Gastroenteritis: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Gastroenteritis is a contagious disease that occurs due to inflammation and irritation in the lining of the abdomen and intestine. It leads to heavy loss of fluids, due to the presence of certain viruses and bacteria in the body. In most cases, this ailment gets cured within 2 - 3 days, with minimal treatment. However, it can turn into a life-threatening disease, especially for infants, young children and old people, because they have weak immune systems.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of gastroenteritis are diarrhea and vomiting. Other symptoms include fever, nauseousness, abdominal cramps and headache. Severe cases can be recognized by the presence of blood in stool or vomit. If the person has severe diarrhea and vomiting, it can lead to dehydration, where the person loses a lot of fluids from the body. Due to dehydration, electrolytes are lost from the body and this causes dry mouth and skin, weakness, lack of sweat and lightheadedness.

Causes

Both viruses and bacteria are the main culprits of spreading this ailment. There are a number of viruses that can cause gastroenteritis, e.g. adenovirus, rotavirus, norwalk virus and astrovirus. Children most commonly get infected by rotavirus and adenovirus, whereas norwalk and astrovirus can affect individuals of all age groups. These infectious agents may be present in the food or water consumed by an individual. If any member of a family has this disease, others also become vulnerable to it, as this disease can be transmitted from one person to another.

Treatment

Usually, there is a high chance of dehydration when a person has gastroenteritis and therefore when a patient exhibits symptoms, he / she should be given immediate treatment. Clear or re-hydrating liquids given at regular intervals, helps to fill back the essential fluids lost. If a person has mild gastroenteritis, this treatment can be administered even at home, but If there is no improvement or the condition worsens, then he or she should be taken to a doctor. If the condition is really bad, then the patient may be hospitalized and injected with intravenous fluids. Medical tests, like urine, blood or stool tests may be conducted to find which particular bacteria or virus is causing the ailment. Sometimes antibiotics are used by people but if the symptoms are due to a virus, then this line of treatment would not be effective, because at times, intake of antibiotics or any other medication can worsen the condition of the patient. Hence, drugs should be preferably taken only on the prescription of a physician.

Time taken to fully recover from gastroenteritis would depend on the age of the patient and severity of his or her condition. It would be beneficial if the patient is put on a liquid diet until all the symptoms have stopped. He or she must consume a very light diet for a few weeks and should take complete rest.

Gastroenteritis can become a serious illness, so to avoid this, certain precautions must be taken. Bacteria and viruses are often present in feces, vomit, saliva etc. and so it is essential to keep clean and hygienic. Washing one's hands thoroughly with an anti-bacterial soap helps. Cooking food, especially meat and seafood properly before consumption is also important. Vaccinating small babies with the rotavirus vaccine would decrease the risk of gastroenteritis in infants.