Diet for intestinal flu in adults and the child

Vomiting, diarrhea, General feeling of weakness and fever are the main symptoms of the disease popularly called intestinal flu. Despite the fact that usually within a few days with proper diet and enough drinking of the disease by itself retreats, it should not be underestimated. Group risk is represented mainly by children and elderly people.

Symptoms of intestinal flu

Stomach flu, in professional circles known as gastroenteritis, is caused by viruses and bacteria of different origin. The disease affects the stomach and intestines. With the flu as such, the disease has nothing in common, the common can be some symptoms, such as fever or malaise, and excessive fatigue.

Let's look at these drugs more closely, and also learn how to detect the disease and begin to deal with it, because it causes the drainage of fluid from the body and loss of important minerals, i.e. the state, the consequences of which can be very serious.

Intestinal flu – incubation period

The incubation period is the time from the time of infection until symptoms appear. The stomach flu has these periods of different lengths, which always depend on the causative agent and may take from several hours to several days, usually not more than 4-5 days. The disease is usually characterized by sudden onset.

Symptoms

In the beginning the disease manifests with the following symptoms:

• nausea/vomiting,
• undue fatigability,
• absence of appetite,
• general malaise,
• diarrhea,
• pain and cramping in the abdomen,
• increased temperature/fever,
• bloating and flatulence,
• muscle and joint pain,
• heartburn.

Treatment

If a person decides to go to the doctor (which everyone should), in case if the stomach flu which persists after a week, he must pass the examination necessary to determine the causative agent of this disease. Based on the collected data determines the medications to alleviate symptoms and help to normalize the balance in the gastrointestinal tract.

During viral infection food with intestinal flu involves adherence to a more or less strict diets in the case of bacterial disease in adults sometimes an antibiotic is prescribed.

The importance of diet

In case of intestinal flu diet is a key element in the treatment. If it is to comply and use only what you can (on valid products it is better to consult a doctor or nutritionist), it is possible very quickly to achieve the desired results in terms of recovery. Irritated digestive tract, usually after intestinal flu are very sensitive, so, for weeks after the disease is not recommended to eat any fatty, fried and other irritating products. Diet for intestinal flu has some General principles:

1. Day 1: do not eat at all.
2. Day 2-3: we recommend that dry food in the form of bread, crackers or cookies, rice.
3. Day 4-5: you can include in your diet some fruits.
4. Day 5 and beyond: gradually and gently, can return to normal food (except for fatty, salty and fried foods).

Diet must include drinking mode, which should be carefully followed. Stomach flu excretes large amounts of water; thus, very often it happens that people due to the disease suffering from dehydration. The best drink is unsweetened black or herbal tea, which need to drink regularly throughout the day in small SIPS. You can also drink mineral water, but in still form.

The basic rules of diet during diarrhea

1. The body should be enough to moisturize – if you have diarrhea it's better to give preference to black tea and pure water. Inappropriate black coffee and alcohol, carbonated and sugary drinks.
2. Eat small meals regularly – ideally every two to three hours.
3. Avoid fatty, sweet, fried and spicy food.
4. Avoid foods that promote flatulence vegetables and legumes.
5. Be careful with fresh bread, instead give preference to crackers.
6. Relax – do not have to be bedridden all day, but be kind to yourself and rest enough.

Stomach flu especially dangerous for children

Children's bodies are afflicted with intestinal flu, is in great danger and need to respond todisease faster than adults. Due to the fact that in young children, dehydration is much faster, it is necessary to ensure sufficient fluid intake. The risk of dehydration in such cases is very high. If the intestinal flu affected baby, he needs to be hospitalized in order to receive nutrition intravenously.

The best defense is prevention

Whoever has ever suffered the stomach flu, he knows it as a very unpleasant disease that completely disables person from normal functioning. And therefore, it is absolutely the best protection is prevention, which consists in the observance of basic hygiene measures (frequent hand washing, washing raw vegetables and fruits, etc.), as well as to avoid eating spoiled food or those that has not been properly heat treated. It is also reasonable strengthening of the immune system in a natural way (herbal supplements, etc.).

Stomach flu is an illness, which, of course, best to avoid that requires patience and the willingness to follow a diet, which is often the only effective means to restore the function of the gastrointestinal tract and getting rid of the inflammation developing in the stomach and intestines. From the point of view of prevention recommendations are based on the following a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a diverse and balanced diet.

In conclusion, let's look at a brief list of available foods that can be classified as medicinal and that is definitely worth to include in the diet because it has a beneficial impact on digestive system: cauliflower, papaya, zucchini, barley, olives.