How to treat intestinal flu

Inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, manifested by vomiting and diarrhea, and is known as gastroenteritis. The disease is more commonly known as intestinal flu, but this is not the right designation. With ordinary flu the disease is not common, it does not cause the same pathogens, it has other symptoms. And, unlike seasonal flu that affects the respiratory tract, causative agents of gastrointestinal diseases act in the digestive tract. Acute gastroenteritis refers to infectious diseases.

The frequency of intestinal flu

Infectious diarrhea is a worldwide disease. In the developing world from this disease die each year from 5 to 10 million people, half of them children under the age of 5, mainly represented illnesses cholera and E. coli. In our country reported every year, about 100,000 cases of infectious diarrhea, however, assume that the real figures are much higher, because most people don't come to the doctor until prolonged severe diarrhea.

Symptoms

In addition to diarrhea, vomiting and upset stomach the disease is also accompanied by spastic abdominal pain, urging to have a bowel movement, fever, General weakness and fatigue. Due to the diarrhea comes to changes in intestinal motility, resulting in more frequent emptying (large amount of stool with a higher water content). The high activity of the intestine is often accompanied by spasms in abdomen. If there is inflammation in the stomach, nausea or vomiting. Fever or fever occurs, especially when bacterial causative agent of the disease. During vomiting and diarrhea the body loses large amounts of fluids that leads to dehydration, which is especially dangerous and threatens the lives of children and the elderly. It was therefore necessary to drink plenty of fluids. There are also special rehydration preparations (solutions). This means it is always desirable to have in the home medicine Cabinet.

Reasons

The causative agents of intestinal flu are bacteria, viruses and parasites, each of which has characteristic symptoms. If diarrhea occurs after ingestion of spoiled food, she called alimentary intoxication or enterotoxicity. The signs are caused by a bacterial toxin, which is generated and extends in the food.

Bacterial infection

Bacteria in the digestive tract of humans come together with food, water or transmission occurs via contaminated hands. Intestinal bacteria multiply, causing inflammation of the mucous membrane, whereby it comes to diarrhoea containing blood and mucus. Associated symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and tenesmus. Bacterial gastroenteritis develops more slowly than viral, usually accompanied by fever in a few hours symptoms occur in the gastrointestinal tract.

The incubation period from infection to disease manifestations is of the order of several days (3-7 days). In the case of bacterial poisoning bacteria spread already in the product, producing a toxin that appears very quickly (within hours) after a meal. The symptoms are also retreating fast and high temperature, as a rule, absent.

Diagnostics

An infectious disease is diagnosed based on the clinical picture. The doctor asks about whether or not eaten, whether the person some risky product, and not whether suffering from diarrhea also someone from the environment of the patient. In order to identify the source of bacterial diarrhea, is used coproculture obtained by smears from the rectum. In the case of viral or parasitic diseases is necessary to analyze the feces.

Dehydration and other complications

The most frequent complications of diseases associated with diarrhea are dehydration and disorders of mineral balance. To dehydration may come very quickly, and this complication is able to reach life-threatening degrees. With diarrhea the body loses water and minerals in large amounts, additional losses contribute to the vomiting and sweating. Dehydration can affect kidney function, so that they become unable to excrete nitrogenous waste. They then accumulate inthe body, which can lead to the so-called uremic syndrome, in which the patient, in addition to diarrhea and vomiting there is itching, bleeding, shortness of breath, convulsions or disturbance of consciousness, with the exception of.

Mineral imbalance means a state in which in the internal environment of the body there is an excess or deficiency of certain minerals. Low potassium levels can cause cardiac rhythm disturbances, the restriction or stopping of intestinal peristalsis (paralytic ileus), muscle weakness or impaired ability of the kidneys to concentrate urine. Excess sodium is manifested by lethargy, thirst, headaches or even hallucinations. Magnesium deficiency is manifested in muscular spasms.

Treatment

Therapy of infectious intestinal flu in most cases is symptomatic, i.e. treating symptoms. If taken medications from the group of antibiotics, we are talking about a causal treatment aimed at cure as quickly, directly, the cause of the disease. The basic principle therapy of the disease, accompanied by diarrhea, is a timely and adequate hydration (you must drink more fluids or to introduce rehydration solutions), the restoration of mineral imbalance and a subsequent rapid resumption of food intake.

Rehydration (restoration of fluid loss) can be carried out orally (fluids or special medication) or intravenously (injection rehydration solution-invasive manner). Oral rehydration is used in case of mild and moderate fluid loss, if there is no vomiting. Best transferred chilled sweetened beverages (non-carbonated drinks without flavor), which should be drunk in small quantities and at regular intervals of time. In the case of the disease in children will approach lightly sweetened tea or a special solution that corresponds to the age of the child, for the reception inside (it can be purchased in a drugstore and have a house). Slightly sweet mineral beverages promote the absorption of minerals and water in the intestine.

Conversely, drinks that are high in sugar, such as Coca-Cola, in this case, the as they, paradoxically, promote secretion of water into the intestines and increase diarrhea.

What to do if diarrhoea and vomiting are significant, and as a result of these manifestations, an adult person loses at least 3 liters of fluid a day? In such cases, intravenous rehydration solution directly into the vein. It is also used in the case that a great loss of fluid associated with weight loss, there is uncontrollable vomiting, and severe mineral imbalance (then maybe you need to add minerals to the solution). This method of treatment requires hospitalization.

Viral intestinal flu

Viral disease is more common than bacterial. Pathogens are noroviruses, rotaviruses, adenoviruses, caliciviruses, astroviruses, toroviruses and coronaviruses. In developing countries, it is mainly about the disease of young children, while in developed countries the disease most often affects older children and adults. In our country, infections occur throughout the year, with a peak incidence in the winter months. The risk of infection increases during epidemics of normal influenza. Usually viruses have a high resistance, making them resistant to aggressive bile and digestive enzymes, and allows the spread through indirect contact and contaminated water and food. The virus is transmitted by contaminated drinking water and raw foods (salads, desserts, seafood, strawberries, raspberries), via contaminated hands.

The disease begins with a sudden pain in abdomen, vomiting and watery stools (less frequent than bacterial infections, without any admixture of blood or mucus). The infection and subsequently disease can occur under the picture of one symptom. Viral gastroenteritis is characterized by more short course than bacterial usually abates within 48 hours, no such pronounced symptoms. However, vomiting is present more often, which is because viruses attack primarily the small intestine at a time, as bacteria multiply in the colon.

Treatment

Best cure for flu viral origin, in most cases presented sufficient rehydration (oral). Antidiarrheal medications are not effective. Hospitalization with viral disease necessary very rarely. The disease is not typical of serious complications or consequences.

Appropriate and inappropriate medications for the treatment of intestinal flu
Adsorbents, i.e. drugs, such as activated charcoal or Smectite, are used, especially in the upper gastrointestinal tract, since passage through the digestive tract exhausted of their adsorption capacity. They are effective in enterotoxicity or after consumption of tainted food. Smectite, in addition to its adsorption capacity, creates a surface of mucous membranes, preventing bacterial attachment. Common side effect when taking these drugs is bloating.

Intestinalantiseptics act only against non-invasive pathogens that produce toxins. From the gastrointestinal tract are practically not absorbed.

Drugs to slow intestinal motility in infectious diseases is not recommended, as they contribute to the spread of pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract and increase the risk that the bacteria will penetrate deep tissues and in large quantities are transported in the blood. They can lead to stoppage of intestinal peristalsis and the development of paralytic ileus. For children this group of drugs is absolutely forbidden! The most famous is a drug like Imodium.

Probiotics are medicines that restore the natural gut flora. Most of them contain Lactobacillus. As a full-fledged alternative probiotics can also buy foods that contain live cultures of lacto-and bifidobacteria, ie, yogurts, and yogurt desserts. Particularly suitable are they after prolonged use of antibiotics or during long digestion problems.