Summer is coming, the weather is getting hotter, and roadside stalls and barbecue restaurants are gradually active in the public eye. The happy days of "hot pot, barbecue, crayfish" in the left hand and "beer, cola, and iced watermelon" in the right hand are gradually coming, and happiness comes so easily. However, there is a hidden risk of "acute gastroenteritis" behind this, which is difficult to prevent. Experts from the Department of Gastroenterology and Anorectal Medicine of Handan Mingren Hospital remind everyone that summer is not more important than "indulging" yourself.
What is acute gastroenteritis?
Acute gastroenteritis is an acute inflammation of the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract caused by a variety of factors, with a high incidence in summer and autumn, and is often triggered by unclean diet or overeating. This disease can be divided into two types: infectious and non-infectious, and infectious acute gastroenteritis is more common in clinical practice. Patients mainly present with abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and severe cases can lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, shock, etc.
What are the manifestations of acute gastroenteritis?
1. Abdominal pain. Patients may experience epigastric or periumbilical pain, which may worsen in paroxysmal or persistent, or worse, may be noticeably severe.
2. Diarrhea. Diarrhea is a typical symptom of patients with acute gastroenteritis, and the stool of patients with viral and non-infectious acute gastroenteritis is mostly loose or watery, often mixed with undigested food residues and a small amount of mucus; Patients with mild bacterial acute gastroenteritis usually have several stools per day, and severe cases > 10 times per day.
3. Nausea and vomiting. Patients with acute gastroenteritis often have nausea and vomiting, and in severe cases, gastrointestinal bleeding.
4. Miscellaneous. Some patients will have symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, fatigue, general malaise, and in severe cases, it may also lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, shock, etc.
How is acute gastroenteritis caused?
1. Improper diet. Overeating, unclean diet, eating raw, cold, spicy food, and irregular diet may cause gastrointestinal infections and cause acute gastroenteritis.
2. Viral infection. Rotavirus, norovirus, etc. are the most common. When these viruses invade the body, they can infect the epithelial cells of the small intestine, causing cell damage and causing diarrhea. Moreover, these viruses spread quickly and are highly contagious, being able to spread from person to person, through food, and water.
3. Bacterial infection. Summers are hot and the temperature rises, and food is prone to spoilage, which makes it easy to breed and become infected with bacteria. Salmonella and halophiles (Vibrio parahaemolyticus) are the most common sources of intestinal bacterial infections, while Staphylococcus aureus is a common source of toxins. These infections are usually more common in groups or families.
4. Parasitic infections. Common pathogens include Giardia, amoeba, Cryptosporidium, etc.
5. Miscellaneous. In life, if there is too much work or mental pressure, and the emotional stimulation is excessive, it will cause neurological dysfunction. When the splanchnic nerve function is disordered, it will affect the peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract, which in turn affects the secretion of digestive juices in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, factors such as decreased immunity, abdominal cold, and temperature changes may also contribute to the occurrence of acute gastroenteritis.
How can acute gastroenteritis be prevented?
1. Pay attention to personal and tableware hygiene, and wash hands before meals is the basic operation.
2. Beware of diseases from the mouth. In the daily diet, avoid overeating, hot and cold, avoid eating greasy and spicy food, eat regularly, mainly light, and "nourish" accounts for seven points.
3. Eat less takeout and roadside food, and refuse to eat while walking.
4. Do not set the temperature of the air conditioner too low, pay attention to the abdomen to keep warm to prevent cold.
5. Don't eat expired food and don't drink unclean water.
Experts say that when acute gastroenteritis occurs, bed rest should be tried as much as possible, and appropriate supplementation of sugar saline, light salt water or oral rehydration salts is generally not required. Those with mild disease can eat some liquid foods, such as porridge, white rice porridge, rotten noodles, etc.; In severe cases, temporary fasting may be required, oral rehydration salts can be used to prevent dehydration, and the diet may be gradually increased after the disease resolves. Of course, if you have serious symptoms such as obvious abdominal pain, blood pressure drop, confusion, etc., do not brace hard, and should seek medical treatment in a regular hospital in time.