Tummy Flu, a Common Stomach Problem (Gastroenteritis)

What Is Gastroenteritis?

Gastroenteritis, commonly called the tummy flu or upset stomach, is the inflammation of the gut. Viruses usually cause it, but they can also be caused by bacteria and rarely by parasites, antibiotics, and other medications.

What Are the Organisms That Cause Gastroenteritis?

Common viruses that cause gastroenteritis are rotavirus and norovirus. The most common bacteria that cause this disease are E.coli, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Bacillus, and Enterococci.

What Are the Types of Gastroenteritis?

1. Acute Gastroenteritis: It is a sudden onset of diarrhea (watery stools) due to a virus or bacteria infection.

2. Chronic Gastroenteritis: It is long-term diarrhea (watery stools) due to infection by a virus or bacteria.

What Are the Symptoms of Gastroenteritis?

Despite the cause, the symptoms are the same.

• Diarrhea (loose, watery stools).

• Dehydration.

• Headache.

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Abdominal cramps.

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• Other symptoms can be fever, body aches, and lethargy.

The common symptom of gastroenteritis is diarrhea with vomiting. The vomiting usually starts before diarrhea and subsides after one or two days. Diarrhea lasts longer, usually between 2 and 10 days. Diarrhea that lasts longer than 3 weeks is called chronic diarrhea. In immune deficiency patients, the impaired body defenses can considerably lengthen the duration of gastroenteritis. Diarrhea can even last for even weeks or months when caused by parasites like amoeba and lamblia.

How long the symptoms ultimately persist depends on the incubation period on the respective pathogen. If salmonella is the cause, the duration of the gastrointestinal infection is usually only a few days. Typical viral gastroenteritis is also often severe but lasts only for a relatively short time. Three days after the beginning of a norovirus or rotavirus infection, digestion usually returns to normal. The gastrointestinal flu caused by Campylobacter usually lasts a little longer, and the symptoms typically last 4 to 5 days, but occasionally up to 2 weeks.

How Does Gastroenteritis Spread?

Viral gastroenteritis will spread from person to person through contact with an infected person’s stool or vomit.

If a person has viral gastroenteritis, the viruses will be present in their stools and vomit. They may spread the virus from their stool or vomit, mainly if they do not wash their hands appropriately after using the washroom or if they:

• Touch surfaces or objects used by another person.

• Prepare or serve food to other people.

• Shake hands or touch another person.

Infected people who are asymptomatic can also spread viruses. For example, norovirus may be present in your stool before you have signs and up to two weeks after recovery. Therefore, very contagious norovirus can spread quickly from person to person. It can live for months on surfaces like countertops and changing tables. Especially when an infected person vomits, the virus can become airborne and settle on surfaces or another person.

Viral gastroenteritis may spread in households, daycare centers, schools, nursing homes, cruise ships, restaurants, and other places where people assemble in groups.

Suppose water gets contaminated with a virus when it comes into contact with the stools of infected people. These contaminated water can spread the virus through foods or drinks to people who consume these foods or beverages. In addition, people who swim in contaminated water may also become infected.

What Are the Signs of Dehydration?

The most dangerous consequence of gastroenteritis is dehydration caused by a large amount of fluid loss during diarrhea and vomiting. This can be life-threatening and even fatal in young children. Gastroenteritis is one of the most common causes of death among children below 5 years of age in developing countries due to severe dehydration and failure of timely rehydration therapy. Look out for signs of dehydration which include extreme thirst, loss of skin turgor, dry mouth, lips, eyes, lethargy, dizziness, and decreased urine.

How Long Does Gastroenteritis Last?

The incubation period indicates the time-lapse between acquiring the infection and the appearance of the first symptoms. The incubation period for gastroenteritis is very short, which is only a few hours. Some pathogens can last for days or weeks. Usually, the incubation period for gastrointestinal flu is between 1 and 7 days, but there is a different period for each pathogen:

• Norovirus and rotavirus: 10 to 50 hours.

• Salmonella: 5 to 72 hours.

• EHEC (Escherichia coli): usually three to four days

• Campylobacter: two to five days.

• Shigella (bacterial dysentery): one to four days

• Entamoeba histolytica (amoebic dysentery): one to four weeks

• Food poisoning: one to six hours (Staphylococcus aureus), eight to 16 hours (Clostridium perfringens)

How Is Gastroenteritis Treated?

Treatment of gastroenteritis mainly aims at the prevention of dehydration. However, when it is due to viral infection, antibiotics will not work in such cases.

• Plenty of oral fluid intake is at the heart of the therapy.

• Oral rehydration solutions (ORS), available over the counter, should be consumed to replace the electrolytes and the minerals.

• Fruit juices and sports drinks will also help with dehydration.

Viral infections will mostly resolve on their own within 3-5 days. However, the illness that lasts longer and is associated with high-grade fever, severe dehydration, and blood in stools must be sorted out with immediate medical attention. Bacterial or parasitic infections may require antibiotic or antihelminthic therapy. Severe dehydration may require admission and intravenous fluid replacement.

Care for Gastroenteritis:

• Your stomach and bowel need some rest. Therefore you should not eat, but you can drink little amounts of clear liquids, like water or apple juice. Drinking too much during the early period of your illness may lead to more vomiting.

• Slowly start eating when you stop vomiting for at least 12 hours. Soda crackers, applesauce, bananas, or other soft foods are advisable to eat at first.

• Rest is very important to treat the stomach flu.

• Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen can be used to relieve your fever or muscle aches.

• Consult with your physician if you have lost many body fluids (dehydration).

Prevention of Gastroenteritis:

Gastroenteritis can be prevented by taking the following measures:

• Handwashing with soap before eating food and after using the toilet.

• Avoid eating stale or reheated food.

• Avoid eating undercooked food.

• Wash fruits and vegetables before eating.

• A rotavirus vaccine is available for young children, which gives immunity against the virus and prevents rotavirus infection.

What Are the Possible Complications of Gastroenteritis?

• Blood in vomit or stool.

• Swollen abdomen.

• Severe abdominal pain.

• Dehydration due to loss of water.

• Death.