What to do if you have gastroenteritis

If you experience sudden diarrhoea and vomiting, the best thing to do is stay at home until you're feeling better.There's not always a specific treatment, so you have to let the illness run its course.

You don't usually need to get medical advice, unless your symptoms don't improve or there's a risk of a more serious problem (see When to get medical advice ).

To help ease your symptoms:

• Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration You need to drink more thanusual to replace the fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhoea. Water is best, but you could also try fruit juice and soup.
• Take paracetamol for any fever or aches and pains.
• Get plenty of rest .
• If you feel like eating, try small amounts of plain foods, such as soup, rice, pasta and bread.
• Use special rehydration drinks made from sachets bought from pharmacies if you have signs of dehydration , such as a dry mouth or dark urine read about treating dehydration .
• Take anti-vomiting medication (such as metoclopramide) and/or antidiarrhoeal medication (such as loperamide) if you need to some types are available from pharmacies, but check the leaflet that comes with the medicine. You can also ask your pharmacist or GP for advice about whether they're suitable.

Gastroenteritis can spread very easily, so you should wash your hands regularly while you're ill and stay off work or school until at least 48 hours after your symptoms have cleared, to reduce the risk of passing it on (see Preventing gastroenteritis ).