Gastroenteritis, also called the intestinal flu, is an infection of the gastrointestinal tract that takes a few days to heal. Although most of the time it is not fatal, the recovery process can be very difficult, especially if the disease is not treated properly. If you want to heal and return to your normal activities as soon as possible, you need to take appropriate steps to manage your symptoms, hydrate yourself and get plenty of rest.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Assess the Disease
Step 1. Recognize the symptoms of gastroenteritis
This disease affects the entire gastrointestinal tract and symptoms can include nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort and general malaise. You may have any or all of these symptoms.
The disease is self-limiting, which means the virus typically runs its course in 2-3 days and physical symptoms shouldn't show for more than a week
Step 2. Understand how the disease spreads
It is usually transmitted through contact with an already infected person, eating the food prepared by a sick person, or touching objects, such as the bathroom door handle, immediately after a sick individual has done so. A person with gastroenteritis who performs these simple actions can leave viral particles in their path, which can spread to other people.
Step 3. Determine if you have gastroenteritis
Have you had contact with someone who is sick? Do you have symptoms typical of the infection? If you experience mild or moderate nausea and / or have vomiting and diarrhea, it is more likely to be a common intestinal infection caused by the three most common viral pathogens, Norwalk virus, rotavirus, or adenovirus.
- People with this type of gastroenteritis usually do not need medical treatment to recover unless two factors are present: severe or localized abdominal pain (which could be a sign of appendicitis, pancreatitis or other serious medical conditions) or signs of dehydration, such as fainting, dizziness (especially when waking up) or a fast heart rate.
- Babies and young children may also reduce tear production, pee less, have a sunken skull and inelastic skin (if you try to pinch the skin you will notice that it does not return to its natural position); these are all signs of dehydration.
Step 4. See your doctor if your discomfort is very severe or if it persists for a long time
This is especially important if symptoms do not subside over time. See your doctor or visit a hospital if you experience the following symptoms:
- Constant vomiting for more than a day or which tends to get worse.
- Fever over 38 ° C.
- Diarrhea for more than 2 days.
- Weight loss.
- Less urine production.
- Confusional state.
- Weakness.
Step 5. Know when to contact emergency services
If you become too dehydrated, the problem can become serious to the point that you need to go to the emergency room. If you experience the following symptoms of severe dehydration, go to the hospital right away or call an ambulance:
- Fever over 39 ° C.
- Confusional state.
- Laziness (lethargy).
- Convulsions.
- Difficulty in breathing.
- Abdominal or chest pains.
- Fainting.
- No urine production in the last 12 hours.
Step 6. Be aware that dehydration can be more dangerous for some categories of people than others
Infants and young children have an increased risk of complications from dehydration, as do diabetics, the elderly, or HIV-positive people; moreover, infants and children are at risk of suffering from more severe dehydration than adults. If you are concerned that your baby is suffering from a severe lack of body fluids, go to the pediatric emergency room right away. Some of the most common symptoms are:
- Dark urine.
- Mouth and eyes drier than normal.
- Lack of tears when crying.
Step 7. Avoid infecting others
Wash your hands very often. Try to prevent the disease from spreading to other family members by repeatedly washing your hands. Studies have found that for effective results you should use regular soap (no antibacterial soap needed) and warm water for 15-30 seconds.
- Don't touch other people if you don't need to. Avoid unnecessary hugs, kisses, or handshakes.
- Try not to touch surfaces that are often handled by other people as well, such as doorknobs, the toilet, sink taps or cabinet handles and kitchen cabinets. If you have to use them, touch them with your shirt sleeve or put a handkerchief on your hand first.
- Sneeze or cough on the inside of the elbow. Bend your arm at the elbow and bring it close to your face so that your nose and mouth are in the crook of your arm. This way you avoid leaving germs on your hands which make it easier to spread them.
- Wash your hands or use a disinfectant very frequently. If you've been vomiting, sneezing, or touching any other body fluid recently, be sure to disinfect your hands.
Step 8. Keep infected children isolated
When they are sick they do not have to go to school or kindergarten, to avoid a possible spread of the infection. People with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) can spread the bacteria through their stools for as long as they have diarrhea; therefore, until this stops, they must be kept away from others.
When the diarrhea subsides, the child can go back to school, as he is no longer contagious at that point. The school, however, may require a medical certificate that guarantees the good health of the child, but this depends on the specific choices of each individual institution
Method 2 of 3: Manage the Symptoms
Step 1. Address the problem of nausea
You need to focus on how you can hold on to fluids. This means that if you tend to throw up everything you ingest, your primary goal must be to relieve nausea to prevent vomiting. If you don't ingest enough fluids, the infection can cause you to become severely dehydrated and slow down the recovery process.
Many people like to drink a simple carbonated drink, such as lemonade, to manage nausea. Others, on the other hand, claim that ginger is able to calm her down more effectively
Step 2. Treat diarrhea
This disorder can be described as the production of liquid and frequent stools, but, in this case, it is perhaps more correct to speak of watery stools. The sick can experience it in different ways; however, if you are losing fluids through diarrhea, you need to replenish them with the electrolytes found in some specific drinks, in addition to water intake. Since electrolytes, particularly potassium, are the key elements for electrical conductivity in the heart muscle (and potassium is lost with diarrhea), you need to be extra careful and make sure you have the right electrolyte needs.
There are conflicting opinions as to whether it is better to let the viral disease heal "on its own" (ie without taking antidiarrheal drugs) or to find solutions to stop it. However, you can take over-the-counter diarrhea medications as they are perfectly safe for the common gastroenteritis
Step 3. Manage dehydration
If you have vomiting and diarrhea at the same time, dehydration is certainly the main problem you have to deal with. Dehydrated adults may experience dizziness and a rapid heartbeat when standing up, dry mouth, or a severe feeling of weakness. An important aspect of the dehydration problem is that it causes a loss of important electrolytes, such as potassium.
- If you are losing fluids through diarrhea, you need to replenish them by drinking electrolyte drinks in addition to water. Since electrolytes, particularly potassium, are the key elements for electrical conductivity in the heart muscle and potassium is lost with diarrhea, you need to be especially careful and make sure you have the right electrolyte needs.
- If you are losing a fair amount of fluid and are suffering from severe diarrhea that does not go away, you should see your doctor. He will be able to determine if you only have viral gastroenteritis and will prescribe the appropriate therapy for you. There are other diseases, such as bacterial or parasitic infections, or even a lactose or sorbitol intolerance, which can be responsible for your ailment.
Step 4. Pay special attention to the symptoms of dehydration in children and teens
As mentioned earlier, babies and children are at greater risk of suffering from dehydration. If they cannot drink or retain fluids, then you need to take them to the emergency room for a thorough examination, as they dehydrate more quickly than adults.
Step 5. Treat abdominal discomfort or pain
You can consider taking any over-the-counter pain reliever that you find most comfortable during the few days of your illness. If you think a warm bath will help you, do it.
If you find that this type of medication does not reduce pain, you need to see your doctor for more effective treatments
Step 6. Don't take antibiotics
Since gastroenteritis is caused by a virus and not a bacterium, these medications are not effective and won't make you feel better. Do not buy them at the pharmacy and do not take them, even if they are offered to you.
Method 3 of 3: Solutions to Feel Better
Step 1. Avoid unnecessary stress
Remember, the goal of rest and relaxation at home is to eliminate any stressors and anxiety that may be slowing healing. Do everything you can to remove any elements that may be causing you tension, so that you start feeling better faster.
Step 2. Accept that you are sick and are unable to work for the time being
Don't waste your precious energy trying to get to work or school. Getting sick is completely normal and your superiors can understand and accept it, until you can make up for your backlog when you return. But now you need to focus on your health problem and do everything to heal.
Step 3. Get help with errands and normal daily activities
Ask a friend or relative to help you with those chores that need to be done every day, like doing a load of laundry in the washing machine or going to the pharmacy to get medications. Most people will be happy to avoid any reason for stress or anxiety.
Step 4. Drink plenty of fluids
To hydrate yourself, you should drink lots of fluids and try to hold them. The best solution is water or an electrolyte drink that you can buy at the pharmacy. Avoid alcoholic drinks, caffeinated drinks, ones that are too acidic (like orange juice) or ones that are too alkaline (like milk).
- Sports drinks (like Gatorade) are high in sugar and don't rehydrate adequately. They simply cause more swelling and discomfort.
- You can make an oral rehydration solution yourself. If you're trying to stay hydrated or can't leave the house to buy an electrolyte solution at the pharmacy, you can make one yourself. Mix 1 liter of drinking water with 6 teaspoons (30 ml) of sugar and half a teaspoon (2.5 ml) of salt and drink as much as possible.
Step 5. Avoid foods that don't improve your health
If you are throwing up a lot, try not to eat any foods that might make you more uncomfortable or make your pain worse, such as potato chips or spicy food. Also, do not eat dairy products during the first 24 to 48 hours, as they can aggravate the symptoms of diarrhea. As you improve, you will be able to recover your normal diet gradually starting with soups, broths and then soft foods.
Step 6. Eat light foods
If you can, try to stick to a BRAT diet, which involves eating bananas, rice, apple juice, and toast. This type of feeding is light enough, and hopefully you will be able to hold onto the foods; at the same time it allows you to get the nutrients you need to heal quickly.
- Bananas perform the double task of providing you with light nourishment and at the same time ensuring you a quantity of potassium useful to counteract the losses experienced with diarrhea.
- Rice is a light food, and even if you are nauseous you should be able to keep it in your stomach. You should also try drinking some of the water you used to boil the rice, mixed with some sugar, even if its effectiveness is based only on anecdotal evidence.
- Apple juice is also light and sweet, so it should be easy enough to digest as long as you take a teaspoon every 30 minutes. This requires patience, especially if you are caring for a child, who often tolerates only small sips, otherwise you could induce vomiting, thus frustrating all your efforts.
- Toast is a light source of carbohydrates that is easier to retain than other foods with the same nutritional properties.
- If you can't tolerate any of the foods described so far, you can try taking baby foods. The baby food you find on the market are easily digestible and delicate for the stomach, not to mention the fact that they are rich in vitamins and nutrients. You can give it a try, if you can't hold back anything else.
Step 7. Rest when you can
By taking the appropriate precautions, it is essential to be able to sleep adequately during the period in which the body is fighting against the infection. Plan to get at least 8-10 hours of sleep each night, if not more.
Also take naps. If you can stay home from work or school, try taking afternoon naps if you feel tired. Don't feel guilty or uncomfortable if you're not productive; keep in mind that sleep is really important for your body, so that it can recover and come back as strong and healthy as before
Step 8. Plan to rest and lie down as much as you can
If you feel comfortable lying on the sofa, while still having easy access to food and distractions, you may want to consider bringing blankets and pillows there so you can fall asleep whenever you feel the need, rather than always moving to the bedroom..
Step 9. Do not take sleeping pills or other tranquilizers if you vomit frequently
As helpful as they may seem, do not take them during the active phase of the disease. If you are fast asleep on your back and vomit over your nose and mouth, it can be fatal.
Step 10. Don't ignore the warning signs of vomiting
As soon as you start feeling like you're going to throw up, you need to move fast. It is definitely better to have a false alarm than to leave a "bad memory" on the sofa.
- If you can, stay near a bathroom. If you can reach it easily, it is undoubtedly easier to flush the toilet than having to clean a floor.
- Find something you can easily clean up to throw up in. If you have a few large enough bowls or tubs that you can safely wash in the dishwasher and that you rarely use (or don't intend to use anymore), consider keeping them always on hand, all day and even at night when you go to sleep.. Once used, you can simply throw the contents into the toilet and wash them by hand or put them in the dishwasher.
Step 11. Lower your body temperature if you have a fever
Turn on a fan and aim it at your body so that the air blows on you. If you are really hot, you can also place a metal container with ice in front of the fan.
- Apply a cold compress to your forehead. Wet a strip of cloth or tea towel with cold water and dampen it as often as necessary.
- Take a warm shower or bath. Don't worry about lathering, just focus on cooling your body.
Step 12. Find fun, undemanding activities
If all you can do is lie down and watch a DVD or television, at least avoid the shows or tearjerking movies and choose something nice and fun instead. Laughing can help ease the feeling of being unwell and speed up the healing process.
Step 13. Slowly return to your normal daily activities
As you begin to feel better, you can resume your normal everyday duties. Start by taking a shower and returning to your normal clothes as soon as you are able to. Then move on to doing the other chores, driving the car, and returning to work or school when you feel ready.
Advice
- Disinfect the house once it's healed. Wash the sheets, clean the bathroom, doorknobs, and so on (anything you think might be infected and could spread germs).
- Don't be too proud to the point of not asking for help when you need it!
- It is also often helpful to reduce the surrounding lights and keep noise to a minimum. This way you won't tire your eyes. In addition, noises often cause headaches and stress.
- Take small sips of water and don't swallow it too quickly, as it may cause you to vomit.
- Use small plastic bags or trash bags to throw them in the trash right away. Close them tightly and replace them after each bout of vomiting to make cleaning easier and stop the spread of the virus.
- Do not rule out the possibility of vaccinating children against rotavirus. To date, there is still no vaccine against norovirus for adults, but research is well underway and it seems that its presence on the market is imminent.
- Drinking lemonade, lemon water, or a lemon soda will help freshen your mouth after a bout of vomiting. However, drink only one cup, and sip it when you need it. Hold it in your mouth for a while and then swallow it.
- Eat yogurt or drink apple juice, but especially yogurt is even more important, because it's good for the stomach. Make sure you only eat small amounts at a time so that you can keep it down. Both of these foods are easy to digest.
- You can decide to use large towels to throw up in; the important thing is that you make sure that there is nothing under them that can get damaged (such as books or electronic materials). After using it, always wash the towel and anything else that has come into contact with stomach contents (sheets, blankets).
