Gastroenteritis - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Gastroenteritis Definition

Gastroenteritis is a self-limiting disorderand. Gastroenteritis may be characterized by diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramping. Severity varies from transient diarrhea to life-threatening dehydration, children and the very old being more at risk for the latter. Gastroenteritis is a noninflammatory infection of the upper small bowel, or inflammatory infection of the colon, both part of the gastrointestinal tract.

Bacterial gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines caused by bacteria or bacterial toxins. Gastroenteritis may be life-threatening in debilitated people. Gastroenteritis is also called intestinal flu, traveler's diarrhea, viral enteritis, and food poisoning.

Gastroenteritis Causes

Usually gastroenteritis may be caused by an infection, but this is not always the case. It usually is of acute onset, normally lasting less than 10 days and self-limiting. Viral gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines caused by a viral infection. Viral diarrhea usually causes frequent watery stools, whereas blood stained diarrhoea may be indicative of bacterial colitis. Gastroenteritis affects the young, the elderly, and immunosuppressed people most severely.

Viruses cause in between 30 to 40% of cases of infectious diarrhea in the U.S. and viral gastroenteritis is the second most common illness, after upper respiratory infections. These viruses are often found in contaminated food or drinking water. The viruses cause about 40% of group-related diarrheal illnesses.

Gastroenteritis Symptoms

Symptoms may exhibit themselves for up to 6 days. Bowel movements will return to normal within a week after that. Clinical manifestations vary, depending on the pathogen and the level of GI tract involved. Symptoms of great concern include a high fever 102° F or above.

The other symptoms of the gastroenteritis may be included:

• nausea
• stools
• bloody
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• loss of appetite
• abdominal pain
• abdominal cramps

Gastroenteritis Treatments

if vomiting occurs, it's best to refrain from any drinking or eating for the next half hour.

Antibiotic or antimicrobial therapy is usually not indicated unless systemic involvement is present.

Antidiarrheal medications are generally not given because they may prolong the infectious process.

The principal treatment of diarrhoeal illness in both children and adults is rehydration, i.e. replenishment of water lost in the stools.

Self-care measures to avoid dehydration include drinking electrolyte solutions to replace fluids lost by diarrhea and eating no solid food until the diarrhea has passed.