What Is Gastroenteritis?
Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (the pathway responsible for digestion that includes the mouth, esophagus (food pipe in the neck), stomach, and intestines). Gastroenteritis is also sometimes referred to as ‘stomach flu’, even though it is not related to influenza.

What Causes Gastroenteritis?
Gastroenteritis can be caused by viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections. Viral gastroenteritis is highly contagious and is responsible for the majority of outbreak in developed countries.

Common Routes of Infection Include:

  * Food (especially sea food)
  * Contaminated water
  * Contact with an infected person
  * Unwashed hands
  * Dirty utensils

In undeveloped countries, gastroenteritis is more often spread through contaminated food or water.

What Are the Symptoms of Gastroenteritis?
The main symptoms of gastroenteritis are diarrhea (running stomach). When the colon (large intestine) becomes infected during gastroenteritis, it loses its ability to retain fluids which causes the person’s feces to become watery.
Other symptoms include:

  * Abdominal pain or cramping
  * Nausea
  * Vomiting
  * Fever
  * Poor feeding (In infants)
  * Unintentional weight loss (may be a sign of dehydration)
  * Excessive sweating
  * Clammy skin
  * Muscle pain or joint stiffness
  * Incontinence (loss of stool control)
  * Because of the symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, people who suffer from gastroenteritis can become dehydrated (loss water) very quickly. It is very important to watch for signs of dehydration, which include:
  * Extreme thirst
  * Concentrated urine (darker in color)
  * Dry skin, lips and tongue
  * Sunken cheeks or eyes
  * In infants dry diapers (for more than 4-6 hours)

How Common Is Gastroenteritis?
Because gastroenteritis is so similar to common diarrhea and because so many cases do not require hospitalization, it is difficult to determine how many cases of gastroenteritis occur per year. Worldwide, it is estimated that three to five billion cases of acute diarrhea (which can be caused by many other diseases besides gastroenteritis) occur per year. Gastroenteritis is estimated to cause about five to 10 million deaths per year worldwide.

Who Is at Risk for Gastroenteritis?

  * Anyone can be affected by the disease. People who are at a higher risk include:
  * Children in daycare
  * Students living in dormitories
  * Military personnel, and
  * Travelers

People with immune systems that are weakened by disease or medications or not fully developed (infants) are usually affected most severely.

How Is Gastroenteritis Diagnosed?
The doctor will take a medical history to make sure that nothing else is causing the symptoms. Also, the doctor might perform a rectal or abdominal examination to exclude the possibilities of inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease) and pelvic abscesses (Pockets of pus) A stool culture (a laboratory test to identify bacteria and other organisms from a sample of feces) can be used to determine the specific virus or germ that is causing gastroenteritis.
Other diseases that could cause diarrhea and vomiting are pneumonia, septicemia (a disease caused by toxic bacteria in the bloodstream), urinary tract infection, and meningitis (an infection that causes inflammation of the membranes of the spinal cord or brain). Also, conditions that require surgery, such as appendicitis (an inflammation of the appendix), intussusceptions (a condition folds into itself, causing blockage), and Hirschsprung’s disease (a condition where nerve cells in the intestinal walls do not develop properly) can cause symptoms similar to gastroenteritis.

How Can Gastroenteritis be Prevented?

  * There are several steps that you can take to reduce your risk of getting gastroenteritis, including:
  * washing your hands frequently, especially after going to the bathroom and when you are working with food
  * cleaning and disinfecting kitchen surfaces, especially when working with raw meat or eggs
  * keeping raw meat, eggs, and poultry away from foods that are eaten raw
  * drinking bottled water and avoiding ice cubes when traveling

How Is Gastroenteritis Treated?
The body can usually fight off the disease on its own. The most important factor when treating gastroenteritis is the replacement of fluids and electrolytes that are lost because of the diarrhea and vomiting. Foods that contain electrolytes and complex carbohydrates, such as potatoes, lean meats (chicken), and whole grains, can help replace nutrients. You can also buy electrolyte and fluid replacement solutions at food and drug stores.

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Observer Doctor with Dr. Lily Sanvee
By:  Dr. Lily Sanvee

http://www.liberianobserver.com/