Stomach flu: symptoms and treatment. Intestinal infection in a child - we treat it correctly

Intestinal flu is a collective term that combines symptoms of viral damage to the stomach and intestines. Caused by a number of viral organisms: rotaviruses, adenoviruses, noroviruses, etc.

Moreover, even the same strain of the pathogen in some people gives a predominant clinical picture of a respiratory viral disease, accompanied, for example, by diarrhea, while in others only “intestinal” symptoms appear, without a runny nose and cough. Actually, any respiratory infection affects the intestines, since toxins released into the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract are absorbed back, which causes symptoms of intestinal flu.

Intestinal flu, based on the above, occurs simultaneously with respiratory epidemics in the winter. This makes it possible to distinguish intestinal flu from, say, an outbreak of dysentery, since bacterial intestinal infections prefer the hot season.

Most often, children suffer from intestinal forms of respiratory diseases due to contacts during school hours. The route of transmission of infection is airborne droplets.

Symptoms of intestinal flu

After penetration into tissues, the virus affects, among other things, the cells of the esophagus, stomach and intestines. Some viruses prefer these tissues (rotaviruses, noroviruses), for this reason they are called “stomach flu”.

Viruses may not manifest themselves for up to two days after infection - this is the so-called incubation period. The acute phase of the disease develops on the third day and lasts 3 or 6 days.

3 days – virus reproduction cycle. Sometimes the body does not have time to cope with the pathogen in one cycle. In this case, the acute phase is extended by another 3 days until the virus is suppressed.

Stomach flu

The virus, as usual, causes a local inflammatory process. As a result, small mucosal structures (intestinal villi) lose their ability to adequately break down and absorb the food substrate. The body reacts to this by increasing the release of water into the intestinal lumen, which causes diarrhea. During this period, a typical symptom is lactase deficiency in children (dairy intolerance).

Stool with intestinal flu is liquid (the more liquid the stool, the stronger the inflammation), foamy, yellow or greenish in color. The more often the urge occurs, the more aggressive the process.

In addition, signs of general intoxication are observed: weakness (up to fainting, stupor), irritability, increased fatigue, appetite disturbances, rumbling in the stomach. If you try to palpate the abdomen, you will notice pain in the peri-umbilical area when pressed (the intensity of the pain depends on the severity of the inflammatory process). High temperature is not typical for intestinal flu. As a rule, it is within the range of 37-39 0 C. In severe cases, the disease manifests itself with nausea and vomiting.

Intestinal flu is often accompanied by ARVI symptoms

All this is quite often accompanied by the usual symptoms of ARVI - cough, sore throat, runny nose. Redness of the palatine arches, tongue, and pharynx may be observed.

The recovery stage lasts 3-4 days. The clinic gradually subsides: stool returns to normal, intoxication decreases, and respiratory symptoms also disappear.

The main complication of intestinal flu is considered to be an exacerbation of chronic diseases of the digestive system, as well as, which is the main cause of death in elderly people who have had intestinal flu (infant mortality due to this pathology practically does not occur).

After an episode of intestinal flu, partial immunity is formed, which prevents you from getting sick again. It is necessary to understand that there are dozens of intestinal flu pathogens (only known ones), and immunity is developed to only one of them.

Diagnosis of intestinal flu

Quite a difficult task that doesn’t make much sense. Differential diagnosis with dangerous intestinal infections is of greater importance. If the symptoms of the disease become too intense, fluid loss increases, and the temperature rises (above 39 0 C), contact an infectious disease specialist.

Polymerase chain reaction allows you to diagnose rotavirus, adenovirus or norovirus infection. If you are worried about whether it is a bacterial infection, you can resort to this method. The mere discovery of, say, rotavirus in the human body will not affect anything, since the main methods of treating intestinal flu are symptomatic, i.e. not affecting the pathogen itself.

A general blood test will show the presence of an inflammatory process: an increase in the number of leukocytes (moderate leukocytosis), an increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

Signs of protein and single red blood cells may be observed in the urine. Intestinal flu (especially severe forms) can provoke exacerbations of pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis. In this case, urine readings will reflect the onset of exacerbation.

If a pathogenic bacterium “settles” on the inflamed mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, then the clinical course of the disease can be complicated by sore throat and pneumonia.

Prevention of intestinal flu

Complication in the elderly – cardiovascular failure

Doesn't make sense given the existing technical base. As you know, there is a long tradition of vaccinating children against influenza. The idea itself is quite controversial, since vaccination against one strain does not provide protection against another, and the number of pathogenic viruses of the respiratory group has long been in the hundreds (if not thousands).

As for intestinal forms of viruses, there are simply no commercially available vaccines for them (impractical).

It is important to follow standard anti-epidemic measures indicated for the prevention of standard forms of influenza and ARVI, since the route of transmission and the nature of the pathogen are almost the same.

Features of intestinal flu in children

Most often, the disease affects children under 4 years of age. This is due to a certain imperfection (immaturity) of the digestive tract and the characteristics of children's immunity, characteristic of this age group. Lactose intolerance is reversible and goes away within a few days after the acute phase of intestinal flu resolves.

In the cold season, in addition to colds and respiratory diseases, viral gastroenterocolitis, colloquially called intestinal flu, is also quite common, sometimes also called abdominal or stomach flu. These diseases received this name because patients simultaneously exhibit signs of influenza and gastrointestinal disorders.

The causative agents of this disease are viruses, the vast majority of which are of the rotavirus type, but in some cases other types of viruses are also found, so intestinal flu is classified as an acute infectious disease.

Since rotaviruses are very stable in the external environment, withstand temperature changes and even some disinfectants, this disease spreads very quickly and often turns into an epidemic. In addition, rotavirus infections have more than one route of infection.

Routes of transmission of intestinal flu

• Airborne, just like during other respiratory infections, a sick person releases a huge amount of viruses into the environment when breathing.
• Nutritional or fecal-oral. In this way, the infection often spreads in families and children's groups. They become infected through shared utensils, shared household items, toys, when caring for a sick person, or through close contact.

Symptoms and course of the disease

The acute period lasts from two to five days, then the patient's condition gradually improves. If severe symptoms last more than seven days, then this indicates either complications or an incorrect diagnosis; such a patient definitely needs hospitalization.

It should also be noted that intestinal flu in children has its own characteristics. The fact is that a child’s body loses fluid more easily and quickly than an adult, so with intestinal infections, dehydration in children occurs much faster, especially in children under three years of age and at high temperatures. And parents should remember this and not refuse inpatient treatment if it is offered by a doctor.

Treatment and prevention of disease

After taking adsorbents, it is necessary to restore the water-electrolyte balance in the body. For this purpose, drugs such as rehydron, acesol, hydrovit, reosolan, citroglucosolan, as well as still mineral waters are used. Both medications and liquids should be taken frequently, but the portions should be small so as not to cause vomiting.

In addition to basic treatment, you can also take immunomodulators for intestinal flu, but they help only at the very beginning of the disease. Symptomatic treatment can be used in the peak stage only if necessary: ​​for severe spasms and pain, antispasmodics and analgesics are used, and antihistamines and multivitamins can be added to them.

It is also recommended to use folk remedies for flu

• decoctions and infusions of herbs such as sage, chamomile, oak bark, eucalyptus, thyme, rose hips have anti-inflammatory, disinfectant and strengthening properties.
• Honey in its pure form and in solutions is also a powerful anti-inflammatory and restorative agent.
• fruit decoctions not only replenish the loss of fluid and vitamins, but also microelements, and help normalize electrolyte balance.
• natural antiseptics-phytoncides, such as onions, garlic, radish, horseradish, pine oils, are very effective in the form of inhalations indoors, but these substances cannot be used orally during intestinal flu due to inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines.

Since there is no etiotropic treatment for this disease, prevention of intestinal flu is of great importance. Preventive measures include the entire complex used for intestinal infections: regular hand washing, cleaning rooms with disinfectant and antiseptic solutions, processing dishes and food, and isolating patients from healthy people as much as possible. If these rules are followed, the spread of the disease can be stopped.

Recently, European scientists have created vaccines to prevent intestinal flu, but they have not yet reached mass use.
Interferon preparations and other immunomodulators taken for preliminary prevention of viral infections remain effective. And finally, it should be noted that many folk remedies for the flu are also excellent preventatives against many infections at any time of the year.

Intestinal flu is one of the names for rotavirus infection and gastroenteritis. This disease develops quickly after pathogens enter the body of a child or adult. Most often they are rotaviruses, adenoviruses or noroviruses. During their life, they produce toxic compounds that cause inflammation of the mucous membranes of the digestive organs. Children especially suffer from gastrointestinal infections, since it lasts much longer and more severely in children than in adults. Before treating a dangerous intestinal flu, gastroenterologists conduct a complete examination of the patient to assess the general state of health and detect the type of pathogenic infectious agent.

The right approach to treatment

Intestinal flu is dangerous due to the high probability of infecting family members. Therefore, at the beginning of treatment, all safety measures should be taken to completely eliminate the transmission of viruses. A child or an adult needs to be provided with separate dishes, a towel, and washing supplies. Relatives need to care for sick people wearing medical masks, and then treat their faces and hands with disinfectant solutions.

Treatment of an infectious disease is complex, aimed both at eliminating pathogenic pathogens and at reducing the severity of symptoms - nausea, diarrhea, vomiting. Full recovery occurs after a week if the patient follows all medical recommendations. In the treatment of intestinal flu, pharmacological drugs are used for the following purposes:

• restoration of the supply of mineral compounds and biologically active substances that are excreted from the body along with vomiting and diarrhea;
• increasing the resistance of a child or adult to pathogens of viral infections;
• normalization of the gastrointestinal tract;
• restoration of peristalsis.

Treatment of intestinal flu at home without medical intervention is impractical, and for young children it is also very dangerous. The infection provokes dehydration a day after the onset of vomiting and diarrhea. Loss of only 10% of fluid by a newborn's body can cause death. This is explained by the rapidly developing deficiency of microelements (potassium, sodium, magnesium), without which the normal functioning of all vital systems is impossible.

Separately, it is worth noting the uselessness of antibiotics in the treatment of intestinal flu. Drugs with antibacterial activity do not have any effect on rotaviruses or noroviruses. The use of such drugs will lead to a sharp decrease in immunity and the death of beneficial microflora in the intestines. This will significantly complicate the patient’s condition and delay recovery for a long time.

Therapy of infectious pathology

When staphylococci or streptococci become the causative agent of an intestinal infection, then after determining their sensitivity, antibiotic therapy is carried out to quickly eliminate harmful bacteria. Unfortunately, there are no effective drugs to kill viruses yet. Modern antiviral drugs exhibit more immunomodulatory effects, often without any evidence base. Therefore, gastroenterologists use drugs in therapy that reduce the severity of symptoms and relieve the body of the consequences of the negative effects of pathogens.

Replenishment of water and electrolyte balance

Treatment of intestinal flu is always accompanied by taking large amounts of fluid. Gastroenterologists prescribe rehydration medications, which include mineral salts of potassium and sodium, as well as dextrose to restore the body's energy reserves. The most effective are:

• Hydrovit,
• Regidron.

The drugs are available in powder form. To prepare a medicinal solution, you need to dilute the contents of one packet in a liter of warm boiled water, which should be drunk during the day. The difficulty of taking medications lies in the complete lack of appetite due to nausea and vomiting. But it is necessary to feed the sick person, otherwise dehydration will inevitably occur. In this case, the person is given a dilution of just a tablespoon, but often every 15–20 minutes.

If a child or adult has vomiting or diarrhea, and there is no opportunity to purchase rehydration medications yet, you can temporarily make do with available means. To do this, you should prepare an isotonic solution yourself - you need to dilute 9 g (a little less than a teaspoon) of ordinary table salt and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a liter of water. Suitable additional drinks include:

• chamomile tea;
• rosehip infusion or rosehip syrup diluted with water;
• table mineral waters – Essentuki No. 2 or No. 4, Slavyanovskaya, Borjomi, Narzan;
• green or black strong tea;
• water with a slice of lemon;
• fruit compotes;
• berry fruit drinks.

Drinking plenty of fluids not only replenishes the supply of mineral compounds, but also flushes pathogenic pathogens from the body, as well as harmful products of their vital activity. If the child does not have vomiting or diarrhea, but his temperature is elevated, then taking additional fluid is also necessary.

Polyphepan is used in the treatment of intestinal flu to remove waste and toxins from the body.

Application of enterosorbents

Intestinal flu in children and adults often occurs against the background of disruption of the gastrointestinal tract and peristalsis disorders. A person suffers from symptoms of flatulence - increased gas formation, bloating, nausea, belching, diarrhea. To eliminate these negative signs, gastroenterologists prescribe sorbents:

• activated carbon,
• Enterosgelya,
• Filtrum-sti,
• Polysorb,
• Polyphepan.

These medications absorb harmful substances on their surface and promote the fairly rapid removal of toxins, pathogenic bacteria, and viruses from the body. Due to their natural origin, these products are very well tolerated by both young children and adults. One of the advantages of sorbents is the lack of metabolism. After binding viruses and toxic compounds, they are immediately eliminated from the body unchanged.

Restoration of intestinal microflora

The penetration of viruses into the human gastrointestinal tract causes the death of beneficial bacteria. Without these microorganisms, digestion is gradually disrupted and peristalsis is disrupted. Treatment of dysbiosis begins after the acute stage of intestinal flu has passed. The most effective drugs containing bifidobacteria and lactobacilli have proven themselves in the treatment of this infectious pathology:

• Atsipol,
• Linux,
• Hilak-forte,
• Bifidumbacterin,
• Lactobacterin.

After taking eubiotics, beneficial bacteria begin to multiply in the intestines, releasing substances that create an acidic environment. Such conditions are extremely unfavorable for pathogenic microorganisms, so they stop growing and die. Restoring intestinal microflora helps improve the immunity of adults and children.

For intestinal flu, Linex restores beneficial intestinal microflora

Decreased body temperature

Almost all intestinal infections are accompanied by hyperthermia. Viruses provoke general intoxication of the body, the symptoms of which include fever. In this way, the immune system tries to destroy gastroenteritis pathogens. If the body temperature has risen no higher than subfebrile values ​​(38 °C), then it cannot be brought down.

For intestinal flu, such indicators are an effective means of getting rid of pathogenic pathogens. But with a significant increase in body temperature, you cannot do without taking antipyretic drugs:

• Paracetamol (Efferalgan, Panadol),
• Ibuprofen (Ibufen, Nurofen),
• Nimesulide (Nimesil).

These medications have antipyretic and analgesic effects, which is important for frequent joint aches. People with chronic stomach conditions should take anti-inflammatory drugs with caution. To prevent damage to the mucous membranes, Nimesulide and Ibuprofen should be used together with proton pump inhibitors - Omeprazole, Ultop, Nolpaza.

Pediatricians and gastroenterologists advise parents to focus on the general condition of the baby. If a child feels tolerable with hyperthermia with values ​​of 38.5–38.7 °C, then it is better to hold off on taking antipyretics - this will only speed up the destruction of rotaviruses. Some children do not tolerate even low-grade body temperature. In this case, you should immediately give the child sweet syrup.

Improved digestion

Intestinal flu in adults and children occurs against the background of a complete lack of appetite. The reason for this is high temperature, peristalsis disorder and digestive disorders. The organs of the gastrointestinal tract sharply reduce the production of biologically active compounds necessary for the proper metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. To facilitate the digestion and absorption of food, you should take medications with digestive enzymes:

• Mezim forte,
• Panzinorm forte,
• Festal,
• Enzistal,
• Creon 10,000 or 25,000 units.

The dosage and duration of administration are determined by the attending physician, assessing the patient’s general health, his age, and the presence of diseases in the anamnesis.

Digestive enzymes are of no small importance in the treatment of intestinal flu.

Normalization of peristalsis

Diarrhea is one of the main symptoms that allows you to quickly diagnose intestinal flu. Widely advertised drugs for quickly eliminating diarrhea in this case will cause irreparable harm to the health of a person, especially a child. With the help of diarrhea, the body tries to get rid of pathogens. After taking Imodium or its structural analogue Loperamide, the frequency of bowel movements is significantly reduced. All viruses remain in the gastrointestinal tract and begin to multiply rapidly.

Drugs that have a bacteriostatic and, in high doses, a bactericidal effect will help:

• Enterofuril,
• Ersefuril,
• Stopdiar.

The main active ingredient of these drugs is Nifuroxazide. It inhibits the production of exotoxins by pathogenic viruses, which leads to less irritation of epithelial cells. The release of fluid into the intestinal lumen is also reduced. In addition, Nifuroxazide helps to increase phagocytic activity and increases the body's resistance to viral infections.

Stopping attacks of vomiting

Vomiting is the same protective reaction of the immune system as diarrhea. Gastroenterologists resort to the help of antiemetic drugs only in extreme cases, when a negative symptom of intestinal flu threatens the general state of health and causes a long-term lack of appetite. To relieve attacks of vomiting, two structural analogues are used:

• Cerucal,
• Metoclopramide.

These medications cannot be used without the prescription of the treating gastroenterologist. They have a significant number of side effects and contraindications. Exceeding the dose may cause complications and slow recovery. A small child with frequent vomiting must be urgently hospitalized for treatment in a hospital setting.

Use of enveloping agents

Despite the short duration of intestinal flu, with proper treatment, viruses manage to severely damage the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract. To prevent the development of events in such a negative scenario, gastroenterologists prescribe the following drugs:

• De-Nol,
• Novobismol.

The active ingredient of medicines is bismuth tripotassium dicitrate. The chemical compound creates a protective coating on the inner wall of the stomach, helping to avoid the negative effects of viral exotoxins. Enveloping drugs also promote rapid regeneration of epithelial cells and healing of ulcerative lesions.

The use of Enterofuril allows you to quickly stop diarrhea, which often occurs with intestinal flu

Diet food

It is necessary to treat stomach flu only by following a strict diet, otherwise recovery will be greatly delayed. On the first day of therapy, patients are shown complete fasting, which is not difficult due to constant nausea and vomiting. In the next few days, you need to exclude from the daily menu:

• fatty meats and fish;
• all vegetable crops;
• rich soups;
• any pastries;
• chocolate.

Eating such foods increases the load on the gastrointestinal tract, slows down digestion, and increases excess gas formation. Therefore, the patient’s diet should include:

• low-fat broths;
• liquid rice porridge;
• white bread croutons;
• puree soups;
• cracker.

During therapy, you can drink tea sweetened with honey and low-fat kefir. In the first days of treatment, you should not eat fruits and berries. Deficiency of vitamins and mineral compounds should be eliminated by taking Vitrum, Alphabet, Centrum, Selmevit, Complivit.

Only highly specialized doctors - gastroenterologists - know how to treat intestinal flu.

Laboratory and instrumental studies are of no small importance in drawing up an effective therapeutic regimen. Timely access to a hospital will help avoid dangerous complications and significantly speed up full recovery.

Intestinal flu in children is a common disease, often occurring in the autumn-winter period. The severity may depend on the age of the child. The younger you are, the more severe the disease. The child’s body is not formed and does not resist the invasion of a viral infection. Viruses cause stomach flu symptoms in children. The article discusses in detail the intestinal flu and its symptoms.

Stomach or intestinal flu is an acute viral pathology that affects the gastrointestinal tract. The disease has become widespread. The frequency increases during the cold seasons of the year. Young children in the first years of life are often susceptible. Intestinal flu is rare in adolescents and young adults.

Symptoms and causes of intestinal flu are often caused by an invading viral infection. Professors have described a large number of virus strains. The causative agents of intestinal flu are known, often the causes are:

• Rotaviruses.
• Astroviruses.
• Noroviruses.
• Caliciviruses.
• Adenoviruses.

Viral strains cause an acute inflammatory process in the digestive tract. There are clinical symptoms of intestinal infection, symptoms of acute respiratory infection, similar in symptoms to influenza.

Similar symptoms of E. coli in children.

Routes of infection

Infection occurs when the microorganism penetrates the epithelial cells of the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract. The severity of clinical symptoms depends on the number of pathogens in the body and the state of the child’s immune system. Symptoms and treatment vary depending on the nature of the pathogen.

Routes of infection are determined based on the nature of the disease:

1. Infection through nutritional routes. Pathogens enter the child's body with unwashed fruits and vegetables. You can become infected with low-quality, expired dairy and meat products.
2. can be transmitted through unwashed hands.
3. Stomach flu in children can be transmitted through water contaminated with the corresponding strain of virus or bacteria.
4. Viral stomach flu can be infected by airborne droplets. The pathogen is transmitted from a person by talking or sneezing.
5. Signs of intestinal flu are observed through contact and household infection of a child. It is enough for a child to hold in his hands a toy that a sick child was playing with the day before, or to hold on to the door handle in a kindergarten or school.

Virus persistence in the environment

Rotavirus influenza is resistant and viable. This type of infectious pathogen can withstand heating up to 60 degrees and freezing.

Not all cleaning products kill the virus in the environment. Prevention of spread in the environment is carried out with high concentration chlorine-containing antiseptic solutions.

Clinical manifestations of the disease

Parents should understand what the symptoms of intestinal flu mean in a child and how to treat intestinal flu. The first clinical manifestations of intestinal flu are signs similar to respiratory infections. The child has a sore throat and cough. There is mucous discharge from the nasal passages.

Clinical signs resolve on their own. Symptoms of intestinal distress appear. The sequence distinguishes intestinal flu from other infections that affect the child’s digestive tract. The latter begin with manifestations of dyspepsia.

Typical clinical symptoms

Rotavirus infection and stomach flu proceed according to a characteristic pattern:

1. The appearance of pain, congestion in the throat and nose. When examined, the throat in young children may be hyperemic.
2. Catarrhal symptoms of the upper respiratory tract - cough and runny nose, sneezing, hoarseness.
3. Diarrhea develops on days 2-3. In mild stages of the disease, diarrhea occurs up to 10 times a day. The stool is grayish in color and has a pungent odor. In severe forms of the disease, the number of urges to defecate reaches 50 times a day.
4. The child complains of pain in the abdomen. From time to time, the baby feels turbulence in the tummy and bloating. The child is in excruciating pain. He screams and knocks his legs.
5. The temperature in newborns is subfebrile, reaching febrile levels.
6. Nausea and vomiting, frequent diarrhea lead to the development of dehydration in the child.
7. Signs of intoxication - the child is lethargic, sleeps poorly or is excessively sleepy. Skin color is pale. Facial features are pointed.

Clinical forms of intestinal influenza

To understand the intestinal flu symptoms, you need to know the different forms of severity of the disease.

Classification of the disease according to characteristics:

1. According to the severity of the condition, the disease is mild, moderate, severe.
2. Clinical manifestations are divided into typical and atypical forms of the disease. The first form proceeds according to the scheme described above. The second form may not have clinical symptoms and may be mild. The typical form also occurs in a month-old or one-year-old child. The atypical form is typical for adolescents. In adults, the disease may not have clinical symptoms.

Treatment of intestinal flu in children at home is allowed if the disease is mild. Other forms of the disease require hospital treatment.

Possible complications

Rotavirus is an infection that is rarely accompanied by serious complications. This happens if timely treatment is started.

Lack of adequate care for children under one year old leads to the development of unpleasant complications from intestinal flu. It happens if a child has a significant decrease in the body’s immune defense.

A complication is severe dehydration, which can lead to the development of hemodynamic disorders. Intoxication at a severe stage can lead to the development of acute renal failure.

A secondary bacterial infection may occur. These are Escherichia or other types of pathogenic rods. Antibiotics with a wide therapeutic spectrum are prescribed for the treatment of children.

With careful supervision of the child and adequate treatment, you will avoid the development of the listed conditions. The attending physician will examine the child and determine what to do and whether antibacterial drugs can be taken.

Diagnosis of intestinal flu

An experienced pediatrician or infectious disease specialist can determine the diagnosis based on the first clinical manifestations. Often, viral and bacterial infections exhibit significant external similarities. Salmonellosis and dysentery can be hidden under the guise of the flu. Possible development of food poisoning. To differentiate between intestinal infections, bacteriological studies are prescribed.

Viral particles are too small to be visible under a microscope. Bacterial infections are detected. The pathogen is distinguished by the characteristic color of the cell nucleus.

Useful and reliable diagnostic information is obtained from studies:

1. Polymerase chain reactions.
2. Methods of immunofluorescence analysis.
3. Enzyme immunosorbent studies.

These tests will detect rotavirus. Research is expensive and rarely used.

For intestinal flu, a standard list of diagnostic procedures is prescribed:

• General blood analysis.
• General urine analysis.
• Stool analysis for coprogram, bacteriological culture.

Tests identify signs of inflammation in the body and check for possible bacterial infection.

Principles of treatment

No specific medicine has been developed to treat the cause of the disease. Therapeutic measures differ in the following areas:

1. Detoxification therapy.
2. Measures to eliminate signs of dehydration.
3. Restoring the functions of the urinary system.
4. Restoration of the cardiovascular system.
5. Symptomatic therapy.
6. Preventive measures aimed at preventing secondary bacterial infection.

You can take medications with the permission of your doctor. You should not put your baby’s life and health in danger by engaging in self-medication. If you find signs of an intestinal disease in a child under one year old, call a pediatrician at home. The doctor will give a referral to the hospital if necessary. In case of a mild form of the disease, children are kept on sick leave on an outpatient basis. The moderate or severe form requires treating patients with intestinal pathology in an infectious diseases hospital.

Before the doctor arrives, give the child first aid.

First aid at home

If you find signs of a respiratory infection in your child combined with symptoms of an intestinal disorder, let’s drink more.

If vomiting does not stop, drinks are given one teaspoon at regular intervals. A large amount of water is not retained in the baby’s stomach and provokes a new attack of vomiting. Pour boiled water and tea. Saline solutions such as Regidron have an effect. Brew medicinal herbs from folk recipes. You should drink a lot, but in small doses.

Monitor your child's position in bed so that he does not choke on vomit. Turn the baby's head to the side and do not leave it unattended. Choose the right pose! Lying on your back is harmful for infants.

Check your child's body temperature. If it rises from 38 degrees, do not tolerate it, take antipyretic drugs based on Paracetamol. Such medications are given to a child who is one month old.

A healing condition is a gentle lactose-free diet. Do not force your child to eat if he has no appetite. Offer to drink regularly. Dishes should be prepared steamed or boiled. Nutrition for patients with intestinal infection is gentle and fractional.

Drug treatment

The full course of drug therapy is carried out over 10 days. Anti-epidemiological drugs help raise the body's immune defense and prevent the spread of the disease. Pathogenetic treatment is selected individually for the child based on his condition.

To eliminate signs of dehydration, saline solutions are used orally, parenterally. If, after treatment with drinking solutions, vomiting does not stop and dehydration increases, switch to intravenous infusions. They are carried out in the infectious diseases department of a hospital for acute life-threatening conditions. Use Enterodes, Regidron internally. You can make your own drinking mixture at home.

To remove pathogenic particles from the body, drugs from the group of sorbents are used. Medicines - Polyphepan, Laktofiltrum or Enterosgel. The purpose helps to quickly cleanse the body of viral particles and bacterial toxins.

To speed up the restoration of non-pathogenic intestinal flora, give your child probiotics. They will help to quickly restore epithelial cells affected by intestinal infection and normalize intestinal activity. Acipol and Linex are effective. The preparations contain lyophilized live cultures of beneficial intestinal bacteria and quickly restore normal microflora in the intestines.

If the child has a fever, fever, or chills, give medications with an antipyretic effect. Paracetamol, Efferalgan, Nurofen - medications for children are available in the form of rectal suppositories, mixtures, and syrups for oral administration.

Enzymes are prescribed to the child to normalize digestive processes. With rotavirus infection, the normal enzymatic function of the intestine decreases - it must be maintained so that the child’s body can sufficiently absorb incoming nutrients. Enzymatic preparations Creon, Mezim, Pancreatin have proven their effectiveness.

Diet food

The diet for stomach flu is considered gentle. The child is fed slimy, boiled soups, semi-liquid porridges with water. Serve meat dishes pureed, boiled, and steamed.

Strong meat broths are strictly contraindicated in the acute period of the disease. Cook the soup in vegetable broth. It is recommended to give your child boiled fish and fish dishes. Prepare fish soufflé and steamed cutlets from low-fat fish.

It is better to give yesterday's bread, slightly stale. Cookies or crackers are low-fat and not rich. Give your baby biscuits for tea or compote. During the illness, it is strictly forbidden to give the child whole fresh milk and dairy products. Fresh vegetables, fruits, pickles, and marinades are excluded from the diet. Smoked and fatty foods are prohibited. Serve vegetables and fruits baked or boiled. Prepare the puree with a pinch of salt and sugar.

You need to return to your usual diet gradually. The whole process takes a month.

Disease prevention

Intestinal flu caused by rotavirus infection is characterized by specific prevention through vaccination. No specific prophylaxis has been identified for other viruses. It remains to follow the general rules to prevent infectious diseases of the digestive tract.

To avoid contracting intestinal flu, follow general hygiene rules:

1. Avoid contact with people with intestinal infections. During the epidemiological peak, it is better to limit contacts. You can get infected both from a sick child and from a healthy carrier.
2. If there is a patient with an intestinal infection in the house, he uses separate dishes and household items. The premises and household utensils are disinfected.
3. Wash your hands when coming from the street or from public places, as well as after contact with a sick person or carrier of viral intestinal flu. In addition, carry out this procedure after visiting the toilet and before eating.

Every day a person has to deal with different types of microbes and viruses. They live in the air, on surfaces, and are transmitted through direct contact with other people. Such contact cannot be avoided. TO strong immunity is the guarantee that you will be stronger than these uninvited guests in your body. Statistics show that the most common colds are ARVI. Less often it has intestinal manifestations. Intestinal flu appears in so-called outbreaks. It is most often diagnosed in winter, when the likelihood of colds increases and the immune defense becomes less strong. Every person needs to know how long the intestinal flu lasts and how you can get it.

Sometimes manifestations of ARVI have an intestinal form

An acute onset of the disease and moderate or severe symptoms, as well as a combination of intestinal and catarrhal manifestations - this is what characterizes intestinal flu. Caused by a viral infection. In the process of development, it can get a bacterial complication. Comprehensive, timely, correctly selected therapy will lead to the disease receding within a few days.

Duration of illness: mild, moderate and severe

How long the intestinal flu lasts depends on its course. An important role is played by the fact whether a similar disease was previously suffered. Rotavirus infection in humans promotes the development of immunity. It cannot be called persistent, but still its presence is an important plus.

In mild cases, the disease lasts about one week.

In mild cases, the disease lasts about one week. Moderate course involves the presence of symptoms for a period of 7 to 14 days. A severe form of intestinal flu is treated in a hospital setting. If you follow medical recommendations and proper therapy, the patient is discharged after about two weeks. If a severe infection is not treated correctly, the disease is delayed, complicated, and can leave an imprint on a person’s health for life or even lead to death. Statistics show that 3-4 people out of a hundred people who get sick end up badly.

Incubation period

How many days does stomach flu last without any symptoms?? The incubation period of the disease can last from several hours to 5 days. At that time, the person is already sick, but does not yet know about it. The infected person does not even suspect what awaits him very soon. With strong immunity, a viral infection can take root in the human body for a long time. If the protective functions are reduced, then after 12-16 hours you will feel the first signs of rotavirus.

Statistics show that the average incubation period is from 2 to 3 days.

Onset of the disease

The first stage of the disease is accompanied by symptoms such as sore throat, pain when swallowing, nasal congestion, mild runny nose and sneezing. All these catarrhal symptoms resemble a cold. Therefore, a patient may well confuse rotavirus with a banal ARVI. This pattern lasts no more than one day. After this, the infected person goes away the initial symptoms, and an acute period begins.

The disease begins with a mild runny nose and sneezing

The height of the infection

How long does intestinal flu last in children during the acute stage? The peak of symptoms occurs on days 3-7 of the disease. The children's well-being is deteriorating right before our eyes. In a person who has not previously had an intestinal infection, the signs of pathology are also clearly expressed. The patient no longer notices pain, sore throat and a feeling of nasal congestion. These symptoms are replaced by diarrhea - this is the most significant sign of intestinal flu. Other symptoms may be present partially or completely, but this infection never occurs without diarrhea.

• Severe diarrhea due to rotavirus. The stool is liquid with some foam and may have a light color (as in liver diseases). The urge to defecate is frequent (from 10 times per day). Diarrhea lasts on average 3-5 days. In case of severe illness – up to 10 days.
• Vomiting and nausea do not always occur. Sometimes patients complain of heartburn and stomach discomfort, but they do not vomit. As well as being absent, vomiting can be very pronounced (from 5 times a day). This symptom is present for approximately three days.
• Heat. Almost all children who become sick with intestinal flu for the first time have a fever. Body temperature can reach 38-39 degrees. The febrile period lasts from 3 to 5 days.

Recovery period

How long intestinal flu lasts in adults and children also depends on treatment. Properly prescribed therapy allows you to get better within 3-7 days. The entire recovery period is 4-5 days. At this time, the patient's condition improves every hour. First, the temperature drops to normal values. After this, abdominal discomfort and nausea disappear. Next, diarrhea ends. It is not surprising that you may experience constipation for a day or two afterwards. Don't worry, your stool will return to normal in the future.

Secondary infection

Many people wonder: Is it possible to get stomach flu again?? As scientific research has found, infection is not excluded. Practice shows that a person who has had a disease develops immunity. But this protection is not so strong as to completely protect yourself from rotavirus. Despite this, the secondary acquired disease is easier to tolerate. There are no longer any pronounced symptoms of the disease, no vomiting or nausea. Children experience indigestion for 2-4 days, after which the condition returns to normal.

Children may develop indigestion

The situation is different for adults. Their immunity is stronger. Gastric juice in adults has increased acidity. Therefore, they can cope with the disease faster. If a patient suffered from rotavirus in childhood, then, as an adult, he may not notice a new infection at all. Such people experience 1-2 days of bowel dysfunction without much discomfort. At the same time, they are getting better, even without following a diet. Such infected people can easily transmit intestinal flu to another person, whose symptoms will be more severe.

How many days is a sick person contagious?

If intestinal flu is discovered in a team, how many people are contagious and dangerous to others? From the appearance of the very first signs, the sick person must be isolated for a period of at least 10 days. If complications arise or the infection is severe, the patient is protected from communication with healthy people for a longer period of time. If the sick person does not have pronounced symptoms or does not suspect the infection at all, then you can still get infected from him.

How contagious is stomach flu? This infectious disease is very sticky. Viruses survive well at sub-zero temperatures, so you should not assume that the risk of infection decreases in winter. The pathogen can be eliminated from household items, dishes, and clothing only by boiling, disinfection, or treatment with ethanol. The virus can live in feces for up to one year.

Don't forget to wash your hands after going outside!

In large companies, people usually fall ill one at a time with a break of 1-3 days. Quarantine must be introduced from the fifth day after the last infection for up to 10 days. A prerequisite is the processing of furniture and household items. There is an opinion that intestinal flu is transmitted by airborne droplets. But this version remains unreliable today. To protect yourself from infection, practice good personal hygiene:

1. wash your hands after going outside;
2. do not drink water from unknown sources or dirty dishes;
3. refuse to eat in public places, especially street eateries;
4. during epidemics, avoid crowded places, markets, buses;
5. use hand sanitizers in the form of gels and sprays;
6. At the first symptoms of the disease, consult a doctor, and protect everyone at home from your contact.

Short conclusion

What is important to know about a disease such as intestinal flu: is it possible to become infected again, how long does it take for the first symptoms to appear, how long does the disease last. Naturally, every person wants to recover from this illness as quickly as possible.

Don't be lazy to see a doctor at the first signs of stomach flu

To shorten the period of illness as much as possible, it is necessary to consult a doctor at its first manifestations and get recommendations.

Follow the prescription, take the prescribed medications in accordance with the instructions, follow the regimen and diet. If possible, limit all contacts, and within a week you will feel much better.