Intestinal flu in adults and children - contagious infectious disease, affecting the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. The disease is able to knock a healthy person out of the usual schedule of life and provide a few long days, full of unpleasant sensations. Infection is especially dangerous for people with weak immune systems - it can cause serious health complications. Everyone should know, how to treat and protect against intestinal flu themselves and their family. In this article, the reader will get important information about the disease symptoms, proper treatment and prevention.
Description and cause of the disease
Intestinal flu - the popular name of viral gastroenteritis. Influenza is called because of the high transmissibility. Despite, that some of the symptoms of influenza and intestinal flu are similar, they are not related diseases.
Most often, the disease infected children up to three years, it is registered in adults; regardless of age apply similar methods of treatment of infection. Just an adult disease is easier, because his body is stronger and better protected. Viral gastroenteritis is developing in the stomach and intestines, that's where it affects human health.
Attention! Unlike other intestinal diseases, intestinal flu often occurs during the cold season - winter and spring.
The main infectious agent is rotavirus, discovered by scientists 1973 year. It is also the cause of the disease may act:
They all affect the gastrointestinal mucosa, lead to an increase in body temperature, may cause stomach upset, angina, conjunctivitis and swollen lymph nodes. This is an acute infection, which is highly infectiousness. How is:
- from an infected person - it is the main source of the disease;
- when used raw water;
- when using stale or poorly washed food.
The pathogen is resistant to the environment and can exist outside the human body within a few days. It does not react to chloro - water purification by chlorination does not eliminate rotavirus.
Attention! Dairy products and water are the perfect environment for microorganisms.
The main mode of transmission of rotavirus - food, if you eat contaminated food. The disease is also transmitted in a handshake, kissing or sneezing (rarely).
Should pay attention, that an infectious agent is in the hands of the patient. Every healthy person should take this into account: after shaking hands or touching things in public places it is recommended to clean your hands with disinfectants (eg, special damp cloth). Such actions will prevent the cause of infection, because otherwise the person can unknowingly touch the lips by hand or eye, mucosal infection enters the body.
After infection with rotavirus begins to actively multiply in the digestive system. He comes out with the faeces of an infected.
Symptoms and possible complications
Depending on the strength of the immune system and condition of intestinal incubation rotavirus takes 3 to 5 days, with weak body defense disease manifests itself after 13-15 hours.
Symptoms of intestinal flu can be divided into two groups: intestinal and respiratory symptoms.
Initially, there are infringements of respiratory function:
- cough (minor);
- throat becomes reddish, there is a small grain;
- lays nose, plentifully allocated snot.
Usually, people do not pay special attention to this: These symptoms do not greatly interfere, and they can be confused with the common cold. Feature is, they occur rapidly, during 24 hours. This unique feature of intestinal flu.
Then there is the defeat of the digestive tract symptoms, they predominate in the course of the disease:
- vomiting, which is enhanced with the advent of diarrhea. These impulses are repeated 48 hours, virtually unabated;
- from diarrhea 5 to 20 once a day;
- liquid stool consistency, it can be easily found mucus;
Rotavirus leads to intoxication; activation of the immune system and fighting disease cause:
- raise temperature to 39-40 degrees Celsius, which is normalized on the third day after the onset of symptoms;
- weakness and lethargy in the body, leading to a decrease in patient activity;
A man is recovering after about 7-10 days after infection and the appearance of symptoms of the disease. The body develops immunity to rotavirus, which caused an infection.
Attention! The immune system recognizes the virus only, that caused the disease. Microorganism species there are more than 50, because even after the disease a person needs to comply with the measures of prevention.
Treatment of this disease should start on time, to avoid severe consequences. Of course, they are rare, but particularly at risk are people, whose immune system is weakened. Intestinal flu can lead to:
- heart failure;
- liver failure;
- redness (eriteme) each hiding.
Rotavirus can lead even to death, but the percentage of such cases miserable - it happened in the absence of treatment and the presence of immunodeficiency.
Diagnosis and treatment of intestinal flu
Since the infection can be confused with other similar disease, this creates some difficulty in diagnosing and establishing the final diagnosis. In this regard, the patient is taken fecal, which is studied in the laboratory.
Council! In finding the rotavirus in the analyzes necessary to identify all persons, exposed to an infected person recently: family members, relatives, family, etc.. The virus is highly contagious - it creates a high risk of transmission to another person.
Upon confirmation of the diagnosis "viral gastroenteritis" patient is assigned a specific treatment regimen. Therapeutic measures are aimed at addressing the symptoms, because the drug has not yet developed, capable of destroying the virus itself.
- decrease in body temperature back to normal.
- Elimination of the risk of secondary inflammatory bowel disease.
- Recovery of the body after vomiting and diarrhea.
How to treat intestinal flu? Apply the following medicines:
- antipyretic rectal suppositories. Tablets in this case does not apply, because the digestive tract is unable to properly absorb the active substances.
- sorbents (simple activated carbon);
- drugs, maintaining water balance in the body.
Described drug suitable for treatment at home. If symptoms appear bright, the patient is hospitalized, and treatment of intestinal flu is inpatient hospital.
It is recommended to isolate the patient from the rest of the family, You can not touch things, he uses - it will help reduce the risk of transmission.
Prevention and Nutrition
To not get this infection, you need to follow the simple rules: personal hygiene, and be careful. Prevention of the disease is contained in the following recommendations:
- Regularly and thoroughly wash your face, hands and food before consumption.
- Drink thermally processed (boiled) water.
- identify sources, HIV infected.
- Time to treat the disease, using the necessary medication.
From the point of view of medicine intestinal flu prevention is possible only with the help of immunizations. AT 2016 year, the vaccine is in the national calendar of vaccines; There are two types:
- against the most prevalent rotavirus;
- vs 5 species infection.
Vaccination against several types of rotavirus is the most optimal.
During the illness must be observed diet food. It involves the use of the food, liquid in small portions: Gastrointestinal organs are not working normally, because eating should be carefully.
What can I eat during and immediately after intestinal flu? vegetable soups, boiled food, which is easy to digest. Particular attention should be paid to the liquid - a person must restore water, electrolyte balance in the body: drink boiled water, compotes, acid, etc. Strong tea and coffee is better to exclude.
- completely abandon of dairy products;
- You can not eat fatty foods;
- alcohol is prohibited;
- use chicken broth;
- cereals (the water) use in a liquid consistency;
- jelly to make himself, rather than buying in the store.
Diet for intestinal flu is conducted both during the illness, and within one month after treatment.
Traditional medicine against intestinal flu
Traditional medicine allows the use of popular recipes for more effective treatment.
Important! It is impossible to refuse medical treatment medications and replace them with recipes of traditional medicine - the latter being the addition of drug treatment.
Below are a few recipes, that will help a person to accelerate recovery:
- Useful any recipes, which reduces inflammation and disinfect. Recommended infusions with sage, čabrecom, chamomile inflorescences, oak bark.
- Regularly drink a glass of boiling water with a few drops of lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey.
- Drink decoctions of dried fruit or fresh fruit - a source of vitamins, amino acids, nutrients and a liquid.
- Inhaled concoctions of garlic and onions in the space of a room: they will help to disinfect the living space.