Wellhealthorganic.com : Key Signs of Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is a condition in which the stomach and small intestine are attacked by external agents, causing gastrointestinal inflammation and many other complications. Let’s learn about the causes, signs, treatments and prevention methods through the article below!

What is gastroenteritis?

Gastroenteritis is formed when cells in the lining of the stomach or small intestine are attacked by harmful agents such as viruses, bacteria… causing inflammation. This causes an intestinal infection manifested by symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and more severe dehydration, leading to death.

The disease can occur at any age but is common in young children. The disease causes severe symptoms but usually goes away on its own after 1 week. Because the disease is contagious, consultation and treatment support from a doctor is needed.

Causes of gastroenteritis

Due to virus

Viruses are the main cause of gastroenteritis. Some viruses that cause diseases in the intestinal tract include:

• Astrovirus and rotavirus: common in infants or young children. In tropical and subtropical climates like Vietnam, the disease often appears in the summer. The main route of transmission is the fecal-oral route.
• Adenovirus: is the fourth leading cause of gastroenteritis. The disease is common in children younger than 2 years old. The disease often occurs in small intestinal epithelial cells, causing severe symptoms.
• Cytomegalovirus, Enterovirus: common in people with weakened immune systems such as premature infants, people with HIV…

Due to bacteria

Bacteria are one of the causes of gastroenteritis, but are less common than viral causes. This agent causes disease by several mechanisms such as:

• Enterotoxins: bacteria secrete substances that reduce the ability to absorb nutrients and increase the excretion of electrolytes. This causes electrolyte disorders in the body.
• Attacks the mucosa: bacteria directly attack the mucosa, causing ulcers, bleeding, and increased secretions.

Due to parasites

Some of the most common disease-causing parasites in developing countries are:

Giardia: this type adheres to the lining of the small intestine, affecting the absorption of nutrients there and causing systemic signs such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Cryptosporidium: commonly found when exposed to contaminated water sources. This parasite is difficult to kill with chlorine water. The disease often becomes severe in immunocompromised people.

Other causes

In addition to the causes mentioned above, there are a number of factors that also affect the digestive tract mucosa such as:

• Heavy metals: arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury can destroy the gastrointestinal mucosa, causing reduced nutrient absorption.
• Acidic foods: this causes stomach acid to increase, causing erosion of the mucous membranes, causing them to be damaged.
• Medications: some antibiotics, laxatives or cancer treatment chemicals cause mucosal damage, impairing stomach and small intestine function.

Symptoms of gastroenteritis

Depending on the cause and condition of the patient, different symptoms may appear. Symptoms often develop acutely with typical characteristics:

• Nausea, vomiting everything you just ate.
• Diarrhea with watery stools (more water than water). This symptom occurs many times a day.
• Severe stomach pain.
• Fever, sweating, and muscle pain are common.
• Dry skin.
• Lower blood pressure.
• Fast heart rate.

Dangerous complications

The disease is caused by many different mechanisms, so the complications are also different. Some possible complications are:

• Dehydration: due to reduced water absorption as well as increased electrolyte excretion, water will follow out, causing dehydration and electrolyte disorders. Possible symptoms include dry skin and crying without tears.
• Reduced absorption: due to microorganisms causing harmful effects to the mucosa, preventing nutrients from being absorbed into the intestines.
• Prolonged diarrhea: due to agents attacking the mucosa, these cells are damaged and take a long time to recover.
• Systemic infection: Salmonella bacteria often move to other organs, causing meningitis and pneumonia.
• Sepsis: microorganisms in the stomach and intestines enter the bloodstream causing sepsis.
• Hemolytic uremic syndrome: occurs when hemolytic disorders affect the kidneys causing uremia. This is an acute condition that needs to be treated immediately.
• Colon enlargement causes poisoning: due to unabsorbed food, it can cause the colon to increase in size. On the other hand, bacterial secretions can cause poisoning.
• Thrombocytopenia bleeding: insufficient nutrients will affect the production and quality of platelets.

How to diagnose

Because there are many different causes, for each case, doctors may have different approaches:

• Ask about the disease: the doctor asks about the history related to exposure and clinical signs that appeared before acute complications such as diarrhea and vomiting occurred. In addition, the doctor also explores characteristics related to diarrhea, vomiting or complications that may appear.
• Clinical examination: the doctor evaluates signs of dehydration, signs of systemic infection, infection of other organs and other accompanying complications.
• Blood tests: evaluate inflammatory indicators such as leukocytosis, CRP. At the same time, evaluate dehydration, electrolyte disorders or find the cause through blood cultures.
• Stool test: find the cause such as parasites and bacteria in the stool.

When to see a doctor

Gastritis is a very acute disease and causes many complications. Therefore, when the following signs appear, patients should go to medical facilities for examination and treatment:

• Dry skin, bitter mouth, crying without tears, always thirsty but drinking does not reduce thirst.
• Reduced consciousness, lethargy, and coma appear.
• Severe, continuous vomiting in children over 2 years old and adults for 1 day.
• Diarrhea and high fever in children under 2 years old within 12 hours but do not respond to fever-reducing drugs.
• Symptoms such as diarrhea and nausea last more than 1 week.

Note, for children younger than 2 months old or malnourished when gastroenteritis appears, parents should take the child to the nearest medical facility for examination.

Treatment methods for gastroenteritis

Replenish water and electrolytes

This is the most important measure in treating gastroenteritis to avoid dangerous complications. Things to keep in mind when supplementing water and electrolytes:

• In cases of mild dehydration that does not affect the body’s condition much, make sure to drink enough water.
• When diarrhea occurs, consider adding oresol 5 – 10 minutes after vomiting or diarrhea.
• If dehydration is severe and cannot drink, intravenous fluids will be given.

Use medicine

Some medications are also used to treat the symptoms as well as the cause:

• Medicines to treat diarrhea: berberine, diphenoxylate, smecta or loperamide… Note, the medicine is contraindicated for children under 2 years old and consider using it with people under 18 years old.
• Antiemetics: when excluding diseases related to intestinal obstruction, ondansetron, prochlorperazine and promethazine can be used to reduce vomiting.
• Antibiotics: when the bacterial cause is detected.

What foods should you avoid if you have gastroenteritis?

When you have gastroenteritis, your digestive tract will become sensitive. Therefore, you should avoid some foods such as:

• Avoid stimulants, caffeinated drinks, and carbonated water.
• Foods that are difficult to digest such as fats found in fast food.
• Foods and drinks contain a lot of sugar.
• Milk or products containing lactose.

Preventive measures for gastroenteritis

Because gastroenteritis has many causes, you can refer to the following suggestions to prevent this disease:

• Clean your hands thoroughly with soap or quick hand sanitizer products before eating, after eating, after using the toilet or after contact with sick people.
• No littering.
• Instruct children to wash their hands properly.
• Give your child rotavirus vaccine and other causes according to schedule.
• Eat cooked, drink boiled.
• Do not use dirty water in daily life.
• Wash clothes of sick people and healthy people separately.