Diarrhoea and vomiting

Diarrhoea and vomiting are two symptoms that are often coupled together. This is because they usually occur together in illnesses such as gastroenteritis or norovirus.¹

Diarrhoea is classed as passing watery stools with little to no consistency, more frequently and urgently as usual.²

Diarrhoea and vomiting are unpleasant to deal with but should clear within 2 to 7 days without medical intervention.¹

It is very easy to pass on an illness if you have diarrhoea or vomiting, so it is important to stay at home for at least 2 days after your symptoms have cleared.¹

There are many different causes of diarrhoea and vomiting. Some of the most common causes include norovirus (vomiting bug), gastroenteritis (intestine infection) and food poisoning.¹

Other causes include:

• Pregnancy
• Food allergy or intolerance
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Acid reflux
• Diverticular disease (diseases of the large intestine)
• Migraine
• Labyrinthitis
• Some medicines.¹

There are a few things you can do to manage your symptoms at home.

These include:

• Getting plenty of rest
• Replacing fluids lost with water or squash
• Eating plain foods like toast or pasta if you can
• Avoiding fruit juice when you have diarrhoea as this can make it worse
• Washing your hands and any surfaces you touch regularly
• Avoiding preparing food for others whilst you have symptoms.¹

Your local pharmacist can also help you with some medicine to ease your symptoms.³

If you have an infection, your pharmacist may recommend against using over-the counter medications that you can buy in your local pharmacy or shop like loperamide. They could prolong your illness.

You must call for an ambulance if you or your child are vomiting and have any of the following symptoms:

• Severe tummy ache that happens suddenly
• Severe chest pain
• Severe neck stiffness or pain, especially when looking into a light
• A high temperature
• Severe headache
• Green or yellow vomit or vomit that looks like coffee granules
• Blood in your vomit
• Difficulty breathing
• Blue lips or blotchy skin
• Are not responding or have lost consciousness.^1,4