Noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause intestinal flu, also known as gastroenteritis. This disease is generally characterized by nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea. These main symptoms can sometimes be accompanied by additional symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain and fatigue. Sudden onset of symptoms can be felt 24 to 48 hours after being infected with the virus. People who have been exposed to the intestinal flu virus should take special precautions to avoid getting sick, but there is no way to safely prevent the onset of the disease.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Boosting Your Immune System
Step 1. Increase your vitamin C intake
Since viruses are able to enter the body when the immune system is weak, you should follow a path that strengthens your immune system so that your body is not vulnerable. An easy way to achieve this is to increase the intake of vitamin C.
- Vitamin C is available in various forms: tablets, capsules, effervescent granules and syrup. You should get 500 mg of vitamin C daily to boost your immune system and protect your body.
- Vitamin C is also present in other foods and drinks, such as cantaloupe, orange juice, broccoli, red cabbage, green peppers, red peppers, kiwifruit, and tomato juice.
Step 2. Eat probiotic yogurt
Studies have shown that eating probiotic yogurt can help prevent the intestinal flu from returning. You can help keep your stomach healthy by eating a cup of yogurt a day.
- Yogurt contains good bacteria known as probiotics. These beneficial bacteria fight bad bacteria in the stomach. Yogurt also helps repopulate the stomach with good bacteria.
- Yogurt is made by adding bacteria cultures to milk. In doing so, the milk sugars are transformed into lactic acid.
Step 3. Stay hydrated
Another way to strengthen the immune system is to drink a good amount of water.
- It is recommended to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, as water helps to purify and hydrate the body, helping the immune system.
- These 8 glasses of water must not include any other liquids, such as coffee, soda, alcohol, or tea.
Step 4. Eat more mushrooms
Mushrooms also help the immune system by increasing the number of white blood cells circulating in the body. These are blood cells that fight disease-causing microbes.
- There are various types of mushrooms that can be considered for this purpose. Shitake, maitake and reishi mushrooms are the best known types that have a beneficial effect on the immune system.
- Eating a minimum of 7 to 30 grams of mushrooms per day can help boost your immune system. You can prepare the mushrooms by adding them to the pasta sauce, or by tossing them in a pan with a drizzle of oil.
Step 5. Eat foods rich in carotenoids
Carotenoids (vitamin A precursor compounds) increase the activity of cells of the immune system and improve communication between cells, thus helping to identify external bodies. They also induce apoptosis (also known as cell suicide) in these foreign bodies.
- Foods rich in carotenoids are carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkins, melons, apricots, spinach and broccoli.
- The recommended daily allowance of vitamin A should be: 0.9 milligrams per day for men, 0.7 milligrams for women.
Step 6. Eat more garlic
Garlic has the ability to boost the immune system by stimulating the activity of white blood cells called macrophages, which engulf foreign bodies, such as viruses that cause intestinal flu. To have appreciable effects on the immune system, eat a clove of garlic every 4 hours.
Step 7. Drink aloe vera juice
Aloe vera contains some compounds that improve the activity of the immune system.
- The lectin contained in aloe vera stimulates the production of macrophages, the cells that eliminate external bodies by incorporating them. This can help eradicate the gut virus from the body.
- You can find aloe vera in the form of juice to drink. The recommended dose is 50ml per day.
Step 8. Drink black tea
Studies have shown that even drinking 3 to 5 cups of black tea a day for a period of 2 weeks can help the body fight any viruses in it.
- L-theanine is a component of black and green tea that boosts the immune system.
- To make the tea more effective, move the bags up and down during the infusion.
Step 9. Drink apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar changes the pH in the intestinal tract, making it an alkaline environment. This is effective because intestinal viruses do not grow in an alkaline environment, but prefer an acidic environment in which to live.
Drink two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar mixed with a glass of water every day
Part 2 of 4: Taking Care of Hygiene
Step 1. Understand the importance of good hygiene in preventing infections
Hygiene is of paramount importance when it comes to being healthy. This information not only applies to intestinal flu, but also applies to other diseases. Hygiene is the body's best defense against disease.
The most important precaution to avoid diseases and infections is to wash your hands, since these are the part of the body that can most easily come into contact with surfaces on which a norovirus is present
Step 2. Learn the correct technique for washing your hands
Washing your hands with the right technique is essential to kill any microbes that may be present. To wash your hands in the best way, you should use the following technique:
- Wet your hands first and apply antibacterial soap. Rub your palms together. Continue rubbing your palms, then rub the backs of both hands. Then rub it between your fingers and then pass over the fingers themselves. Finally, clean your wrists.
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. If you can't estimate the amount of time you rub your hands, sing "Happy Birthday to You" twice. Then rinse your hands, starting at your fingertips and working your way down to your wrists. Dry your hands with a clean towel.
Step 3. Recognize when it is important to wash your hands
You should wash your hands:
- Before and after cooking food, before eating, before and after caring for a sick person, before and after touching any type of wound, after touching dirty surfaces or objects, after sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose and after touching animals.
- If you can't wash your hands, a great alternative is to use a hand sanitizer. Pour a generous amount of hand sanitizer on your hands and rub them together to evenly distribute the gel over the entire surface of your hands.
Step 4. Thoroughly clean your home
Many parts of your home, in addition to the cleaning items you use on a daily basis, often contain invisible microorganisms, which could cause you to have gut flu. To clean the house well, you should do the following:
- Dishcloths and sponges. Use disposable tea towels or kitchen paper as much as possible. Reusable cloths and sponges should be disinfected in a solution containing bleach after use. Soak the cloths and sponges in a bucket full of bleach solution for at least 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
- Moci and buckets. These are considered to be two of the dirtiest items that are used in the house, as they are always in contact with the floor. Use two buckets when mopping floors. One for the detergent and one for the rinse. To disinfect a mop: Remove the mop head, if it is removable. Add ¼ cup of antibacterial liquid to a bucket of water and mix well. Soak the mop head in the solution for at least 5 minutes. Rinse well, then let it dry.
- Floors. Floors are the dirtiest part of the house, as people walk on them every day. Use a mop soaked in an antibacterial solution (¼ cup of antibacterial liquid mixed with a bucket of water) to clean the floor. Make sure the floor is dry, as microorganisms grow in humid environments.
- Sinks and washbasins. Always flush the water in the bathroom after each use, and use disinfectant liquids (¼ cup of antibacterial liquid mixed with a bucket of water) to clean both sinks and toilets, at least once every two days.
Part 3 of 4: Preventing the Gut Flu
Step 1. Avoid drinking infected water
It is essential to verify that the water source is clean and not contaminated with harmful microorganisms. Contaminated water is one of the methods of transmission of the intestinal virus.
- There are various ways of disinfecting water, of which the simplest is boiling. The water should be brought to a boil for at least 15 minutes before removing it from the heat source. This way you will be sure that you have eliminated any microorganisms present in the water.
- Alternatively, if you are in a place where you are unsure of water safety, you can limit yourself to drinking bottled water. In any case, to confirm the safety of the water, you will need to check that the seal of each bottle does not show signs of tampering.
Step 2. Use chemical disinfectants
Substances such as chlorine and iodine are dissolved in water to kill microorganisms. These chemical disinfectants perform their action by breaking the chemical bonds of the molecules of viruses and bacteria.
- In this way the whole molecule disintegrates or changes shape, and this causes the death of the entire microorganism. To disinfect the water, you will need to do the following:
- Add 2 drops of chlorine to 1 liter of water. Mix the solution well for at least 2 minutes. Wait 30 minutes before using it.
- However, this method does not guarantee 100% effectiveness, so you should still filter or boil the water.
Step 3. Decontaminate the water with a portable filter device
These devices have a pore size of less than 0.5 microns, in order to filter out viruses and bacteria. They work by trapping microorganisms in the filter, so that the water passing through them is safe to drink.
- Portable filtration devices should be used in conjunction with the boiling method or chemical disinfectants. To use these devices, follow these instructions:
- Place the water filter on the tap. Most water filters are built following universal measurements, so they can fit almost any tap. Press hard to make sure it is well sealed. Turn on the tap and let it run for at least 5 minutes to remove all the charcoal dust.
- Portable filters should be changed every month to ensure optimal water filtration. Microorganisms accumulate in the filter material as time passes, so you have to change the filters once a month.
Step 4. Avoid eating street food
You will never know how these foods are prepared, or if they are safe enough to eat. They may contain harmful microorganisms, such as those that cause intestinal flu, especially if they are prepared with dirty hands and contaminated ingredients.
Step 5. Make sure you treat your waste properly
Spoiled food must be disposed of properly and garbage buckets must always be kept closed to avoid attracting parasites such as mice and cockroaches. Garbage is also a place where microorganisms develop.
Step 6. Increase your self-awareness
Stay up to date on the latest news. A good knowledge of current events will help you make the right decisions about traveling or engaging in recreational activities in other places or countries.
For example, if there is an outbreak of stomach flu or gastroenteritis in a certain place and you are planning to go there, it would be better to cancel the plans and protect your safety
Part 4 of 4: Understanding the Gut Flu
Step 1. Learn what causes gastroenteritis
Most cases of gastroenteritis are linked to infection by pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. Bacterial or viral infections cause diarrhea and other symptoms by causing inflammation of the intestinal tissue.
- These organisms tend to increase the amount of fluid in the intestine and colon by changing the normal ability of the gastrointestinal tract to absorb water, as well as increasing the motility of the food ingested, thus causing diarrhea.
- They can also damage intestinal cells, directly or indirectly, through the toxins they secrete.
Step 2. Learn which viruses cause gastroenteritis
Many species of viruses can cause intestinal flu, but the most common types are the following:
- Norovirus. This is the virus that most commonly infects school-age children. It can cause epidemics in hospitals and cruise ships.
- Rotavirus. This is the most common cause of violent gastroenteritis in children, but it can also infect adults who have contact with infected children. It can also infect those living in retirement homes.
- Astrovirus. This virus causes gastroenteritis and especially diarrhea in children under 5, and has also been found in adults.
- Enteric adenoviruses. These viruses cause gastroenteritis, as well as respiratory infections.
Step 3. Recognize the symptoms of stomach flu
The signs and symptoms associated with gastroenteritis usually appear 4 to 48 hours after exposure to infectious agents or after contact with contaminated water or food. Symptoms can include:
- Pain in the abdomen.
- Chills, excessive sweating and clammy skin.
- Diarrhea.
- Fever.
- Joint stiffness or muscle pain.
- Nausea and vomit.
- Poor hunger or loss of appetite.
- Weight loss.
Step 4. Understand the risk factors for stomach flu
The prevalence of gastroenteritis is high globally, as it is impossible to avoid exposure to each of the causes of the disease throughout life. Despite this, some people are more vulnerable to the intestinal flu, for example:
- Immunosuppressed individuals. Infants, children, adults and the elderly who may have an underdeveloped or weakened immune system can fall into this category, thus having a greater risk of acquiring the disease. They also have a tendency to become dehydrated more easily than individuals with strong, healthy immune systems.
- People on antibiotic therapy. These medicines can reduce the functionality of normal gastrointestinal bacteria, making it easier for certain bacteria and viruses, such as Clostridium Difficile, to invade, which can cause disease.
- Individuals with poor hygiene. Proper body care, such as adopting the right hand washing techniques, can help prevent certain diseases, including gastroenteritis.
- Individuals exposed to contaminated food and drink. Eating undercooked or unwashed foods, or drinking from contaminated water sources such as rivers and streams, could put a person at an increased risk of getting the stomach flu.
Step 5. Learn how the virus is transmitted from one person to another
Gastroenteritis can be transmitted by the following methods:
- Direct contact. A person who touches a contaminated object (such as feces) and then touches another individual could directly transmit the viral and bacterial agents that cause gastroenteritis.
- Indirect contact. A person carrying viral or bacterial agents who touches a certain object, which is then handled by another individual who immediately puts his (now contaminated) hands to his mouth, can indirectly transmit the disease.
- Contaminated food and drink. These objects could harbor the agents that cause gastroenteritis and, if ingested, could lead to the onset of the disease.