Gastroenteritis symptoms and treatment

Nowadays, people's eating habits are very messy. Many friends prefer spicy food, especially for male friends, drinking is a common thing. Such eating habits will bring certain stimulation to people's stomach and intestines, thus causing gastroenteritis. Generally, people suffer from gastroenteritis in the summer, which is related to summer eating habits.

Some patients with gastroenteritis usually have vomiting and diarrhea as the main symptoms when they get sick, so they do not pay special attention to dietary conditioning after treatment, which will only lead to the development of chronic gastroenteritis. In order to better regulate the body, here we will introduce you to the symptoms and treatment of gastroenteritis.

The type and severity of gastroenteritis symptoms depend on the type and amount of the microorganism or toxin. The most common symptom is diarrhea. Other symptoms include: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, loss of appetite, weight loss (which may be a sign of dehydration), heavy sweating, cold and clammy skin, muscle pain or joint stiffness, fecal incontinence, etc.

Severe vomiting and diarrhea can quickly lead to dehydration, the symptoms of which include weakness, extreme thirst, oliguria or darker urine, dry skin, dry mouth, sunken eyes, and infants may cry with fewer tears. Severe vomiting or diarrhea can cause hyponatremia, hypokalemia, hypotension, etc. Patients who drink large amounts of water with little or no salt to replenish their fluids are particularly susceptible to hyponatremia. Fluid and electrolyte imbalances are potentially dangerous, particularly in seriously ill, debilitated, very young, or elderly patients; severe cases may result in shock and renal failure.

The most important thing in treating gastroenteritis is to replenish water and electrolytes. Usually, patients only need to rest in bed and drink plenty of fluids (such as oral rehydration salts). Even patients who are vomiting should drink as much fluid as possible. Breastfeeding infants should continue to breastfeed. Carbonated drinks, tea, sports drinks, caffeinated drinks and juices are not suitable for rehydration. If vomiting or diarrhea persists or if dehydration is severe, intravenous rehydration may be necessary. Antiemetics may be used when vomiting is severe. If diarrhea persists for more than 24 to 48 hours and there is no evidence of a more serious bacterial infection, antidiarrheal drugs may be added. Antiemetics and antidiarrheal drugs are generally not recommended for children.

Because antibiotics may cause diarrhea or promote the growth of drug-resistant bacteria, they are usually not recommended even if the pathogen of gastroenteritis has been identified. However, antibiotics can be used for infections caused by certain pathogens (such as Campylobacter, Shigella, Vibrio cholerae, etc.) or for patients with traveler's diarrhea.

After understanding the symptoms and treatment of gastroenteritis, I hope that everyone can prevent the occurrence of gastroenteritis in daily life. When eating fruits and vegetables raw in summer, you must make sure to wash them thoroughly before eating, and develop the habit of washing your hands before meals. Although the weather is hot in summer, you can at least control the intake of too cold food.