Health Stomach bugs
Protecting others
Gastroenteritis is easily spread from one person to another. If you do become ill, however, there are things you can do to help protect those around you and stop it spreading:
• Stay at home until you haven’t had any symptoms for two days.
• Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water, especially after using the toilet and before preparing food. Make sure you use plenty of soap and that all of areas of your hands are cleaned (it should take at least 20 seconds). Dry your hands thoroughly, ideally with a disposable towel, and use the disposable towel to turn off the tap.
• Disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated. Try using a bleach-based household cleaner (if you’re not sure which one to use, ask your pharmacist for advice).
• Avoid sharing towels, flannels, cutlery or utensils with anyone while you’re ill. Also wash your clothes and bedding separately on a hot wash.
Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water, especially after using the toilet and before preparing food
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When to see your GP While it’s not usually necessary to see your GP when you have gastroenteritis, if you experience any of the following you should get medical advice (phone your GP first if you can, or call NHS 111):
• Persistent dizziness • Severe thirst • Not being able to urinate • Rapid heartbeat • Weak pulse • Losing consciousness
All of these are possible signs of severe dehydration. Meanwhile other things to look out for that could be signs that you need medical help are…
• Bloody diarrhoea • Constant vomiting and not being able to keep down any fluids • A temperature of more than 38C
If your symptoms haven’t started to improve after a few days or you have a serious long-term condition such as kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease or a condition that affects your immune system, call your GP or NHS 111 for advice. Your pharmacist can also give you plenty of advice about treating
gastroenteritis. Find your nearest Careway pharmacy at
www.careway.co.uk/find-a-pharmacy.
14 All About health
• Whenever you vomit or have diarrhoea, make sure your toilet and the surrounding area is cleaned properly afterwards.
Food hygiene rules
You can help prevent gastroenteritis caused by food poisoning by maintaining high standards of personal and food hygiene when storing, handling and preparing food.
1. Make sure your work surfaces and utensils are clean before cooking, and always wash your hands beforehand as well as after handling raw food, touching bins or pets or going to the toilet.
2. Keep foods at the correct temperature to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying (check the storage instructions on the label). Set your fridge temperature to 0 - 5C.
3. Cook foods thoroughly, especially meat and most types of seafood. And when reheating food, make sure it’s steaming hot all the way through.
4. Avoid bacteria from raw foods contaminating other foods. This can happen when a food touches or drips onto another food or when bacteria on your hands, work surfaces or kitchen equipment are spread to food.
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