Diarrhea is one of the major symptoms of stomach flu. Diarrhea can be of three types, acute diarrhea, chronic diarrhea lasting more than 14 days and persistent diarrhea. Also, diarrhea can be classified into osmotic diarrhea that stops when offending agent is removed , secretory diarrhea that continues even when there is no oral intake and exudative diarrhea with presence of blood and pus in stools.
Stomach flu symptoms pertaining to gastrointestinal tract are diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and pain in the abdomen with a decreased appetite. Other symptoms include chills, body ache, fever, joint stiffness, muscle pain etc. Diarrhea is generally accompanied by cramps and pain in the lower abdomen, stools with mucus and blood and offensive loose stools. Dehydration is common to both. It includes a dry parched tongue, decreased urine, sunken eyes, low blood pressure, weakness and sometimes confusion.
Dehydration is due to electrolyte imbalance and loss of body fluids. It is a major cause of death in infants suffering from diarrhea.
To have stomach flu diagnosed one needs to investigate with a CBC complete blood count to check for increased White Blood Cells. This will show if there is an infection in the stomach or intestines. Essentially stomach flu is a clinical diagnosis , whereas for chronic diarrhea we need to check stool routine for ova eggs of parasites found in stool ; presence of blood and pus cells suggests bacterial infection.
Stomach flu is mostly self resolving and anti-virals are needed in very few cases. Treatment for diarrhea is based on the etiology. Oral rehydration therapy including more fluids orally is very important for maintaining body fluids and electrolyte levels. Small quantities of fluid intake every 2 hours are a must. It affects people of all ages, but is particularly common in young children.
This page covers: Symptoms of gastroenteritis What to do if you have gastroenteritis When to get medical advice Looking after a child with gastroenteritis Getting medical advice for your child How gastroenteritis is spread Preventing gastroenteritis Symptoms of gastroenteritis The main symptoms of gastroenteritis are: sudden, watery diarrhoea feeling sick vomiting, which can be projectile a mild fever Some people also have other symptoms, such as a loss of appetite, an upset stomach , aching limbs and headaches.
What to do if you have gastroenteritis If you experience sudden diarrhoea and vomiting, the best thing to do is stay at home until you're feeling better. To help ease your symptoms: Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration — You need to drink more than usual to replace the fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhoea.
Water is best, but you could also try fruit juice and soup. Take paracetamol for any fever or aches and pains. Get plenty of rest. If you feel like eating, try small amounts of plain foods, such as soup, rice, pasta and bread. Use special rehydration drinks made from sachets bought from pharmacies if you have signs of dehydration , such as a dry mouth or dark urine — read about treating dehydration.
You can also ask your pharmacist or GP for advice about whether they're suitable. When to get medical advice You don't normally need to see your GP if you think you have gastroenteritis, as it should get better on its own.
Get medical advice if: you have symptoms of severe dehydration , such as persistent dizziness , only passing small amounts of urine or no urine at all, or if you're losing consciousness you have bloody diarrhoea you're vomiting constantly and are unable to keep down any fluids you have a fever over 38C Looking after a child with gastroenteritis You can look after your child at home if they have diarrhoea and vomiting.
To help ease your child's symptoms: Encourage them to drink plenty of fluids. They need to replace the fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhoea. Water is generally best. Avoid giving them fizzy drinks or fruit juice, as they can make their diarrhoea worse. Babies should continue to feed as usual, either with breast milk or other milk feeds.
Make sure they get plenty of rest. Let your child eat if they're eating solids and feel hungry. Try small amounts of plain foods, such as soup, rice, pasta and bread. Give them paracetamol if they have an uncomfortable fever or aches and pains. Young children may find liquid paracetamol easier to swallow than tablets. Use special rehydration drinks made from sachets bought from pharmacies if they're dehydrated.
Your GP or pharmacist can advise on how much to give your child. Don't give them antidiarrhoeal and anti-vomiting medication, unless advised to by your GP or pharmacist. Getting medical advice for your child You don't usually need to see your GP if you think your child has gastroenteritis, as it should get better on its own, and taking them to a GP surgery can put others at risk. Phone the service or your GP if you're concerned about your child, or they: have symptoms of dehydration , such as passing less urine than normal, being unusually irritable or unresponsive, pale or mottled skin, or cold hands and feet have blood in their poo or green vomit are vomiting constantly and are unable to keep down any fluids or feeds have had diarrhoea for more than a week have been vomiting for three days or more have signs of a more serious illness, such as a high fever over 38C or How gastroenteritis is spread The bugs that cause gastroenteritis can spread very easily from person to person.
They are made from sachets that you can buy from pharmacies. The sachets are also available on prescription. You add the contents of the sachet to water. Rehydration drinks provide a good balance of water, salts and sugar.
The small amount of sugar and salt helps the water to be absorbed better from the gut intestines into the body. They do not stop or reduce diarrhoea. Rehydration drinks are cheap and readily available in the UK and are the best treatment. Antisecretory medicines are designed to be used with rehydration treatment.
They reduce the amount of water that is released into the gut during an episode of diarrhoea. It used to be advised to not eat for a while if you had gastroenteritis.
However, now it is advised to eat small, light meals if you can. Be guided by your appetite. You may not feel like food and most adults can do without food for a few days. Eat as soon as you are able - but don't stop drinking. If you do feel like eating, avoid fatty, spicy or heavy food at first.
Plain foods such as wholemeal bread and rice are good foods to try eating first. Antidiarrhoeal medicines are not usually necessary. However, you may wish to reduce the number of trips that you need to make to the toilet. You can buy antidiarrhoeal medicines from pharmacies. The safest and most effective is loperamide. The adult dose of this is two capsules at first. This is followed by one capsule after each time you pass some diarrhoea up to a maximum of eight capsules in 24 hours.
It works by slowing down your gut's activity. You should not take loperamide for longer than five days. Note : do not give antidiarrhoeal medicines to children aged less than 12 years. Also, do not use antidiarrhoeal medicines if you pass blood or mucus with the diarrhoea or if you have a high temperature fever. People with certain conditions should not take loperamide.
Therefore, read the leaflet that comes with the medicine to be safe. For example, pregnant women should not take loperamide. Paracetamol or ibuprofen is useful to ease a high temperature or headache. As explained, if symptoms are severe, or continue for more than several days, your doctor may ask for a sample of the diarrhoea. This is sent to the laboratory to look for infecting microbes bacteria, parasites, etc.
Sometimes an antibiotic or other treatments are needed if certain bacteria or other infections are found to be the cause. Antibiotics are not needed for gastroenteritis caused by viruses and may even make things worse. They are also more likely if you have an ongoing chronic condition such as diabetes or if your immune system may not be working fully.
For example, if you are taking long-term steroid medication or you are having chemotherapy treatment for cancer. Gastroenteritis can be easily passed on from person to person. If you have gastroenteritis, the following are recommended to prevent the spread of infection to others:. The advice given in the previous section is mainly aimed at preventing the spread of infection to other people.
However, even when we are not in contact with someone with gastroenteritis, proper storage, preparation and cooking of food and good hygiene help to prevent gastroenteritis.
The simple measure of washing hands regularly and properly is known to make a big difference to the chance of developing gastroenteritis. You should also take extra measures when in countries which have poor sanitation.
For example, avoid water and other drinks that may not be safe and avoid food washed in unsafe water. Trop Med Int Health. Epub May My colonoscopy biopsies came back suggesting I have lymphocytic colitis they found a mild increase of lymphocytes in my colon
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