Acute Intestinal Infections

Acute intestinal infections: symptoms, causes and treatment

Acute intestinal infections are diseases that can be caused by viruses, bacteria or bacterial toxins. Regardless of the cause, all acute intestinal infections share common symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and flatulence. They can lead to severe dehydration, which is a major health hazard.

The causes of acute intestinal infections can be various bacteria, such as salmonella, shigella, enteropathogenic E. coli, staphylococci, yersinia, as well as viruses such as rotavirus, enteroviruses, astroviruses, parvoviruses, as well as other microorganisms such as iambis, amoebas and blastocysts . Acute intestinal infections can enter the body through a variety of ways, including poorly washed hands, vegetables, fruits, stale or poorly processed foods, water from questionable sources, and even airborne droplets.

Acute intestinal infections have a short incubation period, which can last from several hours to 3-4 days. The disease begins with malaise, the so-called prodromal period. The acute period can begin on the same day or at night and lasts up to 2 weeks. Symptoms may vary, for example, some acute intestinal infections begin with vomiting, and then diarrhea appears, in other cases there is no vomiting - straight away diarrhea; There are acute intestinal infections without fever.

The recovery period is quite long and may be accompanied by unstable stools, abdominal pain, weakness, skin rashes and weakened immunity.

Treatment of acute intestinal infections consists of a combination of different measures, such as combating harmful microbes, maintaining the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, restoring healthy intestinal microflora, preventing and combating dehydration, removing toxins from the body, reducing their harmful effects and symptomatic therapy.

It is better to start treatment as early as possible, for example, taking intestinal antiseptics such as Furazolidone or Ersefuril. Nowadays, many acute intestinal infections can be treated without antibiotics, so you should not take antibiotics without a doctor's prescription. It is also important to maintain normal fluid levels in the body and drink plenty of fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration. If dehydration becomes severe, you may need to be hospitalized to receive fluids through a vein.

To prevent acute intestinal infections, it is necessary to follow the rules of hygiene, wash your hands thoroughly before eating and after visiting the toilet, process food before consumption, drink only boiled or bottled water, do not swim in contaminated water and avoid contact with sick people. It is also important to monitor the state of your immunity to reduce the risk of acute intestinal infections.