Gastroenteritis or Bacterial Diarrhea Treatment | Causes, Cure for Gastroenteritis

Posted on August 24, 2009 by Nick in Digestive Disorders

Bacterial Diarrhea or Gastroenteritis Treatment

Diarrhea is one of the common ailments in the digestive system. The disease can be acquired from a variety of sources such as eating in unsanitary environments, the use of unclean utensils, eating improperly prepared foods, as well as drinking from dirty water sources. However, an even more severe type of diarrhea is bacterial diarrhea. This ailment is brought about by bacterial toxins and bacterium. Diarrhea of this type is characterized by an inflammation of the stomach. The disease is also known as gastroenteritis.

Gastroenteritis or Bacterial Diarrhea Causes

There are plenty of bacteria that causes diarrhea such as the salmonella, shigella, e.

coli, and yersinia bacteria. Moreover, the disease can also be acquired through the consumption of the following products that may be contaminated with any of the above mentioned bacterium:

  • Bakery products
  • Reheated dishes
  • Contaminated sea foods
  • Dairy products
  • Improperly prepared foods, especially those that contain tomato sauce

Symptoms of Gastroenteritis or Bacterial Diarrhea

Depending on the bacteria that cause the infection, symptoms may vary. However, despite variation in symptoms, diarrhea is the common underlying sign of the infection. Aside from diarrhea, the following are the other symptoms:

  • Abdominal cramps and pain
  • Bloody stools
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea and vomiting

Treat Gastroenteritis or Bacterial Diarrhea

Whatever the type of treatment for diarrhea is picked, a person has to remember that there is always the risk of dehydration resulting from water loss due to diarrhea.

As such, it is imperative that the patient has to watch out for signs of the onset of dehydration such as cramps and joint pains, as well as vomiting.

Listed below are the other ways for the treatment of gastroenteritis or diarrhea:

  • Refrain from eating hard solid foods. This is because such foods take a lot of time to digest, and the long time required for their digestion may cause more strain on the stomach that could exacerbate the condition.
  • Eat slightly burned yam and other root crops. The yam or root crops provide the necessary nutrient missed by the infected person. On the other hand, the carbon resulting from the cooked food will help in releasing trapped gasses in the stomach while occasionally acting on the infectious agent itself.
  • One may also take antimicrobial medicines to help eliminate the source of the ailment. However, in most instances, this is no longer necessary as other simpler methods prove sufficient.

2 comments

  1. Salina
    December 28, 2009 at 1:24 am

    There can be several reasons why your stomach may be growling and paining. There are several reasons for the discomfort and pain, but the management is very simple,
    - Avoid oily, fatty and spicy foods. These foods tend to irritate the gastric mucosa causing burning, pain and acidity.
    - Certain foods that are high in fiber content like peas, beans, cabbage, corn, whole grains, onions, grapes and plums cause undue stress on the digestive system and result in discomfort. Ensure that when consuming a high fiber diet, you drink plenty of water. Foods containing whole wheat, milk and milk products can cause discomfort to individuals not used to the foods.
    - Eat small quantities of food at frequent intervals of time. Take small meals at short durations to avoid retro-sternal burning and pain.
    - Drink as much water as possible. Avoid aerated drinks, soda and beer or wait till some of the drinks fizz out
    - Frequent consumption of over the counter drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, etc may result in gastric irritation and cause significant gastric discomfort

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