Treating Stomach Flu In Children

Stomach flu symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, excessive urination and excessive sweating. These symptoms come together to result in large amounts of fluid loss, which can be very dangerous, especially for young children. Children are especially vulnerable to dehydration, and this is made worse by a tendency for those afflicted not to drink sufficient fluids because of nausea, a loss of appetite or difficulty swallowing. It is also common for children to complain of stomach ache, abdominal pain and stomach cramps.

Types Of Treatment

The frontline treatment that can be administered at home before you take your child to the doctor is oral rehydration. This is particularly useful if your child becomes ill at night, and there are no clinics nearby that are open through the night. Oral rehydration addresses the greatest danger - dehydration. It is only a stopgap measure, however, and if your child is suffering from constant diarrhea or vomiting then you will be fighting an uphill battle until those symptoms can be properly dealt with by a doctor.

Generally speaking, oral rehydration can be done with any regular fluids, so water is the most common option. Fruit juices or sports drinks can also be used, although you should be aware that sports drinks do not do anything to replenish the nutrients and mineral salts that the body loses due to this particular illness. For that, there are specialized oral rehydration solutions that are available over-the-counter at pharmacies and drugstores.

Of course, there is simply no substitute for proper medical treatment. In some of the most severe cases, an intravenous (IV) drip may be required to replace the bodily fluids being lost. Some doctors will recommend that an IV drip be used even in less severe cases as a precaution.

Recovery

While avoiding dehydration is of the utmost importance, there are also other ways you can help to speed up your child's recovery. There are certain types of food and drink that the body is equipped to handle when it is healthy, but should be avoided in the event of any ailment related to the digestive system.

When your child is on the road to recovery, and the symptoms have mostly abated, you should start out with a cautious diet. Some recommended foods include bread, broth, rice and fruits. These foods are bland and are the least likely to irritate the intestinal tract, which could cause a recurrence of symptoms. Foods to be avoided include products containing dairy and caffeine, as these are major intestinal irritants.

Finally, as with all other illnesses, recovering from stomach flu requires plenty of rest, as the body needs all the energy it can get to fight off the virus.