The symptoms of gastroenteritis manifest as abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. If you know how to react to these symptoms, you can restore your health much sooner and even prevent the appearance of gastroenteritis symptoms in the future.

Symptoms of gastroenteritis

Very frequently the pathology of gastroenteritis consists of inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis) and that of the intestine (enteritis) . The most common is that it is caused by a virus, which can be of various types. The gastroenteritis of viral origin also called intestinal flu.

Viral gastroenteritis is the second most common disease in the United States , say specialists from “medlineplus, a service of the United States National Library of Medicine.

Viruses and bacteria that cause gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis can be caused by a number of viruses, including rotavirus, adenovirus, calicivirus, astrovirus, Norwalk virus, and a group of noroviruses.

Also bacteria can cause gastroenteritis , but to a lesser extent. Bacteria are related to certain food poisonings due to different causes, such as food preparation with poor hygiene or poor conservation and consumption outside its expiration date, among other causes.

What steps to take to avoid gastroenteritis

Since gastroenteritis is generally due to an infection caused by bacteria or viruses, accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, and caused by improper food preparation or lack of hygiene, the following measures must be taken into account to combat gastroenteritis :

How to fight gastroenteritis

  1. Check the expiration date of the food.
  2. Avoid the presence of animals where food is to be prepared, generally the kitchen is an area that must be kept as hygienic as possible.
  3. Refrain from refrigerated food, if it is taken out of the freezer and is not used during the day.
  4. Eliminate insects and pests from our kitchen to keep it hygienic. .
  5. Avoid eating food that has remained at room temperature for more than a day before being cooked.
  6. If there are several people affected by gastroenteritis in the house, the disinfected bathroom should be kept.
  7. Cook food properly.
  8. Do not drink water from rivers or stagnant sources.
  9. Do not drink caffeinated beverages because they promote intestinal secretion, increasing diarrhea.
  10. If you suffer from gastritis, avoid dairy and foods with lactose.

In case of acute gastritis, a specialist should be consulted.

By Dr. Eric Jackson

Dr. Eric Jackson provides primary Internal Medicine care for men and women and treats patients with bone and mineral diseases, diabetes, heart conditions, and other chronic illnesses. He is a Washington University Bone Health Program physician and is a certified Bone Densitometrist. Dr. Avery is consistently recognized in "The Best Doctors in America" list.

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