Visit an Emergency Room Instead of Urgent Care Clinic : Diarrhea and Vomiting
Most adults can tolerate a bit of stomach upset. But sometimes, especially in children, it’s best to make an appointment with your doctor and get checked out at an emergency room. These signs mean you need to see a doctor right away: you have very bad belly pain; you feel weak; you’ve vomited blood or cannot keep fluids down; or your child has trouble breathing and is drooling. For adults, there are still situations where going to an emergency room is warranted: You have trouble breathing (even if it feels normal); your vomiting or diarrhea stops and then starts again without explanation; you have a fever that does not go away after several days.
Dehydration is a common cause of both, so if your symptoms are persistent, you should have them checked out by a doctor as soon as possible. Vomiting can also be a symptom of stomach cancer, appendicitis and ruptured abdominal muscles. If you feel like vomiting, but it’s happening frequently (every 15 minutes or less), don’t wait until it stops; instead head straight for an emergency room.
If you have an upset stomach, that’s not necessarily a reason to hit up your local ER. The vast majority of cases of nausea and vomiting are caused by either a viral or bacterial infection of your gastrointestinal tract, and many cases can be resolved with basic home remedies or over-the-counter medication. In addition, neither is life threatening. That said, if you’re vomiting uncontrollably or having explosive diarrhea that causes dehydration, you need medical attention right away. Nausea and vomiting don’t always signal an emergency, but they certainly don’t feel good! If it’s been going on for longer than 24 hours or so and still won’t go away with OTC meds, see a doctor ASAP.
