Gastroenteritis (intestinal or gastric flu) is caused by viruses (rotaviruses, adenoviruses, etc.) that enter the gastrointestinal tract. The causative agent of the disease actively multiplies in the tissues of the gastric mucosa and is excreted along with the feces. The disease usually occurs in the autumn-winter period, that is, it has a pronounced seasonal character. An acute infectious disease is dangerously serious complications, first of all, the development of dysbiosis, therefore, when signs of intestinal flu appear, it is necessary to strictly adhere to bed rest and conduct recommended by the doctor therapy.
How is the intestinal flu transmitted?
An infectious disease has several transmission routes:
- from person to person with household contact and care for the sick;
- through a virus contaminated with drinking water and food, poorly washed vegetables, fruits;
- airborne way of talking, coughing and sneezing.
There are cases when patients picked up a malignant virus in the warm period of the year when swimming in open water while resting in nature.
It should be borne in mind that the causative agent of gastroenteritis is extremely viable, resistant to high (up to +60 degrees) and low temperatures. The most effective means of destroying the virus are considered to be various chlorine-containing disinfectants.
Symptoms of intestinal flu in adults
Although gastroenteritis is common among young children, it is possible to catch an infection at any age. The disease is characterized by a combination of symptoms of intestinal disorder and influenza. The main signs of intestinal flu in adults are:
- nausea, vomiting without blood and mucus;
- weakness, body aches, pain in the muscles;
- cough (usually dry);
- nasal congestion and runny nose;
- redness, swelling and sore throat;
- low-grade or high fever;
- conjunctivitis;
- gastrointestinal disorders, abdominal cramps, flatulence, with a frequent light foaming stool with an unpleasant odor;
- with severe development of the disease there are signs of dehydration.
Gastroenteritis is often confused with intestinal poisoning or salmonellosis due to prolonged diarrhea and frequent vomiting, but attention should be paid to the cold symptoms that are not characteristic for poisoning, which necessarily appear in the intestinal form of the flu.
How long does the intestinal flu last?
The incubation period for intestinal flu is from several hours to five days. It is during this time that the infectious organism enters the gastrointestinal tract and begins to actively multiply there. The severity of the course of the disease depends on the state of immunity of the patient and the concentration of the intestinal flu virus in the body. The disease is most severe for children and elderly people.
In rare cases, with high immunity, the asymptomatic course of infection is possible, but the infected person always presents a danger to others. Duration of acute
Attention! The defeat of the gastric mucosa and digestive system as a whole leads to a malfunction in the digestive organs, a significant disruption in metabolic processes, so self-medication is unacceptable! Intestinal flu is recommended to be treated symptomatically, taking antibacterial drugs is useless, since the disease has a viral nature.