Intestinal influenza or stomach flu is one of the common diseases that result from inflammation of the digestive system, and it is very common, especially among children, and highly contagious, and results from eating contaminated food. medbroadcast“.
Viruses such as norovirus cause gastroenteritis, and 3 other viruses are common causes of gastroenteritis: rotavirus, astrovirus, and adenovirus, which tend to cause illness in infants and young children.
Diagnosis of gastroenteritis
Symptoms are telltale signs of gastroenteritis in adults and older children. Your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms and how long you’ve been in. They may ask if you’ve been in the hospital recently or used antibiotics.
A stool test is done in certain circumstances when a doctor suspects something other than viral gastroenteritis, such as food poisoning.
Symptoms caused by norovirus include vomiting and diarrhea and bowel movements are usually loose and watery, but usually no mucus or blood as well as fever, abdominal cramps, muscle aches and headaches.
Both rotavirus and norovirus tend to have the first symptoms one to three days after infection. Most people recover within two or three days without any serious or long-term health effects.
Young children infected with rotavirus may have severe watery diarrhea that lasts about a week, which can lead to dehydration. Rotavirus also causes vomiting and a significant increase in temperature.
Adenovirus can produce up to two weeks of diarrhea in young children, with occasional mild vomiting and sometimes a low fever. It may take more than a week before symptoms appear.
Astrovirus causes symptoms similar to a mild rotavirus infection.
Gastroenteritis treatment and prevention methods
Frequent hand washing provides the best defense against norovirus because exposure to even a small amount of the virus is enough to make you sick.
Also, the virus can live on inanimate objects (such as bathroom sinks, toilets, door handles) and food for long periods of time – perhaps up to 12 days.
Wash your hands before and after handling food or eating utensils, and after using the toilet, changing diapers, handling trash, using the phone, shaking hands, or playing with pets.
There is no cure for gastroenteritis, but the symptoms usually go away on their own within a day or two. The important thing is to stay well hydrated as you lose fluids.
Oral rehydration solutions or soups and liquids can be used.
It’s best not to eat anything on the first day of a gastroenteritis infection, as you will likely vomit any food you eat. Only drink water or other clear liquids.
If you feel better the next day, add soft, chewy foods like bananas, soup, crackers, rice, and oatmeal.