Acute Gastroenteritis: what to do first

Stomach bugs hit fast. Acute gastroenteritis usually shows up as sudden diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, and sometimes fever. Most cases come from viruses like norovirus or rotavirus, but bacteria, parasites, food poisoning, and some meds can cause it too. You can manage many cases at home if you act fast and focus on fluids and rest.

Home care and rehydration

Your priority is replacing fluids and salts. Start with small sips if you are vomiting. Aim to sip about 200 to 300 ml after each loose stool and try to reach roughly 2 liters over a day for adults. For children, use an oral rehydration solution and follow the package — a simple rule is 50 to 100 ml per kg over the first four hours depending on how dehydrated they look.

If you don’t have a commercial solution, a homemade mix works: 1 liter water, 6 teaspoons sugar, and half a teaspoon salt. Sip slowly. Avoid plain sugary drinks and fruit juices as they can make diarrhea worse.

Eat light when you can. Start with bland foods — toast, rice, bananas, boiled potatoes — and avoid fatty, spicy, or dairy foods until you feel better. Rest. Your gut heals faster when you slow down and let your body recover.

Over-the-counter options can help adults. Loperamide can slow diarrhea but skip it if you have a high fever or bloody stool. Bismuth subsalicylate helps with cramps and nausea for adults, but don’t give it to children or teens recovering from viral illnesses. Some strains of probiotics, like Lactobacillus, may shorten symptoms by about a day in mild cases.

When to seek medical help

Call or see a doctor if you have any signs of severe dehydration: very little urine, dry mouth, dizziness, or extreme weakness. Also seek care for persistent vomiting that won’t let you keep fluids down, bloody stools, severe belly pain, or a fever above 38.5 C (101.3 F).

Infants, elderly people, pregnant women, and people with weak immune systems need medical advice faster. If symptoms last more than 48 to 72 hours or if you recently traveled and have high fever or bloody diarrhea, see a clinician — you might need tests or antibiotics for certain bacterial infections.

Prevention is simple and effective. Wash hands with soap after using the toilet and before handling food. Cook food properly, avoid questionable water, and clean surfaces after someone in the household is sick. There is a vaccine for rotavirus in infants that cuts severe cases significantly.

Most stomach bugs clear in a few days with fluids and rest. But don’t ignore warning signs. Rehydration, sensible food choices, and knowing when to get help are the fastest routes back to normal.