We just had a third round of viral gastroenteritis go through our family this year. Like I wrote about in my last post, we’ve been sick every week since my son started daycare.
While bugs like viral gastroenteritis and colds get better on their own without specific treatment, they can be a huge pain to deal with.
In this post, I’ll share practical tips that work for my family when we get sick with a stomach bug.
First, what do I mean by stomach bug?
Viral gastroenteritis is a really common infection of the stomach and bowels. Some people call it a stomach bug or stomach flu (although this is confusing because it’s not a flu at all).
The main symptoms are a sudden onset of vomiting and watery diarrhea. Not pleasant.
In Canada, gastroenteritis is usually caused by viruses like norovirus. Thankfully, we vaccinate against rotavirus, which is a common cause of this illness worldwide.
What should I expect with viral gastroenteritis?
Viral gastroenteritis causes vomiting, watery and non-bloody diarrhea, and potentially stomach cramps and fever. The symptoms usually last for a day or two, although I just learned that some people can have symptoms for 2 weeks.
Bacteria and parasites can also cause gastroenteritis, but the symptoms and timeline are usually different. Check out this list from the Mayo Clinic for when to see a healthcare provider found here.
How do we treat stomach bugs?
There are no cures (yet) for viral gastroenteritis. The mainstays of treatment are aimed at preventing dehydration, symptom relief, and trying to stop it from spreading to others.
Here are some key things I’ve learned for managing viral gastroenteritis:
1. Watch for signs of dehydration
This is the main thing we worry about with viral gastro, especially in kids and elderly people.
When you’re losing fluids left, right, and center, it’s hard to keep up. Even though I was drinking as many fluids as I possibly could, I still had a 12-hour period where I didn’t pee at all.
The infographic below shows what to watch out for. (I have no affiliation with Pedialyte; I just think their graphic sums up the signs and symptoms well.)
2. Do what you can to get fluids in
I’ve seen a few people in after-hours clinics who have avoided giving themselves or their kids sugar-sweetened sources of fluids during a viral gastro. While that’s normally what I’d recommend for a healthy diet, now is not the time to restrict processed food/drink.
In times like these, I bring in the big guns that I don’t normally consume: popsicles, apple juice, jello, Gatorade, etc. It’s really all about staying hydrated during the acute phase of the illness.
For children, diluted apple juice and their favourite drinks are just as good as fancy electrolyte solutions, like they found in this JAMA study.
Next, try small sips throughout the day. For young children, this might mean offering sources of fluid consistently.
3. Try to feel better
I find that acetaminophen (Tylenol) helps us feel better when we have viral gastro. It eases some of the body aches that come from throwing up so much, and helps with chills.
Acetaminophen is easier on the stomach than NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Advil), so I generally avoid the latter with stomach bugs. (I haven’t seen any scientific evidence about avoiding NSAIDs for viral gastro; it’s just my opinion.)
Rest is also key, although I don’t have any practical recommendations for this. When our whole household gets viral gastro, it just sucks. My son wants to nurse all day, and I get much less rest than I’d like. I suppose just rest whenever you can, and if you have any tips for this then please leave a comment!
4. Prevent the spread
If you’re like me and have a toddler who gets a stomach bug, my best advice is to brace yourself and hope you don’t get it.
Otherwise, prevent spreading it to others by staying home and washing everyone’s hands diligently. Daycares in Ontario don’t allow kids back until they’ve had 48 hours without diarrhea/vomiting. Ideally, the same should apply to adults, since this is when it’s the most likely to spread to others. However, it can be spread for up to two weeks(!) following the sickness.
I also clean high-touch surfaces in our house at least once a day.
5. Consider talking to your healthcare provider about other medications
Sometimes, anti-diarrheal agents and antiemetics may help adults with viral gastro. However, it’s important to confirm that what you have is viral gastro, since taking these types of medications in other stomach or bowel illnesses can make things worse.
I'll take Pepto bismol if things get really rough, but otherwise I focus on the first four strategies.
6. Be prepared for next time
You never know when the stomach bug will strike again. There are a few things I’ve tried to do to prepare for the next bout:
Have fluids on hand
I’m going to call out my husband in this post for eating all the popsicles I was saving for our next round of viral gastro.
I try to have fluids on hand that I actually feel like consuming when I’m sick. This includes a carton of apple juice that I squirrel away in the cupboard, and, usually, popsicles.
Get some buckets
Buckets help. We use little plastic waste bins from the dollar store.
Start from healthy
A couple months ago, I was sick with a cold and got viral gastro on top of it. That was awful, and much more difficult to recover from.
Starting from a healthy place will improve your recovery from any illness. If you’re looking for some high-value healthy habits to start, check out this post.
Stay well friends,
Dr. Kuhnow
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