abuse are risk factors for contaminating our intestinal flora.

One cause that may be surprising is self-medication, whether taking too much ibuprofen when you feel a slight pain in your body or head or abuse of stomach pain medications such as buscapine.

Finally, we know that people over the age of seventy have an inevitable decline in their beneficial bacteria.

They are prone to episodes of constipation or problems in the digestive tract.

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When To See Your Doctor

While many cases of diarrhea can be treated at home with OTC remedies, rest, and a temporarily restricted diet, if it lasts long enough you should consult your doctor. Call your doctor if your diarrhea lasts more than 2 days without improvement or if you get dehydrated.

If you get dehydrated or have other symptoms, you may need to go to the emergency room to get prompt treatment.

Other symptoms to watch for include black or bloody stools, severe abdominal pain, or a fever of 102°F or higher. You can call your doctor and ask what you should do if you experience any of these symptoms.

If your child has diarrhea, call their pediatrician and ask whether you should take them to the emergency room if they:

• dont improve after 24 hours
• havent had a wet diaper in three or more hours
• have a fever of 102°F or higher
• have a dry mouth or tongue
• cry without tears
• have skin that doesnt flatten if pinched and released
• have a sunken appearance to the abdomen, cheeks, or eyes

If You Have Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These conditions are based in your immune system and involve a lot more than an upset digestive system, through that can be one of the symptoms. Food doesn’t cause IBD, and there’s no single diet that helps everyone with IBD. But it can help to keep a food journal so that you learn what your trigger foods are, then you can avoid them.

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Student Health And Wellness

For Nausea, Vomiting and Diarrhea:

• Avoid eating and drinking for two hours after the last episode of vomiting.
• Start with small amounts of clear liquids, such as water, ice, popsicles, sports drinks, clear broth or Jell-O for the first 24 hours. Avoid alcohol, caffeinated beverages, and fruit juice.
• Over the next 24-48 hours, advance to the BRAT diet A-apple sauce , T-toast) but choices may also include chicken soup, plain pasta, saltine crackers and pretzels.
• Slowly incorporate other foods, but avoid alcohol, coffee, spicy foods, salad/raw vegetables, milk/milk products, and fried foods for the next 3-5 days.

When to seek medical help

• Severe abdominal pain lasting more than 4 hours
• Severe headache or stiff neck
• Blood in vomit or stool
• Persistent dizziness or confusion
• Fever over 101°F for more than 24 hours
• Unable to tolerate sips of fluids for more than 8 hours
• Not urinating for more than 8 hours
• Worsening symptoms or no improvement after 48 hours
• You have diabetes or have other chronic medical conditions

Food handlers and child care employees need to be symptom free for 48 hours and require medical clearance to return to work.

Diet Instructions for Vomiting & Diarrhea

Avoid eating and drinking for two hours after the last episode of vomiting.

• Flat Soda, ginger ale, cola
• Sports drinks

How Are Vomiting And Diarrhea Diagnosed

Vomiting and diarrhea can be diagnosed at home. Neither condition requires a trip to the doctor. However, call your doctor if the vomiting and diarrhea dont seem to be getting better, or if the person who is vomiting and/or has diarrhea:

• Is younger than 6 months old.
• Is older than 6 months old and has a fever higher than 101.4°F.
• Has signs of dehydration .
• Has been vomiting longer than 8 hours or is vomiting with great force.
• Has blood in his or her stools.
• Has blood in his or her vomit.
• Has not urinated in 8 hours.
• Might have swallowed something that could be poisonous.
• Has a stiff neck or bad headache.
• Is listless or unusually sleepy.
• Has had abdominal pain for more than 2 hours.

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If You Are Sick In A Residence Hall:

You can ask a friend to make arrangements to bring you food from the dining room. See information about Feel Better Meals.

If you have questions or concerns about your food intake, you may call the Dining Services dietician at 734-647-2614 or send email to .

Notify your Housing director and let your parent/s know if you are ill. If you need assistance, contact the staff at your Community Center.

If you are sick and work in food service, you should contact your supervisor.

How Can You Tell The Difference Between Stomach Flu And Food Poisoning

If theres little to no difference between stomach flu and food poisoning symptoms, how do we tell them apart? In my experience, the main way to tell the two conditions apart is by taking a careful look at the patients background and recent history. With food poisoning, there is often a history of eating food that is contaminated or suspected to be contaminated. Food poisoning usually comes on quite quickly after eating contaminated food and tends to go away within a few hours to days. Meanwhile, depending upon the person and severity, stomach flu can last up to ten days.

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Basic Dietary Principles To Remember After Diarrhea

Knowing basic diet guidelines helps to improve your conditions and avoid making your diarrhea worse. Certain foods will also help accelerate recovery.

1. Consume Some Clear Fluids First

Keep in mind that it is best to eat a clear liquid diet after diarrhea, including apple juice, weak tea, frozen pops, clear broth, plain gelatin or simple water. Clear liquids will help prevent irritation.

2. Adopt Small Meals

It is equally important to eat smaller meals more frequently to avoid putting stress on your digestive system. You can switch to a low-fiber diet after a couple of days of diarrhea. Be sure to drink water to avoid becoming dehydrated.

3. Follw the Dietary Chart Below

How Else Can You Speed Up Your Recovery From Gastroenteritis

As much as eating may be on your mind, there are some other habits and home remedies that you can put you in good stead for a speedy recovery from stomach bugs:

• Rest up This applies to both you and your stomach. Rest is vital to help support the recovery process so dont commit to anything too quickly and take some time out.
• Apply some heat A hot water bottle can be soothing, particularly if you are experiencing any uncomfortable cramps as a result of the recent infection.
• Acupressure Stimulating acupressure points on the inside of the wrist may help to alleviate symptoms of nausea.
• Medications from the doctor If you’ve visited your doctor or pharmacist they may have recommend some medicines such as paracetamol, if your symptoms are accompanied by a fever, or anti-sickness and anti-diarrhoeal medications. However, just be careful not to exacerbate a sensitive tummy by ensuring you take them correctly.

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Causes Of Vomiting And Diarrhea At The Same Time

Vomiting and diarrhea can happen at the same time for a number of reasons. A stomach virus or bacterial gastrointestinal infection is the most likely cause in children. The gastrointestinal tract is part of the digestive system.

These infections can affect adults as well, but there are a number of other reasons why an adult may experience these symptoms simultaneously, such as drinking too much alcohol or being pregnant.

When To Seek Medical Help

In certain conditions, knowing what to eat after vomiting is not enough, medical help may be needed. Seek medical attention:

• If you cant keep down anything for more than a day
• If you have a fever and abdominal pain associated with the vomiting
• If you have diarrhea lasting more than three days and doesn’t improving or with blood
• If you have evidence of dehydration such as a low urine output, dizziness, etc.
• If you cant keep down your regular medications
• If you have traveled to an area where exotic illnesses are present
• If you have insulin-dependent diabetes and cant keep track of your blood sugar levels properly.

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Nutrition For Nausea Vomiting Or Diarrhea

Nutrition for nausea, vomiting or diarrhea consists of foods that are bland and gentle on the stomach. If you have nausea or vomiting, it may be hard to hold down food. Some foods may even make your symptoms worse. If you are experiencing diarrhea, the diet suggested below may help solidify your stools.

You may have heard of the BRAT diet which stands for Bananas, Rice, Apples, and Toast. The BRAT diet was often recommended for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but is no longer because of how restrictive it is. Below are lists of foods to focus on and avoid when experiencing nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, but there are many more foods that can be included.

Is This Your Child’s Symptom

• Vomiting and diarrhea occur together
• Vomiting is the forceful emptying of what is in the stomach
• It’s normal for nausea to come before each bout of vomiting
• Diarrhea means 3 or more watery or very loose stools. Reason: 1 or 2 loose stools can be normal with changes in diet.
• If vomiting is done, use the Diarrhea care guide.

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Best Foods To Eat When You Have A Stomach Bug

Viral gastroenteritis is an intestinal infection marked by watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea or vomiting and sometimes fever. It often is called a stomach bug or the stomach flu, but its not actually the flu or influenza, which is a respiratory illness. This infection often develops though contact with an infected person or by ingesting contaminated food or water.

An upset stomach is a common symptom of a stomach bug, and this can make eating sound unappealing, even though you may be hungry. Knowing what to eat is difficult because you dont always know whats going to agree with your stomach.

I recommend these tips for fueling your body when you have viral gastroenteritis:

The main complication of a stomach bug is dehydration a severe loss of water, and essential salts and minerals. If youre healthy and drink enough to replace fluids you lose from vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration shouldnt be a problem.

Shelly Frischmann is a Family Medicine nurse practitioner in Onalaska, Wisconsin.

For the safety of our patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a non-patient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

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Crackers Pretzels And Toast

Dry foods such as crackers, pretzels, toast and cereals are often recommended to people experiencing nausea. In fact, one study found that almost 90% of gynecologists recommend soda crackers to women with morning sickness .

Its not clear why people tolerate dry, plain foods when theyre nauseous, and no scientific research on the topic exists.

However, its known that people feel more nauseous on an empty stomach and react poorly to strong-smelling foods .

Thats why its best to avoid preparing and cooking food when youre sick, as the sight and smell of food could trigger nausea.

Crackers, pretzels, toast and cereals are quick meal fixes that require little to no preparation, have no strong odor and may help settle your empty, upset stomach .

Summary

An empty stomach and strong-smelling foods can trigger or worsen nausea. Crackers and other plain, dry foods may help settle your stomach.

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Dehydration: How To Know

• Dehydration means that the body has lost too much fluid. This can happen with vomiting and/or diarrhea. A weight loss of more than 3% is needed. Mild diarrhea or mild vomiting does not cause this. Neither does a small decrease in fluid intake.
• Vomiting with watery diarrhea is the most common cause of dehydration.
• Dehydration is a reason to see a doctor right away.
• These are signs of dehydration:
• Dry tongue and inside of the mouth. Dry lips are not helpful.
• Dry eyes with decreased or absent tears
• In babies, a sunken soft spot
• Slow blood refill test: Longer than 2 seconds. First, press on the thumbnail and make it pale. Then let go. Count the seconds it takes for the nail to turn pink again. Ask your doctor to teach you how to do this test.
• Fussy, tired out or acting ill. If your child is alert, happy and playful, he or she is not dehydrated.
• A child with severe dehydration becomes too weak to stand. They can also be very dizzy when trying to stand.

When To Call Your Healthcare Provider

• Bloody or black vomit or stools

• Severe, steady belly pain

• Vomiting with a severe headache or stiff neck

• Vomiting after a head injury

• Vomiting and diarrhea together for more than an hour

• An inability to hold down even sips of liquids for more than 12 hours

• Vomiting that lasts more than 24 hours

• Severe diarrhea that lasts more than 2 days

• Fever of 100.4°F or higher, or as directed by your healthcare provider

• Yellowish color to your skin or the whites of your eyes

• Inability to urinate. In infants and young children, not making wet diapers.

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Urgent Advice: Get Advice From 111 Now If:

• you’re worried about a baby under 12 months
• your child stops breast or bottle feeding while they’re ill
• a child under 5 years has signs of dehydration such as fewer wet nappies
• you or your child still have signs of dehydration after using oral rehydration sachets
• you or your child keep being sick and cannot keep fluid down
• you or your child have bloody diarrhoea or bleeding from the bottom
• you or your child have diarrhoea for more than 7 days or vomiting for more than 2 days

111 will tell you what to do. They can arrange a phone call from a nurse or doctor if you need one.

Go to 111.nhs.uk or .

Get an urgent GP appointment

A GP may be able to help you.

Ask your GP practice for an urgent appointment.

Check with the GP surgery before going in. A GP may speak to you on the phone.

How Can I Prevent Dehydration

If your child has had several bouts of vomiting or diarrhea, he or she will need to drink fluids to replace those lost with vomiting and diarrhea. Encourage your child older than two years to drink water and other clear fluids. Ask your doctor about giving your baby or toddler oral rehydration solution , which contains the right mix of salt, sugar, potassium and other elements to help replace lost body fluids.

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What Is Good To Eat And Drink When You Have Diarrhea

People with diarrhea should eat small meals throughout the day instead of three big meals. Diarrhea, or loose watery stools, may be caused by stomach flu, food poisoning, radiation, chemotherapy, other medications and infections. The following diet tips may help control diarrhea.

• People with diarrhea should include binding foods such as bananas, plain white rice, applesauce and white toast while they have active episodes of loose stools.
• Drink plenty of water or low-sugarbeverages to replace the fluids lost from diarrhea.
• Drink plenty of clear liquids and electrolyte beverages such as water, clear fruit juices, coconut water, oral rehydration solutions and sports drinks. These drinks help replenish fluids and electrolytes in the body.
• Add plain yogurt, buttermilk and kefir to your diet.
• Eat foods high in potassium and sodium to replace the minerals lost from diarrhea.
• High-potassium foods include apricots, avocado, bananas, canned tomatoes, oranges, pears, potatoes and sweet potatoes and tomato juice.
• High-sodium foods include broth or bouillon, canned soup, salty snacks , seasoned rice and pasta packets.