Gastroenteritis: symptoms and treatment, signs, causes
By gastroenteritis means inflammatory processes on the mucous membranes of the small intestine and stomach caused by infections, parasites or bacteria that can be transmitted by water, domestic, oral, food, fecal. Otherwise, the disease is called gastric flu.
Inflammation can spread to the oropharynx and also affect the large intestine. In the latter case, the disease is called gastroenterocolitis.
In regions where there is an unfavorable social situation, gastroenteritis is the second most common. Thanks to the achievements of medicine, the death rate from this disease has been reduced, but it continues to be significant.
A healthy middle-aged person can tolerate the disease well and associated with dehydration. Gastroenteritis is a great danger for elderly patients and people with severe comorbidities, and children and adolescents are at high risk.
According to the world statistics, in the year about 5 million minors die from this disease.
Depending on the origin of the disease, there are three types:
There are cases when the disease was the result of the use of drugs or toxic substances. Children's gastroenteritis may be a reaction to a new product in the diet. In infants, the source of infection is often the mother, who dramatically changed the diet.
If the development of gastroenteritis in adults was due to the presence of bacterial diseases such as salmonellosis, dysentery and the like, the patient's stool can have an admixture of mucus, blood and frequency of more than 30 times a day.
Characteristic signs of gastroenteritis in adults are:
Symptoms of the disease should be expected after the end of the incubation period, the duration of which varies from 1 to 5 days.
In acute gastroenteritis, which is characterized by high fever, loss of consciousness, signs of severe dehydration( eg, dry mouth, lethargy, rare urination, eyelid gland overgrowth), you should immediately seek professional help.
In case of viral gastroenteritis, the modern medicine can not directly affect the cause of the disease, therefore, therapy in adults is symptomatic.
Only specific parasitic and individual bacterial infections are prescribed for specific antibacterial drugs.
At the initial stage of gastroenteritis the following measures are used to help the patient:
For the same purpose, a special saline solution is prepared at home( 1 liter of boiling water over a tablespoon of table salt and sugar) or use ready-made powders for preparing rehydration solutions( oralite, regidron).All fluids must be taken often, but in small doses( 50 ml.), This is a measure to prevent vomiting.
For the treatment of severe dehydration, the administration of special solutions intravenously is prescribed. Infusion therapy is also used for severe intoxication, which can characterize gastroenteritis.
To prevent vitamin deficiency in the course of treatment include vitamin therapy. Patients of hospitals are assigned vitamins of group B intramuscularly, and for outpatient treatment it is recommended to take multivitamin complexes.
Assignment of astringent and enveloping agents( tanalbine, de-nol, bismuth nitrate) is aimed at restoring the mucous membranes of the intestine and stomach. You can use preparations from vegetable raw materials( serpentine, St. John's wort, tansy).
In the treatment of gastroenteritis in adults, physiotherapy measures, including paraffin applications, warming compresses, inductothermy, ozocerite, are highly effective. To restore the microflora of the intestine, use eubiotics( linex, bifidumbacterin, acipol).In addition, diet № 4 is prescribed, which presupposes the use of a strictly defined volume of digestible fats with animal proteins, fractional and frequent intake of warm food.
The main preventive measures to prevent the development of gastroenteritis include following the rules of personal hygiene, careful selection of products and their proper preparation, adherence to diet.
When you include new, especially exotic, dishes in your diet should be as cautious as possible. This applies to unfamiliar drugs, which must be used in strict accordance with the doctor's dosage.
For prevention it is recommended to organize rest in sanatorium-resort organizations, which specialize in various pathologies of digestive organs.
Inflammation can spread to the oropharynx and also affect the large intestine. In the latter case, the disease is called gastroenterocolitis.
In regions where there is an unfavorable social situation, gastroenteritis is the second most common. Thanks to the achievements of medicine, the death rate from this disease has been reduced, but it continues to be significant.
A healthy middle-aged person can tolerate the disease well and associated with dehydration. Gastroenteritis is a great danger for elderly patients and people with severe comorbidities, and children and adolescents are at high risk.
According to the world statistics, in the year about 5 million minors die from this disease.
Causes of gastroenteritis
Depending on the origin of the disease, there are three types:
- viral;
- bacterial;
- medicinal.
There are cases when the disease was the result of the use of drugs or toxic substances. Children's gastroenteritis may be a reaction to a new product in the diet. In infants, the source of infection is often the mother, who dramatically changed the diet.
Symptoms of gastroenteritis
If the development of gastroenteritis in adults was due to the presence of bacterial diseases such as salmonellosis, dysentery and the like, the patient's stool can have an admixture of mucus, blood and frequency of more than 30 times a day.
Characteristic signs of gastroenteritis in adults are:
- spasmodic pain syndrome in the abdomen;
- intense nausea, vomiting;
- bloating, accompanied by rumbling with minimal gassing;
- diarrhea;
- headache;
- lack of appetite;
- severity in the stomach;
- weakness;
- elevated body temperature.
Symptoms of the disease should be expected after the end of the incubation period, the duration of which varies from 1 to 5 days.
In acute gastroenteritis, which is characterized by high fever, loss of consciousness, signs of severe dehydration( eg, dry mouth, lethargy, rare urination, eyelid gland overgrowth), you should immediately seek professional help.
Treatment of gastroenteritis
In case of viral gastroenteritis, the modern medicine can not directly affect the cause of the disease, therefore, therapy in adults is symptomatic.
Only specific parasitic and individual bacterial infections are prescribed for specific antibacterial drugs.
Antibiotics for this disease are not used, taking other medicines begins only after the diagnosis in strict accordance with the prescriptions of the doctor and under his supervision.
At the initial stage of gastroenteritis the following measures are used to help the patient:
- abundant drink;
- complete abstinence from food 1-2 days or partial( digestible diet at the end of an acute period of the disease);
- bed rest.
For the same purpose, a special saline solution is prepared at home( 1 liter of boiling water over a tablespoon of table salt and sugar) or use ready-made powders for preparing rehydration solutions( oralite, regidron).All fluids must be taken often, but in small doses( 50 ml.), This is a measure to prevent vomiting.
For the treatment of severe dehydration, the administration of special solutions intravenously is prescribed. Infusion therapy is also used for severe intoxication, which can characterize gastroenteritis.
To prevent vitamin deficiency in the course of treatment include vitamin therapy. Patients of hospitals are assigned vitamins of group B intramuscularly, and for outpatient treatment it is recommended to take multivitamin complexes.
Assignment of astringent and enveloping agents( tanalbine, de-nol, bismuth nitrate) is aimed at restoring the mucous membranes of the intestine and stomach. You can use preparations from vegetable raw materials( serpentine, St. John's wort, tansy).
In the treatment of gastroenteritis in adults, physiotherapy measures, including paraffin applications, warming compresses, inductothermy, ozocerite, are highly effective. To restore the microflora of the intestine, use eubiotics( linex, bifidumbacterin, acipol).In addition, diet № 4 is prescribed, which presupposes the use of a strictly defined volume of digestible fats with animal proteins, fractional and frequent intake of warm food.
Prevention
The main preventive measures to prevent the development of gastroenteritis include following the rules of personal hygiene, careful selection of products and their proper preparation, adherence to diet.
When you include new, especially exotic, dishes in your diet should be as cautious as possible. This applies to unfamiliar drugs, which must be used in strict accordance with the doctor's dosage.
For prevention it is recommended to organize rest in sanatorium-resort organizations, which specialize in various pathologies of digestive organs.