Youre Not Getting Sick to Your Stomach Again

Key facts

Gastroenteritis ('gastro') is a mutual and often highly infectious status that affects the stomach and intestines. Information technology tin can crusade vomiting and diarrhoea.
Babies nether six months should always be seen past a doctor if they accept gastro.
Gastroenteritis is treated past drinking fluids, and doesn't usually require medication.
Reduce your run a risk of catching or spreading gastro past washing your hands well after using the bathroom, irresolute nappies or treatment food.
Children should not render to school and adults should not return to work until 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea and/or vomiting.

What is gastroenteritis?

Gastroenteritis is a common status that affects the gut (the tummy and intestines) and is ofttimes highly infectious. It is also known as 'gastro'.

Gastro is triggered by infection that causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive organisation. It tin cause vomiting, diarrhoea, tummy hurting and nausea.

Gastro is not normally serious, but it can lead to aridity. Milder forms tin be managed at abode past drinking fluids. However, older people, young children and those with a weakened immune system are at hazard of developing more serious illnesses.

Illustration of gastroenteritis — Gastroenteritis inflames the lining of the stomach and intestines.

Should I keep my child home from school?

Hither'south a list of common childhood illnesses, including gastroenteritis, and their recommended exclusion periods.

What are the symptoms of gastroenteritis?

If you have gastroenteritis, you lot may have:

airsickness
diarrhoea
nausea (feeling ill in the breadbasket)
tum pains
fever
headaches
no ambition

Gastroenteritis symptoms unremarkably terminal for 1 to 2 days, merely occasionally they may persist for as long as 10 days.

CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Apply our diarrhoea and vomiting Symptom Checker and notice out if you need to seek medical help.

When should I see my doctor?

Encounter a doctor immediately if your child cannot proceed down a sip of liquid or has aridity (dry out mouth, no urine for 6 hours or more than, or lethargy). Babies under vi months should e'er be seen by a doctor if they take gastro.

Adults and older children should seek medical advice if their symptoms include a fever, severe abdominal hurting, blood in their diarrhoea or signs of dehydration, such every bit thirst and decreased urination, sluggishness, dry mouth, sunken eyes or feeling faint when continuing.

Notice A Wellness SERVICE — Our Service Finder can help yous find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

Ask YOUR Doctor — Preparing for an appointment? Use our Question Builder for general tips on what to ask your GP or specialist.

What causes gastroenteritis?

Gastro may be caused by:

viruses (these are by far the about common crusade and include the rotavirus and norovirus infections)
leaner, such as salmonella
toxins produced by leaner
parasites, such as giardia
chemicals, such as toxins in poisonous mushrooms

Viral gastroenteritis is highly infectious and spreads through contact with contaminated hands, objects or food. It tin can as well exist spread through coughing and sneezing.

How is gastroenteritis diagnosed?

A md can diagnose gastro after talking to and examining yous. If you lot're non getting ameliorate, the doctor may want to practise a stool (poo) test to observe out what organism is making you lot ill.

How is gastroenteritis treated?

Gastro should only last for a few days and does not ordinarily require treatment. Medication for nausea or diarrhoea tin be useful for adults, but may non be safe for children. Antibiotics are rarely helpful.

The most important treatment for gastroenteritis is to drink fluids. Frequent sips are easier for young children than a large amount all at once. Continue drinking regularly fifty-fifty if you lot are vomiting. Yous can as well purchase rehydration fluids from a chemist's. These are the best fluids to use in cases of gastro, especially for children.

Effort to eat small amounts of food oft if you experience nauseous. When your appetite returns, offset with bland, like shooting fish in a barrel-to-digest foods, such as plain crackers, toast, bananas, rice and chicken.

Avoid milk and other dairy products every bit well as undiluted fruit juice, soft-drinks, or sports drinks because the sugar may make the diarrhoea worse. It is fine to swallow in one case you experience like it.

If you are very sick with gastro, you may need to become to hospital where you may be given fluids directly through a vein (a "drip").

Babies and children with gastro

If yous have a infant under half dozen months, they should exist checked by a doctor. It's also a expert thought to have babies older than 6 months and young children with gastro checked by a medico in instance they are dehydrated.

If you lot cannot detect rehydration fluids, or your child refuses to drink it, giving diluted fruit juice (1 office juice to four parts of water) is reasonable. You could endeavour a cube of ice or an water ice-block if your child won't drink.

Babies can continue milk feeds throughout the illness, with rehydration fluid between feeds.

Tin can gastroenteritis be prevented?

Gastro can be spread very hands. You might become it from having contact with an infected person (or their vomit or poo). It can also spread via contaminated food or water.

It'southward important to stay dwelling, away from piece of work, school or childcare, until 48 hours after the last episode of vomiting or diarrhoea.

To reduce your risk of catching or spreading gastro, wash your easily well after using the bathroom or irresolute nappies, and before eating or preparing food.

If you lot are travelling to places where the local tap h2o is not safe to drink, only apply bottled water for drinking and brushing your teeth; don't put ice in drinks; only eat fruit you can peel yourself; and avoid uncooked food, including salads.

Children and vaccination for rotavirus

Rotavirus is a virus that causes severe gastroenteritis in babies and young children. All young children should receive the rotavirus vaccine at 6 weeks and 4 months of age. A third dose at six months may be needed depending on the brand of vaccine used.

This vaccine is effective in preventing the rotavirus infection in about 7 out of every x children vaccinated. Information technology is too effective in preventing severe gastroenteritis in nigh 9 out of every ten infants vaccinated. The vaccine provides protection for up to 5 years.

Resource and support

For more than information and back up, try these resources:

the GESA (Gastroenterological Lodge of Commonwealth of australia) website, where you tin can discover more than data on gastro in kids.

Other languages

Practise you adopt other languages than English language? This website offers translated information:

Health Translations, Victoria: Gastroenteritis (in Arabic, Chinese, Dari, Greek, Italian, Khmer, Macedonian, Serbian, Turkish and Vietnamese)

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Source: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/gastroenteritis