How long vomit before doctor

It's the stomach bug. It's not the flu. Everyone says, "I've got the stomach flu. There are a lot of other viruses though that can cause vomiting and diarrhea, including rotavirus, and adenovirus, and a bunch of other viruses we could name. But the bottom line is it's no fun, and it's a big risk for kids who can sometimes get dehydrated. When do you know when to bring your child in for vomiting and diarrhea? Most vomiting is caused by the stomach bug.

It's usually not caused by food poisoning that often. However if more than one person gets sick at the exact time, food poisoning is something that you want to consider. If your child has vomiting without diarrhea and it lasts for several days or you see blood in it, that's the time to get checked out urgently, because that could be something much more serious than the stomach bug. But vomiting usually stops in about six to 24 hours.

If you have a baby and they are vomiting and it's like across the room shooting, that's not the stomach bug going around either. But most kids who vomit, if they are a baby they can spit up some, or you know, if they do catch this virus from somebody, then you're going to know.

It's going to be a different form of vomiting than reflux or these other scary things. So when your child has vomiting you can usually expect diarrhea to come also, and usually within 24 hours.

How do you take care of your child who has vomiting and diarrhea? The most important thing with vomiting is you need to make sure your child is hydrated. That means they have enough fluid in them so that they have a moist mouth, they are still making tears, and they can have a wet diaper or use the bathroom to pee at least once every eight hours.

If they are not doing any of those things, then they are dehydrated. When your child is vomiting, you do not want to make them eat. That's a very common misconception that I have parents make. They think, well my child's vomiting. They don't want to eat because they are vomiting, so I need to make sure they get food because otherwise they're going to lose weight.

It's okay, we expect your child to lose a little bit of weight with the stomach bug. Don't make your child eat if they're not hungry, because if you do make them try to eat something before they are ready, they are going to bring it right back up and you're going to be cleaning it up.

Just make sure they have small amounts of clear fluids and no solid foods for about eight hours once they start vomiting. Clear fluids are important, but don't give them milk. Their stomach won't be able to digest milk. If a child is vomiting often or is very sick, the doctor may order a urine test, blood test, or other tests to check for dehydration and to find out what is causing the vomiting. Treatment for vomiting depends on the cause.

Vomiting from gastroenteritis usually goes away on its own in less than 24 hours. If your child has vomiting, help prevent dehydration by giving an oral rehydration solution such as Pedialyte, Enfalyte, or a store brand. It has the right amounts of water, sugar, and salt to help with dehydration. You can buy it without a prescription at drugstores or supermarkets.

Kids who continue to vomit or have more severe dehydration need treatment in the ER or hospital. Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Vomiting? Lee says. There are several questions a doctor on call will ask and you can ask yourself in determining what the cause might be, as well as the most prudent course of action, Dr. Use these questions to help you identify red flags — reasons to visit an ER for vomiting rather than riding it out.

If you are ever in doubt, call your doctor. Vomiting can be tied to different conditions that may pass on their own. In other cases, you may need a trip to the emergency room for intravenous fluids.

Know when to worry and when to go to the doctor.