Acute gastroenteritis causes and symptoms

Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 02, 2024
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Acute gastroenteritis is common in summer and autumn, often caused by consuming unclean food. Consuming chilled watermelon or cola straight from the refrigerator can also trigger acute gastroenteritis. The primary symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Frequent diarrhea can lead to signs of dehydration in the body, such as sunken eyeballs and pale lips.

For acute gastroenteritis, immediate fluid replacement therapy should be administered, and antibiotics should be used to control the infection along with medications to stop diarrhea and firm up the stools.

(Please take medication under the guidance of a doctor)

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Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
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What should I do about acute gastroenteritis?

Acute gastroenteritis typically presents with symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting, and sometimes accompanied by fever and chills. In such cases, it is important to rest, keep warm, avoid cold, and follow a diet that is light and easy to digest, such as rice porridge, soft noodles, etc. It is advisable to avoid raw, greasy, spicy, and alcoholic foods. Treatment should be based on the specific cause. For viral infections causing gastroenteric flu, antiviral and antidiarrheal astringents are commonly used. For bacterial infections causing infectious diarrhea, antibacterial and antidiarrheal treatments are needed, typically involving cephalosporins or quinolones. Generally, symptoms will gradually ease.

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Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
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Can I eat apples with acute gastroenteritis?

Apples are one of the essential fruits in our daily life, containing a rich array of nutrients, such as minerals, fruit acids, vitamins, fiber, etc., which are greatly beneficial to our human body. Acute gastroenteritis is usually caused by exposure to cold or improper diet, primarily characterized by symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and sometimes fever and chills. In this case, targeted treatment should be firstly applied, and the diet should consist mainly of light and easily digestible food, such as porridge and soft noodles, while avoiding raw, greasy, spicy foods, and alcoholic beverages. Apples are relatively cold in nature; it is best to avoid eating them raw under these circumstances. If there is a real desire to eat apples, steaming them before eating should be feasible.

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Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
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Gastroenteritis dehydration symptoms

Gastroenteritis, also known as stomach flu, mainly occurs due to simultaneous infections in the stomach and intestinal mucosa by bacteria or viruses. The primary clinical symptoms are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and watery stools—some experience it five or six times a day, and others more than ten times a day. Increased frequency of stools can lead to symptoms of dehydration. Excessive loss of body fluids can cause electrolyte imbalance and dehydration, presenting symptoms such as pale complexion, cold limbs, fever, and decreased blood pressure. In such cases, it is essential to go to the hospital for intravenous fluids as soon as possible. Oral rehydration solutions can also be used, but if the patient experiences severe nausea and vomiting, intravenous administration of glucose, saline, and potassium chloride is necessary. (Please rehydrate under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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Does acute gastroenteritis cause constipation?

Acute gastroenteritis refers to acute inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, characterized by abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. This condition does not involve constipation. In cases of mild diarrhea caused by acute gastroenteritis, the general condition is good, with fewer than ten bowel movements, and the stool sometimes appears like egg drop soup. For more severe diarrhea, there might be more than ten bowel movements per day, and treatment should primarily focus on antidiarrheal, pain relief, and antiemetic medications. It is also important to rest adequately, hydrate promptly, and follow a diet of eating small, frequent meals. If the condition is severe, treatment might involve gastrointestinal decompression and parenteral nutrition.

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Written by Feng Ying Shuai
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Where to apply moxibustion for acute gastroenteritis?

Acute enteritis can be caused either by exposure to pathogenic wind, cold, and dampness, or by unclean diet and excessive consumption of raw and cold food. At this time, we would choose some acupoints with good effects, such as the Liangqiu point on our feet, for moxibustion. The Liangqiu point is mainly used to treat some acute conditions and is considered an Xi (cleft) point. During moxibustion, we can use either suspended moxibustion or ginger-separated moxibustion, both of which are effective. Additionally, we can also choose the Tianshu point on our abdomen. The Tianshu point is located on the abdomen and is the Mu (alarm) point of the large intestine; it can regulate acute gastroenteritis. Typically, we use suspended moxibustion for the Tianshu point. If the cold is particularly severe, we can also slice a thin piece of ginger, place it on top, and perform ginger-separated moxibustion. This helps to warm the meridians, dispel cold, relieve pain, and regulate gastroenteritis.