“Intestine” is healthy, and “inflammation” must be vigilant.

Acute gastrointestinal inflammation is a common disease of the digestive system, usually caused by inadequate diet or by bacteria, viruses. Understanding the causes, symptoms and measures to prevent and treat acute gastrointestinal disease helps us to better prevent and treat the disease and to maintain health.

I. What is acute gastrointestinal inflammation?

Acute gastrointestinal inflammation is the acute inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucous membrane caused by various causes. Common causes include bacterial, viral, parasitic infections, and eating irritant foods, drugs, alcohol or food allergies. Most of the disease occurs at the summer and autumn festival, and children and populations with low levels of immunity are more vulnerable.

II. Causes and contributing factors

Infectious factors:

– Bacteria infections: most common bacteria are salmonella, sigma, intestinal echella, etc., usually infected by eating bacterial contaminated food or drinking raw water.

– Virus infection: The virus is mainly caused by rotavirus, Norovirus, and 80 per cent of diarrhoea among infants and young children, especially during cold seasons, by viral infections. – parasitic infections, such as Jadi, Amiba, etc., by ingestion of contaminated food or water.

2. Non-infective factors:

– Inappropriate eating: cold, overheating, irritating food, or toxic plants, mushrooms, etc.

– The effects of drugs: the use of gastrointestinal irritant drugs such as aspirin.

– Alcoholic and food allergy: alcohol and certain food components may cause gastrointestinal inflammation.

III. Symptoms

The symptoms of acute gastrointestinal inflammation vary according to the cause of the disease and the individual, and the common symptoms include:

1. Diarrhoea and vomiting: This is the most typical form of acute gastrointestinal inflammation, most of which is water or defecation, several to dozens of times a day.

2. Abdominal pain: usually manifested in pain in the upper abdominal or umbilical weeks, which may be of a strutting nature.

3. Heat: Some patients have fever symptoms that can be as high as 38°C.

Dehydration and electrolyte disorders: Severe vomiting and diarrhoea can lead to massive loss of moisture and electrolytics, symptoms such as dry mouths, low urine, poor skin elasticity and even shock.

IV. Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis:

– Preliminary diagnosis based on patient ‘ s history, symptoms and medical examination.

– Laboratory examinations include blood, poop, pathological examinations, etc., in order to identify the causes of the disease.

2. Treatment:

– Rehydration therapy: rehydration liquids and electrolytes are the most important treatment during the acute period, with oral rehydration salts for people with moderate dehydration and intravenous rehydration for those with severe dehydration.

– Dietary adjustment: diets should be eaten during acute periods that are light, digestive and free from greasy and irritating foods. Severe vomiting requires fasting and intravenous supplementation.

– Drug treatment: bacterial infections require the use of antibiotics, and viral infections have no specific drug, mainly treatment for disease support. The use of intestinal mucous protections, prophylactics, etc.

V. Preventive measures

1. Physico-sanitary care: hand-washing before meals to avoid exposure to potential sources of infection.

2. Food safety: no food of raw cold, no water of raw origin, no food of fresh origin, and no food of raw origin.

3. Avoiding stimulant foods: Reduced intake of spicy, greasy, overheated or overcold foods and beverages.

4. Reasonable use of medicines: Avoiding long-term intensive use of antibiotics, and be careful when taking gastrointestinal irritant drugs.

Acute gastrointestinal inflammation, although common, may cause serious complications if it is not treated in a timely manner. Therefore, in our daily lives, we should develop good diet and living habits and actively prevent the occurrence of acute gastrointestinal inflammation. When the symptoms occur, they should be treated in a timely manner and in a regular manner.

Acute gastroenteritis