 [ Symptoms ] what should i do if i have gastroenteritis [ Disease ] the good news is that most cases of gastroenteritis go away on their own especially if caused by a virus says jay solnick md professor of medicine and an infectious disease specialist at the university of california davis school of medicine for nausea and vomiting stick to the so called convalescence diet clear liquids says david burkhart md a staff physician at the indiana university health center in bloomington also consider oral rehydration solutions such as pedialyte they have a balance of salts and sugars  he says forget sports drinks burkhart says some have too much salt or too many carbs the big thing is avoiding dehydration with gastroenteritis  says jason dees do a family physician in new albany miss and a member of the board of director of the american academy of family physicians he advises avoiding anti diarrheals to give the body time to heal itself