Gastroenteritis Definition Cause Symptoms Treatment Prevention And Vaccination

Definition:
Gastroenteritis is a medical condition characterized by inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract that involves both the stomach and the small intestine.

Causes:

Gastroenteritis has many causes. Viruses and bacteria are the most common.Gastroenteritis caused by viruses may last 1-2 days. On the other hand, bacterial cases can last a week or more.

Bacteria: These are the most common bacterial causes:

• Escherichia coli - Traveler’s diarrhea, food poisoning, dysentery, colitis, or uremic syndrome.
• Salmonella - Typhoid fever; handling poultry or reptiles such as turtles that carry the germs.
• Campylobacter - Undercooked meat, unpasteurized milk.
• Shigella - Dysentery

Viruses: Viral outbreaks (30-40% of cases in children) can spread rapidly through close contact among children in day care and schools. Poor handwashing habits can spread viruses. Common viral causes include the following:

• Adenoviruses
• Rotaviruses
• Caliciviruses
• Astroviruses
• Norovirus 

Parasites and protozoans: These tiny organisms are less frequently responsible for intestinal irritation.May pick up one of these by drinking contaminated water. Swimming pools are common places to come in contact with these parasites. Common parasites include these:

• Giardia - The most frequent cause of waterborne diarrhea causing giardiasis.
• Cryptosporidium - Affects mostly people with weakened immune systems, causes watery diarrhea

Other common causes: Chemical toxins most often found in seafood, food allergies, heavy metals, antibiotics, and other medications also may be responsible for bouts of gastroenteritis that are not infectious to others.

Medications:

• Aspirin
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (such as Motrin or Advil)
• Antibiotics
• Caffeine
• Steroids - Excessive use or a sudden change in frequency or dosage
• Laxatives

Symptoms:

• Abdominal gas, bloating or belching
• Abdominal pain or cramps
• Blood-streaked stools
• Flu-like symptoms (fatigue, fever, sore throat, headache, cough, aches and pains)
• Nausea, which may be described as feelings of wooziness, queasiness, retching, sea-sickness, car-sickness, or an upset stomach
• Vomiting including multiple episodes
• Watery diarrhea including multiple episodes
• Weakness

Treatment:

Treatment generally involves a multifaceted plan that addresses the cause; minimizes the discomfort of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; and decreases the risk of dehydration.

• Not eating solid foods to rest the stomach and intestines until symptoms have passed.

• Drinking plenty of fluids (water or rehydrating fluid, such as Pedialyte) to ensure adequate hydration.

• In some cases, medications are used to treat gastroenteritis. Antibiotics may be prescribed when gastroenteritis is caused by a bacterial infection, such as in bacterial food poisoning due to Shigella,Salmonella, or Campylobacter infection.

Treatment of severe gastroenteritis that does not resolve or leads to dehydration may require hospitalization and rehydration with intravenous fluids.

Prevention:

• A supply of easily accessible uncontaminated water and good sanitation practices are important for reducing rates of infection and clinically significant gastroenteritis.

• Personal measures (such as hand washing) have been found to decrease incidence and prevalence rates of gastroenteritis in both the developing and developed world by as much as 30%. Alcohol-based gels may also be effective.

• Breastfeeding is important, especially in places with poor hygiene, as is improvement of hygiene generally.

• Breast milk reduces both the frequency of infections and their duration.

• Avoiding contaminated food or drink should also be effective.

Vaccination:

Due to both its effectiveness and safety, in 2009 the World Health Organization recommended that the rotavirus vaccine be offered to all children globally Two commercial rotavirus vaccines exist and several more are in development. In Africa and Asia these vaccines reduced severe disease among infants and countries that have put in place national immunization programs have seen a decline in the rates and severity of disease.This vaccine may also prevent illness in non-vaccinated children by reducing the number of circulating infections.Since 2000, the implementation of a rotavirus vaccination program in the United States has substantially decreased the number of cases of diarrhea by as much as 80 percent. The first dose of vaccine should be given to infants between 6 and 15 weeks of age.The oral cholera vaccine has been found to be 50–60% effective over 2 years.

Latest Skin Care Tips

Beautiful Skin

• To make or keep skin beautiful, it's best to work from the inside.
• Eating the right kind of food can do more good than any medicine.
• Go a long way in helping body's own healing forces.
• Eat a balanced diet that includes raw foods, plenty of yellow and orange vegetables (they contain beta carotene - a precursor to vitamin A).
• Foods high in sulfur such as garlic, onions, asparagus and eggs.
• Include fruits, seeds, grains and nuts.
• Many find Stevens Skin Softener Cream very helpful for these situations.

Dry Skin

• Blend together one ounce safflower oil, one ounce avocado oil and two ounces of sesame oil.
• Apply this to dry skin areas.
• An excellent facial mask can be made with stewed and mashed apricots.
• Apply to  freshly cleaned face and leave for 20 minutes or longer. 
• Rinse away with warm water, and blot dry.
• One application will help sallow, dead skin tones, but applying this 3 or 4 times a week will do wonders.

Itchy Skin

Softener Cream 

• A compress made with skim milk or powdered milk or soak the affected area in a colloidal bath made with oatmeal, corn starch or baking soda.
• Homemade Skin Lotion
• Mix one teaspoonful of honey, one teaspoon of lemon juice and a half cup of water.
• Massage into  skin after bathing.
• Many find Stevens Skin Softener Cream very helpful for these situations.

Mayonnaise for dry Facial

For a tendency towards dry facial skin, a gentle daily massage with mayonnaise will do wonders.

Can use lemon juice, egg and safflower or other such oil to make your own dry skin lotion.

Oily Skin

• Here is a cleansing stimulating facial treatment that is very helpful for those with oily skin. 
• Mash together the pulp of one garden ripe tomato and enough fuller's earth (should find it at most pharmacies) to make a smooth paste.
• Rub it into skin and leave it on until it dries completely (note: do not apply to eye area). 
• Rinse with warm water, then splash  face with cold water. Blot dry.

Rashes

Whether it's diaper rash, chicken pox, measles, insect bites or hives, corn starch can provide relief. 

For measles and chicken pox, bathe in a tub of water to which a large handful of cornstarch has been added. For the other rashes rub the cornstarch on as a powder.

Softening Of Skin

Avocado oil used regularly is an excellent skin softener. It is in rich in vitamins and minerals, especially the skin vitamins A, C and E.

Teenagers

Many teenagers have to deal with embarrassing skin problems. taking supplements of zinc and Vitamin A will go a long way in helping them relieve these problems.Many find Stevens Skin Softener Cream very helpful for these situations.

Ulcers

Leg ulcers are more likely to develop in persons with poor circulation, thrombophlebitis and/or varicose veins. To speed healing, apply vitamin E oil to the sore and bandage it lightly with a sterile gauze pad. Change the bandage daily until the sore is healed.

Vitamins and Skin

Vitamins are essential to the health of skin, especially vitamins A, B, C and E. Vitamin E is especially helpful to improve your complexion when applied externally.

Winter Care

• The air inside your house can get very dry in the winter.
• This will play a major part in aggravating  dry skin condition. 
• To add humidity the dry air in house, put a little extra water in the kettle when boiling water. Leave the kettle on the burner as it cools. It will continue to steam for 10 to 15 minutes, making  life a whole lot more comfortable.