How is enteritis treated?

Written by Li Ying
Gastroenterology
Updated on April 10, 2025
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Gastroenteritis can generally be divided into viral gastroenteritis and bacterial gastroenteritis. In terms of treatment, the first is pathogen treatment, and the second is symptomatic treatment. For pathogen treatment, it is best to choose antibacterial drugs based on the type of bacteria for bacterial gastroenteritis; however, viral gastroenteritis generally does not require pathogen treatment, and most patients can recover on their own. For symptomatic treatment, since gastroenteritis may cause symptoms such as dehydration and vomiting, it is necessary to timely provide fluid replenishment to the patients to prevent mild dehydration.

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What to do with infant enteritis?

When an infant has enteritis and frequently diarrhea, it is essential to treat this condition. First, you should administer appropriate anti-inflammatory medication. Additionally, medications that stop diarrhea and regulate intestinal flora are needed. If the infant has numerous bouts of diarrhea, followed by reduced urine output or cries without tears, it indicates dehydration. In such cases, it's important to replenish fluids, possibly through oral rehydration salts. If the infant shows significant restlessness or cries without any tears at all, or if there is a noticeable decrease in urine output, fluid replenishment therapy is necessary.

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What foods should I eat to regulate enteritis?

When dealing with colitis, dietary considerations are crucial. Smoking and alcohol consumption should be avoided, as well as fatty, rich, spicy, stimulating, fried, grilled, and raw cold foods. The diet should primarily consist of light and easily digestible foods. Suitable options include porridge, such as yam porridge, barley porridge, and millet porridge, as well as soups like chicken soup and pork rib soup, and even noodles. Additionally, when consuming meat, ensure it is thoroughly stewed before eating. Increased physical activity is also recommended, as it can promote gastrointestinal motility and potentially improve digestive functions. Avoid staying up late and excessive physical strain to maintain a relaxed mood and avoid excessive anxiety and depression.

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Is enteritis prone to recurrence?

Enteritis is primarily a disease of the intestines, with a higher incidence in autumn and summer, predominantly manifesting as acute enteritis during these times. The incubation period ranges from 12 to 36 hours, and the main symptoms may cause the patient to experience diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. There is also chronic enteritis, which occurs more slowly and causes repeated episodes of abdominal pain over a long period, including diarrhea and various degrees of indigestion. Changes can also be observed in the stool, which may be watery or mucus-laden. Patients with mild diarrhea might defecate three to four times a day. There might be alternating episodes of constipation and diarrhea. In severe cases, patients might experience bowel movements once every one to two hours, or even suffer from severe fecal incontinence. Sometimes, the stool might contain a large amount of mucus and possibly pus and blood, or even fresh blood, which necessitates ruling out other diseases. If enteritis is well-managed, it can be a long time before a recurrence, but if the treatment is not thoroughly standardized, enteritis is likely to recur.

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What are the symptoms of enteritis?

Enteritis is generally divided into chronic enteritis and acute enteritis. Acute enteritis usually has severe symptoms and develops rapidly. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and fever. In the case of chronic enteritis, symptoms can include mucous stools, bloody pus stools, and abdominal pain, as well as nausea and vomiting. Therefore, during acute enteritis, symptomatic treatment using anti-inflammatory drugs generally cures it within about three days. However, the treatment for chronic enteritis differs from that of acute enteritis since it involves a sterile inflammation, and anti-inflammatory drugs are generally not required outside the acute phase. So, when you are diagnosed with acute enteritis, do not worry; it can usually be quickly cured with some anti-inflammatory medication.

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Is it useful to take probiotics for enteritis?

Some patients may ask if probiotics are useful for enteritis. A large number of studies have shown that dysbiosis of the gut microbiota can cause enteritis, and patients with enteritis generally experience a disruption of the gut microbiota, especially those who have had the condition for a longer period, often have this situation of gut microbiota imbalance. Therefore, appropriately taking probiotics should be beneficial for the recovery of the gut, because probiotics inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in the gut, adhere to the intestinal mucosa to form a protective layer, and prevent attacks on the intestinal mucosa by harmful microbiomes. Additionally, probiotics can produce various enzymes involved in the digestion of food in the gut and other physiological processes; moreover, probiotics can also regulate the activity of immune factors in the gut, enhancing intestinal immunity. Thus, probiotics play a very positive role in preventing and treating symptoms that arise from enteritis. However, patients with enteritis also need to supplement appropriate probiotics under the guidance of a doctor, choosing probiotics that meet the different needs of different individuals to improve related symptoms.