What to avoid eating with gastroenteritis

Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 19, 2024
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Patients with gastroenteritis need to pay special attention to their diet, especially avoiding spicy, greasy, and irritating foods. They should also avoid strong tea and coffee, as these are necessary to abstain from. It is advisable to consume more bland or easily digestible foods, such as noodles, egg custard, and rice soup. Under strict dietary control, if symptoms do not improve, medication may be necessary. Common medications include those that suppress gastric acid secretion and protect the gastric mucosa, as well as antibiotics. (Please use medication under the guidance of a doctor.)

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

Acute gastroenteritis is a common clinical symptom, and we can usually alleviate this clinical symptom through massage. For the massage, we can choose some acupoints on the abdomen, such as Zhongwan, Xiawan, Liangqiu, and the Tianshu points beside the navel for massage. The massage technique should go from light to heavy. If it’s difficult to massage on the stomach, we can choose some acupoints on the distal limbs, including Zusanli, Liangqiu, Shang Juxu, and Xia Juxu, which are very good for relieving acute gastroenteritis. The duration for the massage at each acupoint is about 2-3 minutes. After the massage, we can further choose other acupoints based on differentiation; for example, if the person has excessive liver heat, the Taichong acupoint can be selected for massage to relieve some of the clinical symptoms of acute gastroenteritis.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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Which department should I go to for acute gastroenteritis?

Acute gastroenteritis should be treated in the gastroenterology department of the hospital. Acute gastroenteritis is mostly caused by unclean food or excessive fatigue, with the main symptoms being abdominal pain and diarrhea, accompanied by signs of dehydration in the body. Treatment mainly involves the use of antibiotics to control the infection and antidiarrheal medications to treat diarrhea. It is important to promptly replenish fluids and water if there is significant dehydration. During treatment, a light diet should be maintained, eating small meals frequently, and avoiding spicy, stimulating, and greasy foods. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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What to do about acute gastroenteritis?

Acute gastroenteritis is considered to be caused by unclean food or bacterial and viral infections. It is important to actively provide symptomatic treatment. For nausea and vomiting, use antispasmodic and antiemetic medications; for repeated diarrhea and dehydration, use intestinal firming and antidiarrheal medications; for obvious bacterial infections, antibiotics should be used, preferably quinolones. Be sure to drink plenty of water and replenish fluids in a timely manner. During the acute phase, do not eat anything to avoid overburdening the gastrointestinal tract. After recovery, increase the consumption of vegetables to enhance nutrition and improve the body's resistance. (Please use medication under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
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How long does acute gastroenteritis take to get better?

Acute gastroenteritis is one of the common diseases of the digestive system, and occurs more frequently in the summer and autumn seasons. During these seasons, the hot weather can lead to food spoilage. Additionally, people often like to eat cold drinks and use air conditioning, which can easily trigger acute gastroenteritis. It usually presents with symptoms such as intermittent abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and bloating, and sometimes symptoms like fever and chills may also appear. In such cases, examinations like routine blood tests, stool tests, and C-reactive protein tests can be conducted to determine whether it is infectious diarrhea or a gastrointestinal type of cold, and then targeted treatment can be applied. How long it will take to recover depends on specific symptoms and the patient's medical history among other factors. Generally, for a gastrointestinal cold, symptoms typically alleviate in about 2-3 days; for bacterial gastroenteritis, recovery might take a bit longer, generally about 3-5 days. If the patient is elderly, frail, or has underlying conditions such as chronic bronchitis, heart failure, or diabetes, the recovery might take slightly longer, but generally it can still be cured.

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Written by Zhu Dan Hua
Gastroenterology
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What to eat for acute gastroenteritis

Acute gastroenteritis is particularly common in clinical practice, and its treatment in gastroenterology and emergency departments generally involves two steps. The first step is general treatment, where patients are advised to rest, eat easily digestible, liquid foods such as thin porridge and rice soup, and avoid spicy and irritating foods, such as chili peppers. The second step, if dietary treatment is not effective, involves the use of specific medications. For abdominal pain, pain relievers can be used, and for diarrhea, medications to stop diarrhea and regulate the intestinal flora can be used. Of course, the symptoms of acute gastroenteritis are varied, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and even fever. Therefore, if there is fever, it is generally recommended to take some antibiotics orally. If there is only diarrhea, it is only necessary to take medications to stop the bleeding and regulate the intestinal flora, and there is no need for anti-inflammatory drugs. Thus, the treatment plans vary depending on the different diseases and symptoms, but all medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor.