You usually don't need the hospital for viral gastroenteritis, but you should seek urgent care (emergency or doctor) for severe dehydration (drowsiness, little urine), inability to keep fluids down, high fever, bloody/black diarrhea, severe pain, confusion, or if you're very young, elderly, or have a weakened immune system. Hospitalization might be needed for severe dehydration requiring IV fluids.
Adults and older children
You should see your doctor if you have: severe abdominal (tummy) pain that is getting worse. frequent vomiting or diarrhoea. blood or mucus in your poo.
In most cases, viral gastroenteritis is not harmful. However, viral gastroenteritis can become dangerous if it leads to dehydration. Anyone with signs or symptoms of dehydration should see a doctor right away. A person with severe dehydration may need treatment at a hospital.
Symptoms of viral gastroenteritis are nausea, vomiting, and watery diarrhea. Dehydration is the most serious complication of this illness. This illness should run its course in a few days. But it may need medical care if diarrhea or vomiting persists or if there are signs of dehydration.
If you're an adult, call your health care provider if:
Contact a healthcare provider if you notice any unusual or red flag symptoms, such as: Inability to keep fluids down, signs of dehydration. Symptoms last longer than five days. Fever lasts more than three days or is higher than 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).
Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if you or your child: vomit blood or have vomit that looks like ground coffee. have green vomit (adults) have yellow-green or green vomit (children)
Gastroenteritis is often mistaken for stomach flu although it is actually an inflammation of the lining of the intestines caused by a virus, bacteria or parasites.
The Worst Foods for Your Gastrointestinal System
Self care
After diagnosing a stomach virus, your emergency care doctor will recommend treatment that cures and prevents dehydration. You will need to drink plenty of fluids, such as water, sports drinks, or broth.
How do doctors treat viral gastroenteritis? Your doctor may prescribe medicine to control severe vomiting. Doctors don't prescribe antibiotics link to treat viral gastroenteritis.
Adults should go to the ER if they are at high risk for flu complications or they experience difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, dizziness, confusion, severe or persistent vomiting, or flu-like symptoms that get better and then return.
For bacterial and parasitic infections, our doctors may recommend anti-infective medicines. For viral diarrhea, treatment focuses on preventing dehydration, until the virus is cleared from the body by the immune system. Your doctor may also prescribe antidiarrheal medicines for viral diarrhea.
Seek emergency medical care for a toddler or older child who has nausea and vomiting that:
If the pain is accompanied by any of the following symptoms, you should also seek emergency care: Fever. Vomiting blood. Dark, black stool.
Here, we break down the seven worst drinks for gut health and offer easy swaps that support better digestion and balance.
The 7 Day Gut Reset is a clean-eating and lifestyle-based plan designed to: Eliminate common gut disruptors. Introduce healing, nourishing foods. Support your digestive system with hydration and rest. Improve the diversity of your gut bacteria.
drinks with caffeine, such as coffee and tea, and some soft drinks. foods that are high in fat, such as fried foods, pizza, and fast foods. foods and drinks containing large amounts of simple sugars, such as sweetened beverages and some fruit juices. milk and milk products, which contain the sugar lactose.
The green colour of poo, if someone has a gut infection, is usually caused by the bacteria salmonella, a parasite called giardia, or a virus called norovirus. Most gut infections do improve in five to ten days with self-care. Read more about food poisoning and gut infections here.
Viral gastroenteritis is an infection of your intestines that typically causes watery diarrhea, pain or cramping in your abdomen, nausea or vomiting, and sometimes fever.
Research consistently shows that approximately 5-10% of adults with COVID-19 report GI symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Typically, patients with GI symptoms of COVID-19 will also have the more common upper respiratory symptoms that accompany COVID-19, such as a dry cough or difficulty breathing.
Most people will get better without any medical help. The diarrhoea may last a few days even after you feel better and this is normal. Seek medical advice if: You are unable to tolerate oral fluids and are at risk of severe dehydration.
Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if:
you're vomiting bright red blood or your vomit looks like ground coffee. your poo is black, sticky and extremely smelly. you have severe tummy or chest pain that started suddenly.
You vomit more than 3 times in 24 hours. Vomiting lasts for longer than 1 day. You can't keep fluids down for more than 12 hours. You also have a headache, stomach ache, or stiff neck.