What do you do for stomach flu, what to take for stomach flu? Rehydrate with electrolyte & fluid replacement solutions. Keep your regular food intake.
What do you do for stomach flu?
The goal of gastroenteritis treatment is to rehydration by taking enough water and fluids. You must replace fluids and electrolytes (salt and minerals) that are lost through diarrhea or vomiting. Even if you are able to eat normally, you require drinking extra fluids between meals.
- Take the electrolyte and fluid replacement solutions available in food and drug stores.
- Do not drink fruit juices, sodas, etc. It contains a lot of sugar, which makes diarrhea worse instead of replacing lost minerals.
- Try drinking small quantities of fluid (two to four ounce) for every half to one hour. Never try forcing large quantities of fluid at once, which may cause vomiting. Feed fluid using a teaspoon for an infant or small child.
- Continue breast milk or formula along with extra fluids in case of children. You do not require switching to a soy formula. Breast-fed infants can continue nursed in the usual fashion, and that formula-fed infants can continue their formula after rehydration with ORT (oral rehydration therapy).
- Continue taking your regular food along with extra fluids in case of adults. Children should ingest their usual diet during diarrhea episodes; however, avoid foods high in simple sugars.
- Some probiotics have shown to be beneficial in reducing both the duration of illness and the frequency of stools. They may also be useful in preventing and treating antibiotic associated diarrhea. Fermented milk products (such as yogurt) are similarly beneficial.
- Zinc supplementation appears to be effective in both treating and preventing diarrhea among children in the developing world.
Gastroenteritis diet
Take small quantities of food more often. Some of the suggested stomach flu foods include:
- Cereals, bread, potatoes, lean meats
- Plain yogurt, bananas, fresh apples
- Vegetables
For people with diarrhea, unable to drink fluids due to nausea may require intravenous (directly into a vein) fluids. This is especially required in small children.
The risk of dehydration is greatest in infants and young children, so parents should closely monitor the number of wet diapers changed per day when their child is sick.