Contents
Medical treatments for gastroenteritis
Most people recover within 1 to 3 days. The aim of treatment is to rehydrate and prevent dehydration.
Medical treatments for gastroenteritis: understand everything in 2 minutes
Isolation of the sick person is desirable. So it is better to stay at home and have a rest.
Rehydration
- First, when there are vomiting, wait a few hours after they stop before eating or drinking to allow the digestive system to recover. Young people may, however, try to drink a rehydration solution when they have gone 30 minutes without vomiting.
- Then, drink small sips water or rehydration solution. It can be found in pharmacies (Gastrolyte®). You can make it yourself, which is less recommended (see recipes below). Avoid consuming too much of it all at once. At the beginning, it is advisable to take about 1 tbsp. of solution every 10 minutes, then gradually increase.
- If vomiting resumes, wait 30 minutes, then try to absorb some water or rehydration solution again.
- Avoid alcohol, which dehydrates and irritates the digestive system. Also avoid drinking several glasses of sugary soft drinks a day (especially cola). Their high sugar content can worsen diarrhea.
Rehydration solutions Mix 360 ml of unsweetened orange juice with 600 ml of cooled boiled water, plus 1/2 tsp. of table salt. | |
Mode of conservation. The solutions can be stored for 12 h at room temperature and 24 h in the refrigerator. Watch out for mistakes! An error (eg the amount of salt) when preparing the solution can lead to serious complications. For this reason, most experts recommend using a commercial solution like Pédialyte or Gastrolyte, especially in children. To avoid : Soft drinks such as 7-up, even degassed, sweet or undiluted drinks or fruit juices. | |
Infant rehydration
Often offer to drink a electrolyte rehydration solution to the child (on sale in pharmacies). Offer the solution, preferably fresh, several times an hour, in small sips or with a spoon. You start with as little as 5 to 15 ml at a time. In babies from 0 to 6 months, 30 to 90 ml per hour are given, from 6 months to 2 years 90 to 120 ml per hour, and for two years and over 125 to 250 ml per hour. If the child starts to vomit again, give a break of 30 to 60 minutes and start from the beginning (5-15 ml at a time).
Food
As long as the discomfort persists, it is better to avoid eat the following foods, which make your symptoms worse cramps and diarrhea:
- dairy products;
- citrus juices;
- meat;
- spicy dishes;
- the sweets;
- foods high in fat (including fried foods);
- foods that contain wheat flour (bread, pasta, pizza, etc.);
- corn and bran, which are high in fiber;
- fruits, with the exception of bananas, which would be rather beneficial, even in young children from 5 months to 12 months3;
- raw vegetables.
Once the nausea has subsided, gradually reintroduce a solid food by focusing on certain foods that are easier to digest. The starchy, such as white rice, unsweetened cereals, white bread and crackers, are usually well tolerated and reduce diarrhea. Stop eating if symptoms return. Then gradually add fruits and vegetables, yogurt, then protein foods (lean meat, fish, eggs, cheese, etc.).
pharmaceuticals
If necessary, taking acetaminophen (Acet®, Tylenol®, Tempra®) can relieve stomach pain.
To “block” diarrhea, especially when traveling, anti-diarrhea medications, such as loperamide (eg: Imodium®, Diar-Ezee®) or diphenoxylate hydrochloride (Lomotil®) can be used. However, they do not treat the infection and should be avoided as much as possible. They are contraindicated in the presence of high fever or blood in the stool.
hospitalization
In more severe cases, thehospitalization may be necessary. Doctors then use an intravenous drip to rehydrate the body. Antibiotics are prescribed as needed to treat severe bacterial gastroenteritis.