diarrhoea that lasts longer than a week.symptoms at night that are disturbing your sleep.passed large volumes of very watery diarrhoea – you may be at risk of dehydration (see below).bleeding from your rectum (back passage).diarrhoea that lasts for longer than two weeks.diarrhoea and is vomiting at the same time.had six or more episodes of diarrhoea in the past 24 hours.Seek medical advice if your child has diarrhoea for longer than this.Ĭontact your GP or health visitor urgently for advice if your baby has had six or more episodes of diarrhoea in the past 24 hours. Children should not take this medicine.ĭiarrhoea in children usually passes within five to seven days, and will usually clear within two weeks. Taking antidiarrhoeal medicine is usually not necessary unless it is important that you shorten the length of time your diarrhoea lasts (for example, if you need to take a long-haul flight). In adults, diarrhoea caused by gastroenteritis will usually clear up in two to four days when the infection has cleared. Diarrhoea may also be a side effect of a medication. bacteria, which is often found in contaminated foodīouts of diarrhoea in adults may also be brought on by anxiety or drinking too much coffee or alcohol.a virus, such as a norovirus or rotavirus.A common cause in both children and adults is gastroenteritis, an infection of the bowel. It affects almost everyone from time to time and is usually nothing to worry about. This is a sign of a peptic ulcer.ĭiarrhoea is passing loose or watery faeces more than three times a day. There is blood in your vomit or what looks like coffee granules.This suggests you may have a blockage in your bowel (see below).

In this case you are probably bringing up bile, a fluid the digestive system uses to digest foods. You have not been able to keep down fluids for 12 hours or more.You have been vomiting uncontrollably for more than 24 hours.Try drinking fresh ginger stewed in a mug of hot water.Ĭall your GP if you have any of the signs listed below, which mean you have a high risk of becoming dehydrated or may have a more serious underlying condition: You may find that ginger helps to relieve your nausea and vomiting. A sweet drink can be useful for replacing lost sugar and a salty snack, such as a packet of crisps, can help replace lost salt. Drink water, squash, diluted fruit juice or semi-skimmed milk.

The most important thing you can do when vomiting is to keep taking small sips of fluid so you don’t become dehydrated. However, vomiting can occasionally be a sign of something more serious, such as a blockage in your bowel or kidney stones, so if you are feeling very unwell or are worried about your vomiting, trust your instincts and call your GP. Usually fight off the infection after a few days.

This is an infection of the gut usually caused byīacteria or a virus, such as a norovirus (see video, left). One of the most common causes of vomiting in adults is gastroenteritis.

Vomiting is the body’s way of ridding itself of harmful substances from the stomach, or it may be a reaction to something that has irritated the gut. Vomiting in adults is usually not a sign of anything serious and tends to only last one or two days.

Clear bile vomit