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Diarrhoea and Vomiting.

You have been treated for Diarrhoea and/or Vomiting. You have been thoroughly examined and are now considered fit to be discharged. the following will aid your recovery.

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Care Instructions for Diarrhoea and Vomiting

Diarrhoea and vomiting are common in adults, children and babies. They’re often caused by a stomach bug and should stop in a few days.

The advice is the same if you have diarrhoea and vomiting together or separately.

Causes of diarrhoea and vomiting

The most common causes are:

a stomach bug (gastroenteritis)
norovirus – also called the vomiting bug
food poisoning

Diarrhoea can also be caused by:

medicines – check the leaflet to see if it’s a side effect
a food intolerance or food allergy
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
inflammatory bowel disease
coeliac disease
diverticular disease

Vomiting can also be caused by:

pregnancy
migraine
labyrinthitis
medicines – check the leaflet to see if it’s a side effect
reflux – where a baby brings feeds back up (‘spitting up’)
other infections – such as urinary tract infection (UTI)

How long will diarrhoea and vomiting last?

Diarrhoea usually stops within 5 to 7 days

Vomiting usually stops in 1 or 2 days

You should:

stay at home and get plenty of rest
drink lots of fluids, such as water or squash – take small sips if you feel sick
carry on breast or bottle feeding your baby – if they’re being sick, try giving small feeds more often than usual
give babies on formula or solid foods small sips of water between feeds
eat when you feel able to – you don’t need to eat or avoid any specific foods
take paracetamol if you’re in discomfort – check the leaflet before giving it to your child

You should not:

have fruit juice or fizzy drinks – they can make diarrhoea worse
make baby formula weaker – use it at its usual strength
give children under 12 medicine to stop diarrhoea
give aspirin to children under 16

You should seek further advice 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 (over 5 years) 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

Diarrhoea and vomiting can spread easily. You should stay away from school or work until you have been symptom free for 48 hours.

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