Gastroenteritis - its causes and remedies

Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines caused by infection. The stomach and intestines are known collectively as the gastrointestinal tract - or gut. You can get infected from eating or drinking food that is contaminated with bacteria, viruses or parasites, or from other infected people. Viral infection is the most common cause of gastroenteritis but bacteria, parasites, and food-borne illness (such as shellfish) can be the offending agent. Anyone can get viral gastroenteritis. Most people recover from gastroenteritis without any complications.

What are its causes?

• Virus: The most common cause of gastroenteritis is viral infection. Includes virus like rotavirus, norovirus, enteric adenovirus and hepatitis A. Viral infection can be seasonal and there is a peak of infections with rotaviruses and noroviruses during the winter months.

• Bacteria: Common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis is food poisoning. Food poisoning is caused by different bacteria from different foods, for example:

• Salmonella - dairy, eggs and poultry

• Campylobacter - dairy, meats and poultry

• Bacillus - reheated rice

• Vibrio - seafood

• Escherichia coli (E. coli) - minced beef

• Parasites and protozoan.: These tiny organisms are less frequently responsible for intestinal irritation. You may become infected by one of these by drinking contaminated water. Swimming pools are common places to come in contact with these parasites.

Also some food allergies, for example an allergy to strawberries, can lead to gastroenteritis and some  medicines, such as antimalarials, can also cause symptoms of gastroenteritis. Antibiotics can lead to gastroenteritis by killing the normal, healthy bacteria in your gut.

Symptoms: The time between catching the infection and the start of symptoms is known as the incubation period. This period depends on the cause of gastroenteritis. Depending on the type of infection, it can range from a few hours to a couple of weeks.

You may have some or all of the following symptoms: Diarrhea, which may contain blood and mucus, or be watery, greasy or frothy Nausea and vomiting Abdominal cramping, bloating or pain Low grade fever to 100°F (37.7°C) Swollen abdomen Blood in vomit or stool Dehydration - weakness, decreased urination, dry skin, dry mouth and lack of sweat and tears are characteristic findings.

Treatment: Mostly Gastroenteritis can be treated at home. The most important aspect of treatment is to replace the fluids and salts you have lost, to prevent dehydration.

1. If you have a mild case of gastroenteritis, your usual daily drinks (water, squash) should be enough. You can continue to eat normally, but you shouldn't have fatty foods or food or drinks that have lots of sugar.

2. If you have a more severe infection, use an oral re-hydration solution (eg Dioralyte), which you can buy in pharmacies. These are usually a powder that is made up into a solution by adding water. They contain the right balance of sugars and salts for your body and they encourage re-hydration. You should eat foods high in carbohydrates such as rice or toast until you can take solid food and return to a normal diet.

If you have lost so much fluid that you are very dehydrated, hospital treatment may be needed to replace fluids directly into your bloodstream. You should contact doctor for proper medicines in case home treatment doesn't work.

Dehydration in children:

• After each loose stool, children younger than two years should be given 1-3 ounces of any of the re hydration solutions. Older children should be asked to drink 3-8 ounces. Adults should drink as much as possible.

• This guideline serves only to replace fluid loss due to diarrhea. Drink additional fluid equal to the amount the patient normally drink.

• Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar with ¼ teaspoon of table salt and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. (Baking soda may be substituted with ¼ teaspoon of table salt.) Mix mixture in 1 liter (1 qt) of clean or previously boiled water.

• After 24 hours, begin to offer bland foods with the BRAT diet - bananas, rice, apple sauce without sugar, toast, pasta, or potatoes.

Prevention

• The best way to prevent gastroenteritis is to always wash your hands with soap after going to the toilet and to disinfect toilets after use.

• Before traveling make sure you have had any vaccinations required and use bottled water if necessary when abroad.

• If you have gastroenteritis you may be infectious to others. You should stay away from work, school or college for at least 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped.

The greatest danger presented by gastroenteritis is dehydration. The loss of fluids through diarrhea and vomiting can upset the body's electrolyte balance, leading to potentially life-threatening problems such as heart beat abnormalities (arrhythmia). But with a little prevention you can prevent the bug from getting into you ad your family! (or at least you can try)

(Sources: bupa.co.uk, emedicinehealth.com, medicinenet.com)