Quite well-known symptoms - diarrhea and pain in the abdomen - as a rule, signal the presence of an inflammatory process in the body. And the named combination can occur both in children and in adults as a result of food poisoning, intestinal infection or the presence of serious gastrointestinal pathologies. About how to get rid of these symptoms in some diseases, we will discuss later in the article.
What can cause diarrhea and abdominal cramps
Most often, loose stools and abdominal pain are manifestations of intestinal infection. And there are a great many microorganisms capable of exciting it:
- pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli and dysentery bacillus, staphylococci, salmonella, typhoid bacillus),
- viruses (rotaviruses, enteroviruses),
- parasites (worms, giardia, amoeba).
As a result of the activity of any of these intruders, the intestinal tract is disturbed, and the infected person develops diarrhea and pain in the stomach. As you understand, it is not necessary to treat the symptoms in these cases, but the cause that caused them. For this, the patient needs to undergo an examination and clarify the cause of the trouble.
Salmonellosis
Quite often, abdominal pain and loose stools are symptoms of salmonellosis, which occurs in both humans and animals. Salmonella is a very tenacious microorganism. It remains active for a long time and tolerates even adverse conditions: so at a temperature of 70 ° C, this bacterium dies only after 7-10 minutes! In a piece of meat 12 cm thick, salmonella does not die even after boiling, and in smoked or salted meat they remain active for another 2.5 months. In butter, it can feel good for 4 months, and in milk - until it is sour.
On the very first day after infection, the patient has cramps in the abdomen, diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting. And the biggest danger in this disease is toxic shock, which can cause cerebral edema, renal or heart failure.
Salmonellosis Treatment
Based on the danger that salmonellosis poses, abdominal cramps and diarrhea caused by this disease are treated only in an infectious diseases hospital.
- After the diagnosis is clarified, the patient is cleansed of the body with the maximum possible dose of sorbents (Smecta, Polysorb, etc.), which helps the vital products of bacteria to leave the feces and not be absorbed into the blood.
- Rehydration procedures are carried out, that is, restoration of the required volume of fluid in the body. For this, intravenous administration of saline and glucose is used. Depending on the electrolyte composition of the patient’s blood, droppers are prescribed with solutions of Ringer, Trisol, Acesol, etc. And additionally, the patient is re-dosed with Regidron or Humana Electrolyte.
- Antibacterial therapy is reduced to taking one or two types of antibiotics (Ceftriaxone, Norfloxacin, Ciprofloxacin, etc.). They are usually administered in the first 5 days of the disease intravenously or intramuscularly, and subsequently, in the form of tablets, with a decrease in the level of intoxication and an improvement in general well-being.
Dysentery
The described symptoms are no less often manifested in another intestinal infection transmitted from person to person - dysentery. You can get it at any time of the year, but in the summer, as a rule, there is a peak in incidence.
Dysenteric bacillus, once in the stomach, dies in large numbers, releasing endotoxin. It is absorbed in the intestines and spreads by blood throughout the body, poisoning it. And the surviving part of the bacteria is located in the colon, where it causes the development of the inflammatory process until ulcers appear.
With dysentery, patients complain of cramping pains and pains in the abdomen and diarrhea, which are accompanied by weakness, chills and fever. Very frequent bowel movements (up to 20 times a day) after a while become scarce, and mucus and blood appear in them, tenesmus (painful false urges to empty) appear.
Dysentery treatment
Diarrhea and abdominal cramps caused by dysentery can be treated both in the infectious diseases hospital and at home, depending on the severity of the disease. The patient is prescribed adsorbents (Polyphepan, Smecta), drugs that improve the intestinal microflora (Linex, Bifidobacterin, Lactobacterin, etc.), as well as antibiotics.
When treating a patient, a sparing diet and strict quarantine are required.
What is intestinal flu
But diarrhea, vomiting, and pain in the abdomen can also be symptoms of a viral infection (most often these are rotaviruses or enteroviruses). In such cases, they talk about intestinal flu.
Usually, the disease manifests itself acutely and suddenly, and muscle pain, weakness, increased heart rate, runny nose, sore throat, lacrimation, photophobia, pain in the heart area are added to the mentioned symptoms, which, as you understand, can make diagnosis of the disease difficult.
Infection with viruses, like bacteria, occurs when hygiene rules are violated (dirty hands, poorly washed fruits and vegetables, etc.). A patient with this type of infection is very contagious, since rotaviruses, for example, can withstand a fairly low temperature and can be in adverse conditions for a long time.
How to treat intestinal flu
There is no specific treatment for intestinal flu. And if the patient has a stomach ache and diarrhea, the treatment is reduced to taking symptomatic drugs:
- in order to stop the absorption of toxic substances and accelerate the withdrawal of pathogens, adsorbing substances are prescribed (Smecta, Enterosgel, activated carbon, etc.);
- to reduce the temperature, which with intestinal flu can last up to 4 days, antipyretic drugs are required (Paracetamol, Ibuprofen);
- and to slow down intestinal motility and promote the contents of the digestive tract, astringents are used (oak bark, St. John's wort grass, chamomile flowers, etc.);
- to restore beneficial microflora in the patient’s stomach, lactic substances are required (Linex, Bifikol).
The patient’s diet includes jelly, chicken stock, rice porridge, which offer to eat in small portions. And in the presence of frequent loose stools and vomiting, the lack of liquid and salts is restored by frequent drinking and taking the drug "Regidron".
You should know that rotaviruses are susceptible to fever, and at 38 ° C they begin to die, so it is not recommended to knock it down with intestinal flu below the indicated level.