An intestinal virus is a common cause of illness. It provokes the appearance of viral gastroenteritis. This disease is also known as intestinal or stomach flu. It is considered harmless, but leads to digestive disorders and dehydration.
1 Causes of the disease
The cause of this flu is rotavirus (in most cases) and enterovirus. If you look at them under a microscope, they resemble wheels. They have 2 protein layers. These viruses began to be studied systematically in the 1970s. At this time, they were found in the mucous layers of the small intestine in many patients with gastroenteritis.
Stomach flu is transmitted from a sick person. For example, in young children, the source of infection is their mother. At an older age, a person can become infected from other people in the group. The carrier of the virus may not get sick, but he will still infect other people. Most dangerous period The first 5 days from the onset of symptoms are considered. At this time, the number of viruses in the stool will be maximum. No methods of infection of humans from animals have been discovered at the moment.
Typically, this flu is transmitted by the fecal-oral route. That is why it is very often called the disease of dirty hands. The virus is capable of infecting people en masse. For example, through food and water. Quite often, the spread of the microorganism occurs through dairy products. This is related to the development cycle of the microorganism and the nuances of processing dairy products. In addition, there is a possibility of a contact-household method of infection if the virus is located on objects that a person uses. The virus survives well in cold environments, even refrigerators, so it for a long time can stay there and cause illness in people.
The time of spread of the microorganism is approximately from late autumn to mid-spring. During the rest of the year there may be isolated cases. The disease is called intestinal flu, since the development of this disease is immediately preceded by an influenza epidemic.
When the virus enters the human body, it tends to enter the cellular structures of the mucous layers digestive tract, usually this thin section intestines. There it settles on the villi, and they take part in the production of enzymes for breaking down food, so the virus disrupts the process of food digestion.
2 Signs of stomach flu
Symptoms of intestinal flu can be divided into 2 groups. The first category includes those that are associated with the flu or cold itself. Symptoms of the second group are those associated with intestinal or stomach disorders. If both appear at the same time, then you need to think about such a disease.
Main symptoms stomach flu the following:
- feeling general weakness in the body, aches, muscle pain;
- dry cough;
- conjunctivitis;
- increased body temperature;
- nausea, vomiting (but no clots of mucus or blood);
- runny nose, nasal congestion;
- sore throat, sore throat, redness;
- abdominal cramps, flatulence, diarrhea, and feces liquid, foaming with an unpleasant aroma.
In addition, with a long course of the disease, symptoms of dehydration appear.
For intestinal flu incubation period lasts from a couple of hours to 5 days. It is during this time that the infection penetrates the gastrointestinal tract and then begins to multiply rapidly. The duration of the period during which the infection affects the organs depends on its amount in the human body. This factor also affects the severity of the patient’s condition. Child and old man The disease is most difficult to tolerate. In adults, the duration of the disease is about a week, but to fully recover, you need another 5 days after completion. acute stage. All this time, a person is a carrier of the virus, so you must remember about personal hygiene, especially in public places.
One of the complications of stomach flu is dehydration. Then they appear characteristic symptoms. For example, there is dizziness, a feeling of dryness and stickiness in the oral cavity, thirsty, dry skin, eyes become sunken. In this case, you need to be attentive to your health condition and carefully select medications. Dehydration can be alleviated. To do this you need to drink warm water and decoctions. You are allowed to eat rice, crackers, and bananas. Apple juice is good for you. This all applies to an anti-inflammatory diet.
3 Treatment of pathology
Treatment of intestinal flu is based on integrated approach. The initial goal is to correct dehydration. There is no specific treatment, so therapy is aimed at eliminating intoxication and stabilizing water-salt balance, which is disrupted with diarrhea and vomiting.
To eliminate, the following is prescribed:
- Rehydration type treatment. Regidron is best suited. The drug should be taken every half hour.
- Enterosorbents. For example, Polysorb or Smecta is prescribed.
- For diarrhea and Furazolidone.
- If you manage to cope with vomiting, then you need to start taking medications with digestive enzymes. For example, Pancreatin and Creon are used.
- When all the symptoms go away, medications are prescribed that will help restore intestinal microflora. For example, Hilak-forte, Bifiform, Dinex are suitable.
If the virus causes severe diarrhea and vomiting, they need to be hospitalized immediately. If a 15% loss of fluid from the body is detected in a child, then infusion therapy is carried out, that is, medications are administered intravenously to stabilize the water-electrolyte balance and metabolism. For example, Electrolyte, Oralin, Regidron, various colloidal solutions etc.
Treatment involves reducing infusion therapy by 70-80% if proper dehydration is carried out. It occurs in two phases. It first aims to eliminate rehydration. The intake of necessary fluid depends on its loss within 6 hours from the time therapy began. It is necessary to consume from 50 to 100 ml for every kilogram of a person’s weight. You need to drink every 15 minutes. If vomiting occurs, you need to take a break for 10 minutes, but then continue. The second phase of drinking assumes that the dose of liquid per day is 80-100 ml for each kilogram of the patient’s weight. The sooner desoldering begins, the better the result will be.
If the flu caused an increase in temperature to 38.5ºC, then there is no need to bring down the fever. The virus can survive low performance, however, when elevated temperature he dies. If the readings become critical, then the patient should be wiped with a solution of water and vodka or water and vinegar. It is also allowed to take Paracetamol and Nurofen in the most severe cases.
Treatment involves a diet, since without it the patient’s condition will not improve. Nutrition should be gentle. If diagnosed intestinal disorder for a child up to one year, it is better to extend breastfeeding. Children over 2 years old need to remove carbohydrates and dairy products. If a person wants to eat, then low-fat chicken broth is allowed. Rice porridge, which is cooked in water, is also allowed. In order to do so, meals must be fractional.
4 Conclusion
Stomach or intestinal flu is a fairly common problem. The viruses that cause this disease cause a lot of unpleasant symptoms. The doctor prescribes symptomatic therapy because specific treatment not created. In addition, you need to fight dehydration. You should definitely adhere to a temporary diet.
Rotavirus infection - unpleasant disease, the cause of which is contact with the intestinal mucosa of rotaviruses or noroviruses. The disease progresses very brightly, because pathogenic microbes infect the stomach, causing sharp pains in the abdomen and severe diarrhea. It is not for nothing that in medicine this disease is called gastroenteritis or “intestinal flu”. Moreover, the disease manifests itself with respiratory symptoms, which often confuses and interferes with the timely detection of infection.
Intestinal flu is a common infection that affects every 5th person on Earth every year. Moreover, inexorable statistics show that the penetration of rotavirus into the body claims more than 600,000 lives every year. Typically, children, pregnant women and the elderly are most susceptible to infection, in whom the disease is most severe and often leads to death.
However, adults also get sick with rotavirus, although they tolerate it much more easily. Moreover, a person with strong immunity can suffer from intestinal flu without noticing its symptoms, but he becomes a carrier of the infection, and, without knowing it, begins to infect others. In this article we will talk in detail about rotavirus infection in adults, we will talk about the causes of infection, symptoms, treatment and prevention of the disease.
How can you become infected with rotavirus?
Scientists note that rotavirus is an extremely tenacious microbe that external environment remains viable for several months and dies only at high temperatures.
The most common way of spreading microbes is the fecal-oral route, or as it is also called, the nutritional route. In this case, the main factors of transmission of the virus are infected people. food products(especially unwashed vegetables and milk), dirty water, household items and unwashed hands. It is not for nothing that this infection is called the “disease of dirty hands.” Moreover, intestinal flu is very contagious, and therefore literally within 2-3 days the whole family becomes infected from a person who “caught” the rotavirus. Children in this way can infect the entire group in kindergarten, and adults - half of the work team.
In addition to the nutritional method of transmission of infection, in rare cases, rotavirus can enter the body through airborne droplets or household contact.
How the disease develops
Having penetrated the body, rotavirus occupies the mucous membrane small intestine, where they begin to actively reproduce. The toxins released by these pathogens destroy the intestinal villi and disrupt the digestion process. As a result, the patient develops severe diarrhea, and, as a result, dehydration, which threatens the health and even the life of the patient. But this does not happen right away.
The incubation period for the development of infection varies from 6 to 72 hours. During this period, the person is unaware of the virus inside, but is already actively infecting others. Most often, the first symptoms of illness appear 12 hours after infection, and the active phase of the disease lasts 2–5 days, after which the infection invariably subsides and the person recovers.
Symptoms of infection
The first manifestations of the disease do not give a person any reason to suspect that rotavirus has entered the body. It all starts with weakness, drowsiness and apathy, loss of appetite and fever, that is, with typical symptoms of ARVI. Moreover, a person develops a cough, sore throat and difficulty swallowing, which may suggest the development of pharyngitis. The only atypical symptom is mild abdominal pain, which, until a certain time, does not bother the patient too much. It is logical that the initiation of treatment for colds or diseases of the upper respiratory tract does not give any result.
After about a day, the acute phase of the disease begins. The patient's temperature rises sharply and a fever begins, the lymph nodes enlarge and become painful. But the most severe symptoms diseases become abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhea.
Pain caused by rotavirus infection differs in many ways from normal pain. pain. They appear in spasms for 3–5 minutes, causing a severe burning sensation in the abdomen, after which they disappear until the next attack. Moreover, with each passing hour the intervals between spasms become smaller.
The patient refuses to eat, he constantly feels sick, and any food that enters the body, including water, causes an attack of vomiting. But what’s even more dangerous is that the patient develops severe diarrhea. The stool becomes thin and watery, cloudy white in color with a sharp foul odor, but without admixtures of mucus and blood. If blood streaks or mucus are present in the stool, this indicates the addition of bacterial infection, for example, ischerichiosis or shigellosis. Let us also say that in most patients diarrhea is accompanied strong rumbling in a stomach.
Nausea and, especially, diarrhea are the most dangerous manifestations of intestinal flu, because with them fluid leaves the body. But in the case of rotavirus, diarrhea can appear from 5 to 30 times a day! As a result of this process, the patient rapidly develops dehydration. This is an extremely dangerous process, as a result of which a person’s skin becomes pale and dry, the blood thickens, the heartbeat quickens, convulsions appear, and consciousness begins to become confused. If such a patient is not treated in a timely manner, he may develop renal and liver failure, he falls into a coma and risks dying.
Unlike rotavirus infection, when the intestines are damaged by norovirus, the temperature may remain normal, but nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are present, albeit in a less pronounced form. By the way, if we talk about intestinal flu in adults, then healthy person with strong immunity, infection with rotavirus or norovirus can occur without diarrhea.
Treatment of rotavirus infection
As noted above, the greatest danger to health is dehydration, and therefore any patient with gastroenteritis, first of all, needs to restore the water-salt balance and eliminate the symptoms of intoxication of the body in order to restore the functioning of the cardiovascular and urinary systems.
The key drug here is Regidron solution. 1 sachet of this product is diluted in a liter of warm boiled water and taken every half hour, 150–200 ml. In severe cases, the patient is hospitalized and given intravenous rehydration.
By the way, such a solution can be prepared at home. To do this, you need to take 700 ml of boiled water (or a weak chamomile decoction), add 300 ml of raisin decoction (carrots or dried apricots), and dilute 1 tsp in this solution. salt, ½ tsp. soda and 4–6 tsp. Sahara. It is advisable to start using this solution immediately after the first signs of vomiting appear, because fluid losses should be replenished within the first 6 hours.
In addition to means that restore the water-salt balance, the patient needs to remove infectious agents and the toxins they produce from the body. For this purpose, he is prescribed drugs from the group of sorbents, namely: Activated carbon, Smecta, Filtrum STI and Polysorb.
To save the patient from acute attacks pain in the abdomen, he is prescribed antispasmodics - No-shpa, or analgesics - Analgin or Citramon.
In parallel with this, it is necessary to combat the symptoms of intestinal flu and, above all, diarrhea. For this purpose, doctors prescribe the drugs Enterol, Furazolidone, Enterofuril.
Taken for intestinal flu and antiviral drugs. True, they are effective only on the most early stage diseases, and during the development of the disease they allow you to avoid the addition of secondary infections. Most often, the patient is prescribed Cycloferon, Amiksin, and Ingavirin.
To restore operation digestive system the patient is prescribed products containing digestive enzymes - Pancreatin, Creon or Mezim.
Let's talk separately about elevated temperature with this infectious disease. If the temperature does not reach high levels (39°C or higher), the patient should refrain from taking antipyretics. The fact is that at temperatures above 38°C, rotavirus can lose its activity, and by knocking it down, a person prolongs the course of the disease. If the temperature rises too high, the patient may be prescribed Paracetamol.
As for the recovery period, which will come after the unpleasant symptoms of the infection disappear, care must be taken to restore the intestinal microflora. Of the variety of probiotics, Linex, Bifidumbacterin, Hilak Forte and Bifiform are best suited for this.
Typically, a person who has had the intestinal flu acquires relative immunity, which means he is protected from infection for about a year. Moreover, each subsequent infection will be easier.
Diet for treating illness
Throughout the entire period of illness, the patient needs to eat properly in order to alleviate his condition as much as possible. The drinking regime is of particular importance here. To prevent fluid loss, you need to drink as much as possible, and this should be pure water or mineral water without gas, chamomile decoction or green tea. But you should avoid milk and fermented milk products during the treatment period.
If we talk about solid foods, then given that with the loss of fluid the body loses potassium and magnesium, you should add rice porridge on water, chicken broth and bananas. You should take such food in small portions, but often. At the same time, it is prohibited to consume black bread, sugar and any sweets during the period of treatment for rotavirus infection.
Disease prevention
The greatest spread of rotavirus infection is observed in the warm season. In this plan all year round, but especially in spring and summer, monitor your own hygiene most carefully, which means wash your hands every time you come into the house from outside and before every meal. Moreover, always wash fruits and vegetables before eating. And when you purchase milk and fermented milk products, look at the expiration date, avoiding expired products. If you purchase fruits, vegetables or milk at the market, be sure to subject them to sanitary control.
And further. If you notice the first signs of rotavirus infection in one of your loved ones, immediately isolate him from the rest of the household. Until recovery, he should be in a separate room and eat food from specially allocated cutlery; it is advisable to place his personal hygiene products (towels, toothbrushes, etc.) separately.
Take care of yourself and your loved ones!
Intestinal flu is a disease viral nature, which is caused by rotavirus and occurs with clinical manifestations intestinal infection. Among all intestinal infections this pathology is widespread - according to statistics, 40% of all infectious diseases This is what makes up the intestines. Moreover, most often intestinal flu develops in children in the first year of life, while adults become infected with the virus while caring for children.
Causes
Intestinal flu in children occurs with more severe symptoms than in adults. There is often a critical increase in temperature, which requires immediate use of antipyretics. However, conventional antipyretics often do not reduce the temperature, so it is recommended to administer medications intramuscularly (analgin with diphenhydramine).
The reason for the persistent increase in temperature is the body’s fight against the virus, since the latter dies at temperatures above 38. However, the temperature reaction must be controlled so that it does not cause a malfunction internal organs and systems.
Intestinal flu in children must be distinguished from other intestinal infections, such as or even simple food poisoning, since the symptoms of the diseases are very similar. It is necessary to treat the pathology symptomatically, since special means There is currently no anti-rotavirus.
Intestinal flu is very severe during pregnancy in women - this pathology can cause irreparable harm to the health of the mother and baby, up to and including the death of the fetus in the womb. Therefore, pregnant women need to carefully monitor hygiene and under no circumstances come into contact with children or adults with this condition. viral disease. If a pregnant woman does become ill, she requires urgent hospitalization and immediate treatment aimed at eliminating signs of dehydration. A pregnant woman also requires a diet for intestinal flu that offers a gentle diet.
Features of treatment
Treatment of intestinal flu in different people age categories(children and adults) is to carry out symptomatic therapy and stopping dehydration of the body. Therefore, the first thing to do is to stop vomiting and diarrhea, for which antiemetic and antidiarrheal drugs are used. Adults should be treated with drugs such as Nifuroxazide, and small children in the first year of life should be given Attapulgite and Enterofuril.
Treatment also involves taking sorbents (activated carbon) and drugs that relieve bloating. The use of Regidron, Smecta and other rehydration solutions helps prevent dehydration. At high temperatures, antipyretics are required.
Diet for intestinal flu is important. Since children and adults have reduced or no appetite, they should be forced to feed small portions of food to replace the loss in the body. nutrients. A gentle diet is recommended, in addition, plenty of fortified drinks are recommended - you can drink rosehip decoctions, strong tea, or a decoction of berries, such as currants. A diet for intestinal flu involves excluding foods that have a laxative effect, including milk and its derivatives. At the same time, it is recommended to eat foods such as:
- bread crumbs (without additives);
- pasta;
- boiled eggs;
- porridges cooked only in water.
Over time, the diet for intestinal flu allows you to introduce other foods into the patient’s diet, such as low-fat cottage cheese, fresh berries, mashed potatoes and fruits, vegetable stew(without salt and spices). But you will have to give up fried, fatty, salty, spicy foods, as well as sweets for the period of treatment and for some time after the infection.
Viral diseases affect a person more than once during a lifetime. The principle of their origin, course and acquisition may differ. Also, each case has its own symptoms. The intestinal virus is especially difficult to tolerate. If an ordinary respiratory disease can be left to chance, allowing the immune system to cope with the pathology, then an infection of the digestive tract must be treated. Otherwise there may be dangerous complications. Such pathologies cause swipe on the immune system, digestion and general well-being.
Enteric virus
The disease is considered serious and dangerous. Note that adults tolerate its symptoms more easily. Some patients are not even aware that they are sick. The intestinal virus is especially dangerous for children, pregnant women and the elderly. A person may not be sick himself, but be contagious.
The disease occurs in three stages. First comes the incubation period. Its duration is no more than three days from the moment of infection. These days, a person does not yet know about his illness and feels quite well. However, it can already infect other people. The second stage is called the acute period. It lasts from several hours to a week. At this time, the infected person feels all the “delights” of the disease. The intestinal virus completes its work with the recovery stage. It lasts up to five days. At this time, the person feels improvements every day and finally returns to normal. Completeness occurs 2-4 weeks after the end of the acute period.
Intestinal virus: symptoms
The disease can manifest itself differently in each person. But almost always the main symptom of pathology is diarrhea. The urge to defecate acute period frequent. The stool takes on a yellowish-green hue interspersed with mucus and foam. Sometimes there is an admixture of blood. Remember that bloody stool should be a reason for urgent medical attention. How else does an intestinal virus manifest itself? Symptoms may include:
- (occurs immediately after eating or drinking, when a person refuses food or water);
- high temperature (with an intestinal virus, the thermometer level can reach 39 degrees, chills occur);
- runny nose and cough (this symptomatology is similar to the regular flu; an inflamed red throat may be detected);
- headache;
- general malaise and weakness;
- flatulence;
- pain (occurs in the upper part of the peritoneum and spreads throughout the abdomen);
- lack of appetite.
Stomach flu can have only a few symptoms or manifest itself with all the signs. Much depends on the individual characteristics of a person’s health and his immunity. In any case, the intestinal virus must be treated. How to do this correctly?
Contact your doctor
Viruses gastrointestinal tract there are different ones. The causative agent of the disease can only be determined laboratory methods. However, these studies are quite expensive. Therefore, they are almost never prescribed. In addition, the picture of prescriptions does not change in any way from the results obtained.
If an intestinal virus has infected a child, an elderly person or a pregnant woman, then you should definitely seek help from a doctor. Remember that your wrong actions can lead to severe complications. Most adults treat themselves. But for this you need to know everything necessary medications and choose them correctly. Let's consider the main treatment regimens.
Cleaning activities
A gastrointestinal virus always causes intoxication. Pathogenic microorganisms multiply, come into contact with normal cells, releasing toxic substances. It is for this reason that a person’s body temperature may increase. Sorbents are used to remove toxins. These drugs are safe and affordable. They have different shapes release and title. You can take them even without a doctor's recommendation. Contraindications to the use of sorbents are individual intolerance to the components, stomach ulcers and intestinal atony.
The most common medications of this type are: “Polysorb”, “Activated carbon”, “Smecta”, “Enterosgel”. A peculiarity of the use of sorbents is that they must be used separately from other drugs. Active ingredients They remove not only toxins from the body, but also useful components.
Rehabilitation therapy
An intestinal virus can cause dehydration in children. This complication is considered one of the most dangerous. Therefore, in case of diarrhea and vomiting, it is necessary to restore the water-salt balance. This can be done using the drugs “Regidron” or “Hydrovit”. The compositions are not used only in cases of impaired renal function.
The peculiarity of using such products is that they need to be diluted in warm water. The liquid must be at the patient's body temperature. Only in this situation will it be absorbed as quickly as possible. This is very important when vomiting.
How to stop diarrhea?
An intestinal virus in adults and children is always accompanied by diarrhea. It occurs as a result of damage to the small intestine pathogenic microorganisms. The functioning of the villi is disrupted, and an inflammatory process occurs. Suction useful substances slows down or stops altogether. There is pressure in the intestines.
The drugs Imodium and Loperamide will help you reduce peristalsis and stop diarrhea. They act within a few minutes after administration. But it is worth paying attention to the fact that these tablets are prohibited from being given to children under 6 years of age. The use of medications in pregnant women is possible only if the risks are compared with unpleasant consequences. Smecta is also used to stop diarrhea. This remedy, as you already know, is safe and can be used even in newborns.
Effective antiviral therapy
Virus coli transmitted very quickly. It can be acquired through dirty hands, stale meat, food, water and personal hygiene items. Prevention of the disease consists of observing hygiene rules and food processing. If you do become infected, then it makes sense to use antiviral compounds. These include “Cycloferon”, “Ergoferon”, “Kipferon” and so on. They are sold in pharmacies without a doctor's prescription. It is permissible to use some medications only from 4-7 years of age. Pay attention to this information when treating your child.
Many have immunomodulatory activity. They force the body to produce antibodies against the pathogen. This creates immunity. It is worth noting that after an illness, re-infection occurs very easily (in some cases, unnoticed).
Intestinal antiseptics: list of medications
Many patients are hesitant about the use of antibiotics for the described disease. Indeed, intestinal virus in adults and children cannot be treated with such drugs. The pathogen is not a bacterium. Therefore, antibiotics are more likely to worsen your condition. They are prescribed only for complications or bacterial damage to the intestines.
Despite this, it is advisable to use antiseptics for intestinal viruses. These are intestinal antibiotics that are not absorbed into the blood and do not in any way affect the functioning of other systems and organs. These medications include: Stopdiar, Ersefuril, Enterofuril. Medicines will prevent bacterial complications and eliminate pathogenic flora. Products are available in tablet and liquid form. The latter option is preferable for young children.
Medicines that improve well-being
If you are affected by an intestinal virus, treatment should be comprehensive. In addition to using the remedies described, the following medications are also necessary.
- Antipyretic. Accepted at temperatures over 38.5 degrees. You can use Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Nimulid, Analgin. The drugs will not only reduce the temperature, but also relieve pain. Alternate medications as necessary to avoid overdose.
- Antispasmodics. if you have spasmodic pain in the stomach, it is advisable to use such products as “Papaverine”, “Drotaverine”, “Duspatalin” and so on.
- For nasal congestion, you can use vasoconstrictor drops"Nasivin", "Vibrocil". To eliminate a sore throat, use Strepsils, Tantum Verde, Inhalipt.
- If the disease is accompanied by a cough, then you can take appropriate medications. It is important to understand what kind of cough you have: wet or dry. Many patients find it difficult to understand this issue without a doctor.
Follow a diet
During an intestinal infection, you must adhere to a diet. This will help you quickly regain your strength and return to your usual activities. Completely eliminate dairy and fermented milk products from your diet. In this environment, bacteria multiply at an incredible rate. In addition, viruses can provoke and this will only worsen your condition. You need to give up sweets, fruits and vegetables. Don't use fast carbohydrates. Carbonated drinks and alcohol are contraindicated.
In the first days you need to eat only rice and rice water. These foods will help you stop diarrhea and have a soothing effect on your stomach. If there is no vomiting, then you can eat chicken broth. At increased appetite add a few crackers to it. It is allowed to drink strong black tea without sugar. During illness, it is important to drink more fluids. Replenish its deficiency resulting from vomiting and diarrhea. During the recovery period, it is permissible to eat cheese, eggs, and bananas. All foods you are used to should be introduced gradually.
Probiotics
The complex will help you recover from illness beneficial bacteria. There are now a great many of them on the pharmacological market: “Linex”, “Acipol”, “Imoflora”, “Bifiform” and so on. Of course, when choosing a drug, it is better to consult a doctor, but the principle of operation of all these drugs is approximately the same. Therefore, feel free to choose a probiotic that is more convenient for you to use. You can also find prebiotics on sale. These are substances that feed the beneficial bacteria in the intestines. Thanks to prebiotics, colonies of beneficial bacteria increase. It is advisable to take them only after a course of probiotics.
The average duration of taking such drugs is one month. During this time, you will be able to completely normalize your intestinal function and return to your normal diet.
Hospital treatment
If the patient has an admixture of blood in the stool and vomit, then an urgent need to consult a doctor. Dehydration is also a reason to seek help. It is manifested by lack of urine, dry lips, crying without tears and other symptoms. In all these situations, the patient is indicated for inpatient treatment.
In a hospital setting, doctors administer intravenous rehydration therapy and also prescribe additional funds. Be sure that in medical institution they will really help you the right help. The patient is discharged after feeling better. The doctor gives individual recommendations for recovery, which you will follow at home.
Summarize
The article presented you with options for how an intestinal virus occurs. You also now know how to treat the disease. Intestinal flu is often confused with poisoning. In this case, the first days of illness, during which it is so important to carry out therapy, are missed. The sooner you start treatment, the easier and it will pass faster disease. Expectant mothers should be especially attentive to such manifestations. Do not attribute the malaise to toxicosis. After all, the symptoms intestinal virus similar to him. If you feel unwell, have diarrhea and vomiting, then you need to contact a doctor as soon as possible.
Self-treatment of an intestinal virus is not recommended by doctors. Despite this, many patients practice this approach. Listen to the recommendations of specialists and don’t get sick!
Intestinal flu is a collective term that combines symptoms of viral damage to the stomach and intestines. Caused by a number of viral organisms: rotaviruses, adenoviruses, noroviruses, etc.
Moreover, even the same strain of the pathogen in some people gives a predominant clinical picture of a respiratory viral disease, accompanied, for example, by diarrhea, while in others only “intestinal” symptoms appear, without a runny nose and cough. Actually, any respiratory infection affects the intestines, since toxins released into the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract are absorbed back, which causes symptoms of intestinal flu.
Intestinal flu, based on the above, occurs simultaneously with respiratory epidemics in the winter. This makes it possible to distinguish intestinal flu from, say, an outbreak of dysentery, since bacterial intestinal infections prefer the hot season.
Most often intestinal forms respiratory diseases Children suffer due to contact during school hours. The route of transmission of infection is airborne droplets.
Symptoms of intestinal flu
After penetration into tissues, the virus affects, among other things, the cells of the esophagus, stomach and intestines. Some viruses prefer these tissues (rotaviruses, noroviruses), for this reason they are called “stomach flu”.
Viruses may not manifest themselves for up to two days after infection - this is the so-called incubation period. The acute phase of the disease develops on the third day and lasts 3 or 6 days.
3 days – virus reproduction cycle. Sometimes the body does not have time to cope with the pathogen in one cycle. In this case, the acute phase is extended by another 3 days until the virus is suppressed.
Stomach flu
The virus, as usual, causes a local inflammatory process. As a result, small mucosal structures (intestinal villi) lose their ability to adequately break down and absorb the food substrate. The body reacts to this by increasing the release of water into the intestinal lumen, which causes diarrhea. In this period typical symptom is lactase deficiency in children (dairy intolerance).
Stool with intestinal flu is liquid (the more loose stool– those more inflammation), foamy, yellow or greenish color. The more often the urge occurs, the more aggressive the process.
In addition, signs of general intoxication are observed: weakness (up to fainting, stupor), irritability, increased fatigue, loss of appetite, rumbling in the stomach. If you try to palpate the abdomen, then in the peri-umbilical area there is pain when pressing (the intensity of the pain depends on the severity inflammatory process). Heat not typical for intestinal flu. As a rule, it is within 37-39 0 C. V severe cases The disease manifests itself with nausea and vomiting.
Intestinal flu is often accompanied by ARVI symptoms
All this is quite often accompanied by the usual symptoms of ARVI - cough, sore throat, runny nose. Redness of the palatine arches, tongue, and pharynx may be observed.
The recovery stage lasts 3-4 days. The clinic gradually subsides: stool returns to normal, intoxication decreases, and respiratory symptoms also disappear.
The main complication of intestinal flu is considered to be exacerbation chronic diseases digestive system, as well as, which is the main cause of death in elderly people who have had intestinal flu (child mortality due to this pathology is practically never encountered).
After an episode of intestinal flu, partial immunity is formed, which prevents you from getting sick again. It is necessary to understand that there are dozens of intestinal flu pathogens (only known ones), and immunity is developed to only one of them.
Diagnosis of intestinal flu
Quite a difficult task that doesn’t make much sense. It matters more differential diagnosis with dangerous intestinal infections. If the symptoms of the disease become too intense, fluid loss increases, and the temperature rises (above 39 0 C), contact an infectious disease specialist.
Polymerase chain reaction allows you to diagnose rotavirus, adenovirus or norovirus infection. If you are worried about whether it is a bacterial infection, you can resort to this method. The mere discovery of, say, rotavirus in the human body will not affect anything, since the main methods of treating intestinal flu are symptomatic, i.e. not affecting the pathogen itself.
A general blood test will show the presence of an inflammatory process: an increase in the number of leukocytes (moderate leukocytosis), an increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
Signs of protein and single red blood cells may be observed in the urine. Stomach flu (especially severe forms) can provoke exacerbations of pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis. In this case, urine readings will reflect the onset of exacerbation.
If you “sit” on the inflamed mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract pathogenic bacterium, That clinical course The disease can be complicated by sore throat and pneumonia.
Prevention of intestinal flu
Complication in the elderly – cardiovascular failure
Doesn't make sense given the existing technical base. As you know, there is a long tradition of vaccinating children against influenza. The idea itself is quite controversial, since vaccination against one strain does not provide protection against another, and the number of pathogenic viruses respiratory group has long been in the hundreds (if not thousands).
As for intestinal forms of viruses, there are simply no commercially available vaccines for them (impractical).
It is important to follow standard anti-epidemic measures indicated for the prevention of standard forms of influenza and ARVI, since the route of transmission and the nature of the pathogen are almost the same.
Features of intestinal flu in children
Most often, the disease affects children under 4 years of age. This is due to a certain imperfection (immaturity) of the digestive tract and the characteristics of children's immunity, characteristic of this age group. Lactose intolerance is reversible and goes away within a few days after the acute phase of intestinal flu resolves.
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