Symptoms of gastroenteritis, its treatment and prevention
Gastroenteritis is an inflammation that occurs inmucous membranes of the stomach and intestines. Infectious gastroenteritis is one of the variants of this disease, in which the inflammatory process develops due to the attachment of some infection. Mostly this disease is contagious, but sometimes it appears for other reasons.
- violation of diet;
- poisoning with expired or substandard products;
- getting into the body of viruses, bacteria;
- Overeating, insufficient intake of liquid;
- long-term antibiotic treatment, disrupting the balance of intestinal microflora.
Rotaviruses, calceviruses, astroviruses andAdenovirus is the most frequent cause of gastroenteritis. Less common is bacterial gastroenteritis. Intestinal parasites can also enter the intestinal mucosa, which are transmitted from one person to another or through dirty water.
The main symptoms of gastroenteritis
Pathology manifests itself quickly and dramatically. With timely access to medical care, the disease lasts for a short time and proceeds in a mild form. If treatment is not done or is not properly prescribed, then it can go into a more complex form.
- sharp and severe pain in abdominal cramping;
- rapid development of the disease;
- a decrease in appetite;
- nausea and vomiting that cause dehydration;
- severe dizziness, loss of consciousness, sometimes there are convulsions (these are the most dangerous symptoms of gastroenteritis);
- increased frequency and loss of pulse;
- pallor of the skin;
- bloating, gas in the stomach, frequent heartburn;
- diarrhea; a mucus-like liquid stool, sometimes with bloody discharge;
- with infectious gastroenteritis the temperature rises.
If you have any symptomsgastroenteritis, you should immediately call your doctor. With dizziness and fainting, it is necessary to call a doctor at home, as these signs are a serious threat to human health.
How gastroenteritis is treated
Treatment of this disease involvescomplex of measures. Therapy depends on the cause that caused inflammation and the stage of the disease. At home, you can use folk remedies. When severe symptoms of gastroenteritis (high fever, nausea, frequent loose stools) have already been removed, the patient can help her digestive system recover with a specific diet and eating herbal decoctions. An excellent means for fighting the disease will be tincture of mint, compote from fresh cranberries and a decoction of St. John's wort. A healthy dish for the digestive system during treatment will be a thick oatmeal on the water.
How to protect yourself from gastroenteritis
It is very difficult to prevent it, since virusesquite easily transferred from one person to another. However, it is worthwhile to observe some preventive measures during interaction with people. Hand washing and disinfection of premises are necessary in places of congestion of people, for example, in kindergartens. If signs of gastroenteritis are present, the child should be removed from the institution. When eating at meals, you should take a more careful look at the choice of food.
