Gastro is every living parent’s nightmare, but with summer on our door step, gastro season is about to hit and it can be ugly for all involved.
Sometimes that trip to the bathroom may not necessarily be gastro. It could be a severe case of food poisoning.
No matter what’s making you or your kids heaving and pooping through the eye of a needle this season, Dr Lane Hinchcliffe of The Heath Hub Adelaide says initial treatment is the same for both cases.
Here are some tips on how to survive gastro season if you or your loved one takes a hit from the dreaded sickness.
1. Stay hydrated. Fluids should be increased when vomiting starts. Avoid milk, dairy, citrus, acidic and alcoholic drinks at this time. Clear fluids should be drunk for the first 24 hours. Hydryolyte and apple juice can help add much needed electrolytes to the body.
2. Expect abdominal pain, but if the pain becomes severe, you should seek medical advice as soon as possible.
3. Monitor babies and young children. Children and babies are prone to dehydration as they can’t speak for themselves when they are sick. Monitor them closely and encourage small sips from a straw. A good way to check if they are dehydrated is to look at their lips and tongue to see if it is moist or dry. A dry tongue signals dehydration. Also check the colour and output of their urine.
4. Monitor temperature. It’s common to have a fever during a viral infection and food poisoning. Treat fevers with Panadol.
5. Check for Diarrhoea. Diarrhoea is common in both situations. If blood is seen in the diarrhoea, a medical review is needed.
6. Consider if you’ve been overseas. Anyone who has travelled overseas in the week before symptoms start should have a lower threshold for seeking medical advice.
7. Don’t be quick to grab the Antinausea medications. Antinausea medications aren’t usually needed and should be taken with care. Check with your GP before taking this.
A visit to the hospital should be prompted if the following occurs:
• You can’t keep fluids down and dehydration is a concern.
• If you have severe pain and it can’t be managed with Panadol or rest
• If other symptoms arise like a rash or bleeding.
When in doubt, call your GP or local nurse. It’s always good to have a phone number of a bulk billing doctor that does home visits. It saves having to take you or your loved one out in public to get treated.
It’s also good to be prepared by having some supplies at home if you can’t get to a shop like gastrolyte drinks, buckets, toilet paper, paper towel, straws and jelly.
