What is Gastroenteritis? What are the Symptoms and Treatment?

Acute gastroenteritis is a short-term illness triggered by infection or inflammation of the digestive tract. Symptoms such as abdominal cramps, diarrhea or vomiting, which are very common, often accompany the illness. In general, gastroenteritis, which can be of viral or bacterial origin, can also occur due to parasites or chemicals. The most effective and easy way to avoid the disease is to pay attention to individual hygiene. Since gastroenteritis is a contagious disease, sharing of personal belongings should be avoided during the treatment in order not to infect other family members. In some cases, the symptoms of the disease can be severe. In order to learn what can be done in such cases, it is necessary to know the disease well.

What is Gastroenteritis?

“What does gastroenteritis mean?” The answer to the question is frequently asked by people who have intestinal problems. Simply put, gastroenteritis is a very common disease that causes diarrhea and vomiting. Studies have proven that the disease can generally occur as bacterial or viral. The disease affects people of all ages. However, it is more common in younger children. Most cases in children are caused by a virus called rotavirus. Adult cases are mostly caused by a virus called norovirus or bacterial food poisoning. Gastroenteritis in adults or children usually resolves spontaneously within a week. However, this process is quite disturbing in both groups. It is recommended that patients rest until they feel better. If it is a child who is sick, it is useful to keep it under surveillance. Gastroenteritis is a contagious disease. For this reason, it may be beneficial to avoid going to the hospital during the period when the disease can heal on its own and if the patient's condition is not very severe. (If possible, getting advice over the phone or remotely may be more beneficial for the health of both the patient and other individuals.)

What are the Causes of Gastroenteritis?

There are many factors that can cause gastroenteritis. Some of them can be listed as follows:

• Viruses,
• Bacteria,
• Parasites,
• Bacterial toxins,
• with chemicals r,
• Drug treatments.

Norovirus, calicivirus, rotavirus, astrovirus, cytomegolovirus and adenovirus are viruses that cause gastroenteritis. Campylobacter, E.Coli, Salmonella and Shigella bacteria are the main bacterial species that cause the disease. Parasites that cause the disease can also be listed as Entamoeba Histolytica, Giardia Lamblia and Cryptosporidium. It may also occur in people who are sensitive to certain antibiotics. The disease can also occur due to some chemical reasons such as lead poisoning. Bacterial gastroenteritis outbreaks are likely to occur when places that serve many people, such as restaurants, serve contaminated food to their customers. Bacterial gastroenteritis can easily be transmitted from person to person, even through hand contact. An individual infected with the bacterium can easily transmit the disease by touching food, objects, or other people. An infected individual can easily infect themselves when they touch their eyes, mouth, nose, or other parts of the body with their hands. People who travel a lot or use public areas too much are at higher risk.

What are Gastroenteritis Symptoms?

Gastroenteritis symptoms show similar characteristics in individuals of all ages. However, it is not always possible for all symptoms to appear in every patient. Due to the disease, some symptoms may appear in combination. The main symptoms of the disease can be listed as follows.

• Loss of appetite,
• Feeling of bloating or flatulence,
• Nausea and accompanying vomiting,
• Abdominal cramps,
• Abdominal pain accompanied by abdominal cramps,
• Diarrhea,
• In some cases, bloody diarrhea (blood during defecation),
• Although rare, pus in the stool,
• Weakness and lethargy,
• Body pains,
• General feeling of discomfort

Apart from these common symptoms, it is not expected to have symptoms. If different symptoms are seen, it is recommended that the person be examined by a specialist physician.

How Long Does Gastroenteritis Last?

Gastroenteritis is a disease that can usually heal spontaneously. Symptoms of the disease in an infected person appear after 12 or 48 hours. �profit. If the symptoms are not very serious, the disease will heal on its own after 1 week or 10 days. Non-spontaneous recovery or exacerbation of symptoms may also indicate different diseases. In such cases, it is necessary to apply to the hospital and be examined.

How to Diagnose Gastroenteritis?

In order to diagnose the disease, the doctor primarily evaluates the patient's symptoms. Because gastroenteritis is a disease with characteristic symptoms. The diagnosis can be made easily by evaluating the symptoms with a physical examination. In addition, the doctor is also questioned whether the people around the patient have the same symptoms. The main reason for this is that the disease is contagious. The disease may have arisen from any source, and this is an inspiring situation for the doctor. After diagnosis, stool tests are performed to determine the cause of the disease. The purpose of the stool test is to determine whether the microorganism causing the disease is a bacterium or a virus. This determination ensures that the treatment of the disease can be done correctly. Otherwise, the treatment may be prolonged and the wrong drugs may be prescribed. This can lead to worsening of symptoms. Again, the diagnostic method in infants is the same. Diagnosis is made by performing a stool test. However, treatment methods may vary according to adults.

What are Gastroenteritis Treatment Methods?

Gastroenteritis and acute gastroenteritis treatment show parallelism. Since acute gastroenteritis has not progressed further, only diarrhea is treated. This is mostly based on diet regulation and heavy fluid intake. There is no specific treatment method for gastroenteritis caused by viral causes. Since antibiotics are not effective against viruses, they cannot be used in the treatment of gastroenteritis caused by viral routes. Otherwise, bacteria resistant to antibiotics may emerge. The most effective treatment stands out as individual treatment methods. It is very important to prevent dehydration as a lot of fluid loss occurs during the illness. Fluids consumed throughout the illness are excreted through defecation due to vomiting or diarrhea. However, this disease worsens and it makes the liner feel worse. To avoid this, it is necessary to consume plenty of fluids in small sips. It is also necessary to benefit from mineral waters for adequate mineral intake. In case of increased nausea, antiemetic should be used and then fluid intake should be continued. The most important way of treating gastroenteritis in infants is to continue breastfeeding and, if additional food has been introduced, to continue fluid consumption in the same way. Otherwise, the symptoms may worsen in babies whose bodies are more vulnerable and open to attacks. It is necessary to consume soft and easily digestible foods such as toast, crackers, rice, boiled potatoes and chicken. It is very important to avoid dairy products, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, fatty and spicy foods. Plenty of rest is recommended as the body will become sluggish due to dehydration. The use of drugs should be avoided without the advice of a doctor. Because drugs can touch the stomach and aggravate symptoms. Soft and easy-to-digest foods such as bananas, potatoes, rice and toast can be used for treatment in children. It is dangerous to give anti-diarrhea medications to children unless the doctor recommends it. Therefore, over-the-counter drugs should be avoided. In infants, it is necessary to breastfeed again after half an hour of vomiting and diarrhea. Re-vomiting may occur if breast-feeding immediately after vomiting. Oral rehydration solution can be given to infants and children under the supervision of a doctor. Unless the physician recommends it, all external drugs should be avoided.
If you are showing signs of gastroenteritis, you can try home treatment methods first. If recovery cannot be achieved with this method, or if the disease becomes severe and the symptoms become unbearable, it is recommended to be examined by a specialist without wasting time.

_{Read: 40}