Replenish Electrolytes after Vomiting and Diarrhea
They're necessary for nerve and muscle function, pH balance, hydration, and much more.
It is very important to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Solutions such as Gastrolyte or Hydralyte help replace the water, salts and fluid lost by vomiting and diarrhoea.
Avoid eating and drinking for two hours after the last episode of vomiting. Start with small amounts of clear liquids, such as water, ice, popsicles, sports drinks, clear broth or Jell-O for the first 24 hours. Avoid alcohol, caffeinated beverages, and fruit juice.
When you have viral gastroenteritis, you need to replace lost fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration or treat mild dehydration. You should drink plenty of liquids. If vomiting is a problem, try sipping small amounts of clear liquids. Eating saltine crackers can also help replace electrolytes.
Take a break from solid food, even if you feel like eating. Stay hydrated by sucking on ice chips or frozen fruit pops. Try drinking sips of water, weak tea, clear soft drinks without carbonation, noncaffeinated sports drinks, or broth. Sugary drinks may calm the stomach better than other liquids.
High fever, vomiting or diarrhea or just loss of appetite can lead to dehydration. If you're fighting a cold or you're in the throes of flu-like symptoms, fighting off dehydration can be difficult. You might want to supplement your water intake with an electrolyte solution such as Pedialyte.
Allow yourself to rest. Resting propped up in a seated position with the head elevated at least twelve inches above the feet is ideal. Remain in this seated rested position for a minimum of an hour, or until you are no longer experiencing nausea. Do not lie down all the way.
After your vomiting stops, you may feel weak and lethargic. This is quite common and happens because you haven't eaten in a while. Vomiting may also have left you dehydrated. You also lose electrolytes and salts when vomiting.
"Small sips of electrolyte-rich beverages are appropriate to promote hydration and replenish electrolytes lost during vomiting," says Palinski-Wade. While you may not be up for sports, sports drinks can help even nonathletes feel better when they're suffering from nausea.
Electrolytes and acid-base disorders
The vomiting of gastric or intestinal contents most commonly involves the loss of fluid that contains chloride, potassium, sodium, and bicarbonate. The sequelae of these losses include dehydration along with hyponatremia, hypochloremia, and hypokalemia.
To rehydrate, it is best to use a commercial rehydration solution, such as Gastrolyte, Pedialyte or Pediatric Electrolyte. Commercial rehydration solutions contain the ideal proportion of water, sugar and mineral salts your body needs to recover.
Water is the best fluid to consume when you are ill, experts say. But, if you don't like the taste of water or you're not eating much, drinks such as Pedialyte offer some flavor and electrolytes.
Do not eat or drink anything for several hours after vomiting. Sip small amounts of water or suck ice chips every 15 minutes for 3-4 hours. Next, sip clear liquids every 15 minutes for 3-4 hours. Examples include water, sports drinks, flat soda, clear broth, gelatin, flavored ice, popsicles or apple juice.
Vomiting is classed as projectile if it is very sudden, and the vomit exits the body with some force. It may travel a few feet from the body. This type of vomiting is often linked to the body trying to get rid of something harmful. This can range from a toxin, such as alcohol, to bacteria, for example, salmonella.
Sympathetic activation is a sign that your body is in distress. Your heart will beat faster and you will start to sweat. Though it might not look like much, nausea associated with both vomiting and sweating may cause dehydration.
Sip clear liquids such as Gatorade, ginger ale, water, Pedialyte, or soup broth. Bland diet In small amounts as tolerated for 24-48 hours after last vomiting episode – bananas, rice, applesauce, toast, jello, crackers, chicken noodle soup. Avoid alcohol, greasy foods, dairy products, citrus juice.
Diarrhoea and vomiting can spread easily
If you have a stomach bug, you could be infectious to others. You're most infectious from when the symptoms start until two days after they've passed. Stay off school or work until the symptoms have stopped for two days.
If you've been vomiting, the first step is to let your stomach rest. After you stop throwing up, don't try to eat or drink anything for 15 to 20 minutes so you can allow your stomach time to recover. Sit quietly and avoid lying down when you are having a vomiting episode; moving around can make nausea worse.
A slight electrolyte imbalance may not cause noticeable changes. When problems occur, you may experience: Confusion and irritability. Diarrhea or constipation.
“Some of the common symptoms of electrolyte imbalances include muscle twitching and muscle cramps, increased thirst, poor endurance, salt craving and irritability,” says Zachary Sprague, DO, a family medicine physician with expertise in sports medicine at Scripps Coastal Medical Center Carlsbad.
Dehydration is a condition in which you lose so much body fluid that your body can't function normally. It occurs when you lose more fluids than you take in. Dehydration may happen on a particularly hot day if you sweat a lot, or if you're sick with fever, diarrhea or vomiting.