Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis literally means inflammation in the stomach and intestine. It happens from having an infection in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and causes symptoms of nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, and cramping. Gastroenteritis is contagious and anyone can become infected; however, most of the time, gastroenteritis is brief and people recover without treatment.
Symptoms
Symptoms of gastroenteritis may include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and cramping, loss of appetite, fever, chills, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms usually begin suddenly with frequent episodes of diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting within a short period of time. Systemic symptoms such as fever, chills, fatigue, etc. may or may not occur but generally begin a few hours after the initial symptoms start.
Risk Factors
Everyone can get gastroenteritis, but it occurs more commonly in people older than 65 and younger than 6 and those who live/work in a nursing home or childcare center, eat raw fish or meat, travel abroad, have a chronic condition that weakens their immune system, or use alcohol or illicit drugs.
Complications
The most common complication of gastroenteritis is dehydration from loss of electrolytes from frequent episodes of vomiting and diarrhea. This occurs when electrolytes cannot be replaced quickly enough during acute illness and is more of a risk for children and older adults. If gastroenteritis lasts a long time, it can lead to damage to the stomach or intestines; however, this is uncommon in most cases.
When to Seek Care
Typically, gastroenteritis only lasts for 1-2 days and goes away by itself, and most people feel better 2-3 days after the symptoms first started. While gastroenteritis isn’t serious for most people, people with weaker immune systems may be more affected. If gastroenteritis symptoms persist or severe symptoms develop, it is recommended to have an evaluation by a medical provider.
Treatment
The best treatment for gastroenteritis is supportive management of symptoms. The fastest way to recover is to get a lot of rest and drink plenty of fluids. It is also recommended to eat bland, easy to digest foods for a few days after having gastroenteritis. If medical treatment is needed, it might include getting an intravenous fluid infusion and medications to treat symptoms like nausea and diarrhea. In some instances, medications like antibiotics or antiparasitics might be needed to treat the type of pathogen causing the infection.
Prevention
While gastroenteritis is not always preventable, there are things that can be done to reduce the risk of contracting the illness and prevent GI infections from spreading. Prevention includes frequent handwashing, diligent cleaning and disinfecting, safe food handling, and awareness while traveling abroad.
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