How to Treat Gastroenteritis

There is a virus going around the office as usual. You know you will get it sooner or later. So you load up on vitamins, but here it comes anyway. Suffering with gastroenteritis is miserable and has symptoms which can easily be described as "disgusting." The illness will soon run its course, but you want it gone now. It is actually fairly easy to treat. If you know that you have gastroenteritis, follow these steps, and you will feel better in no time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Treat the gastroenteritis symptoms of nausea, diarrhea and stomach cramps with over-the-counter nausea medications first.
2. Remember that gastroenteritis is a contagious illness—you have the right to stay home from work at least 1 day. It often takes more than 1 day to clear up the symptoms.
3. Make a doctor's appointment if the symptoms do not go away in 24 hours. Stronger medication than you get off the shelf is needed for more severe cases of gastroenteritis.
4. Follow the physician's advice. Often, tests will be ordered if the doctor feels that this is not an ordinary case of stomach flu. In this case, you will be asked to treat the illness as in Steps 1 and 2 until getting the test results. As an example, you may need an antibiotic because of a parasitic infection.
5. Drink plenty of liquids and get plenty of rest. This is probably the first thing the doctor will tell you. It goes without saying that getting plenty of clear liquids into your system is the most important step you can take. A close second to this is getting plenty of rest.
6. Add fruit and dry toast to your diet as you begin to get your strength back. This helps you get back on your feet. Also, introducing "good bacteria" such as that found in yogurt is a good step to take once you are on the road to recovery. It will soothe your stomach and add much needed protection to the lining of your digestive tract.

Tips & Warnings

• Heed your doctor's advice; the doc has the knowledge to get you through this.
• Watch out for dehydration. It moves quickly and can even be life-threatening. So, be sure the sick person always has plenty to drink. If you even suspect you are getting dehydrated, call for help from a family member.