First Aid for Intestinal Infections

If your health has suddenly deteriorated sharply: you have a headache, your appetite has deteriorated, and your temperature has risen to 38-39 degrees, there is something to think about. And if, after a few more hours, nausea and vomiting appear, your stomach hurts severely, you have diarrhea and are tormented by flatulence, then it is likely that you have caught an intestinal infection.

Almost all acute intestinal infections make themselves felt very quickly: 6-48 hours after the pathogen enters the human body. So think about whether you have recently eaten or drunk anything suspicious. In this case, you may also have non-bacterial poisoning (for example, mushrooms or drugs). But if you forgot to wash your hands before eating, thoughtfully bit your nails, or visited a sick friend with similar symptoms, this is a real infectious disease.

What to do?

If the patient begins to complain of a sudden deterioration in vision, fog before the eyes and strabismus, do not hesitate to call an ambulance! These are signs of deadly botulism, and with this disease, hours and minutes can count.

If another acute intestinal infection is suspected, consultation with an infectious disease specialist is also required. Especially if vomiting and diarrhea take on threatening forms. Before the specialist arrives, you can take the following measures:

1. Put the victim to bed. Place a pot nearby for excrement and vomit. Before draining them into the sewer, it is advisable to treat them with bleach for 2 hours (1 part feces and 2 parts 10% bleach).

2. If a person has chills, cover them with a warm blanket and place a heating pad or cat at their feet.

3. The patient should be given separate dishes and, if possible, a separate room.

4. It is advisable to temporarily remove children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems from the apartment, while everyone else must carefully observe the rules of personal hygiene to avoid the spread of infection.

5. It would be good to rinse the patient’s stomach: let him drink 1-1.5 liters of water and then induce vomiting.

6. Constantly give the victim a warm drink, for example, weak tea with sugar. The Regidron solution (1 packet of powder per 1 liter of boiled water) will help restore the loss of fluid and salts during debilitating vomiting and diarrhea.

7. To remove microbes and toxins from the body, give the patient any enterosorbent: “Smecta” (1-2 sachets per day), “Polyphepan” (1/2 teaspoon 3 times a day), “Microsorb” (1-2 teaspoons 3 times a day), etc.

8. “No-Spa” will relieve severe abdominal pain. True, it is better not to take painkillers just before the doctor arrives; this will distort the picture of the disease, and the specialist may make a mistake in the diagnosis.

Even if the patient feels better, he must follow a diet. The following will not harm him: rice porridge with water, sweet tea, grated apples, fermented milk products. Products that increase fermentation in the intestines (whole milk, brown bread, legumes, beets, cucumbers, cabbage) are still contraindicated for him.

Let's say an episode of intestinal infection ends quickly. However, after the condition has normalized, it is still recommended to visit an infectious disease specialist. It is possible that the cause of poor health is worms, and the patient needs to consult a parasitologist.