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While vomiting and diarrhea are common, careful hydration and monitoring are important, particularly for young children.
Diarrhea and vomiting are usually caused by a virus or bacteria that infect the intestines. The virus usually invades the tissue of the intestine, causes the area to swell, and prevents food from being absorbed. In addition the virus causes the intestine to secrete fluid thereby causing more diarrhea and sometimes leading to dehydration. Vomiting alone (without diarrhea) can be a sign of the beginning of a gastroenteritis or can be caused by food poisoning.
The most common type of virus which causes diarrhea is called Rotavirus. Diarrhea usually lasts between one day and 14 days and is often accompanied with fever to 40, vomiting and decreased appetite.
It should be noted that viruses that infect the intestine cause diarrhea whether or not the child is eating solids or not.
The treatment of diarrhea consists mainly of increasing nursing or formula ( in infants) or increasing fluid intake in children.
In cases of mild diarrhea, there is no need to stop giving milk products or to give milk without lactose.
If the child is drinking:
We do not recommend giving coke, juice or fruit juice, or even water or tea. These types of fluids may increase the diarrhea and they do not replace the electrolytes that the child loses when there is diarrhea. Instead, offer the child electrolyte solutions that prevent dehydration and replenish electrolytes.
If the child is vomiting:
Offer small quantities of fluids (about 5-15 cc) every ten minutes until the vomiting stops. Even if the child is hungry, offer no more than this amount of fluid as a larger amount of fluid may cause vomitting.
If the child vomits even this small amount of fluid, stop giving all fluids for one hour in order to allow the stomach to calm down. After the hour, try giving small amounts of fluids.
If the child vomits again, please seek medical attention as soon as possible.
When diarrhea is accompanied with vomiting, it is not recommended to give milk products until the vomiting has stopped for at least 24 hours. However, if there is diarrhea present without vomiting, then there should be no restriction of foods including dairy products.
In general, it is not recommended to give special anti-diarrhea medicines because they are usually not beneficial and may cause significant side effects.
While most cases of diarrhea are generally mild and resolve quickly, infants and older adults are especially susceptible to complications, including dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and rapid clinical deterioration. In these populations, prevention is particularly important. Vaccination, when available and appropriate, along with careful hygiene practices, can help reduce the risk of infection and complications.
Both viruses and bacteria which cause gastroenteritis are very contagious, and transferred from person to person via touch. Therefore meticulous hand washing is very important after diaper changes or after going to the bathroom.
The rotavirus vaccine protects against one of the most common causes of severe diarrhea in infants and young children. The vaccine is given orally in a series of doses during early infancy and significantly reduces the risk of severe dehydration, hospitalization, and complications. It is most effective when administered according to the recommended schedule.
In most cases of diarrhea, it is not necessary to visit a doctor.
