Acute gastroenteritis, commonly known as "stomach flu," usually occurs due to a viral infection. Symptoms include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Typically, the nausea and vomiting resolve within a day or two, but diarrhea can last for several days. Depending on the age and health of the affected individual at the onset of illness, acute gastroenteritis can lead to dehydration and loss of electrolytes. Many people resort to home remedies to deal with the symptoms of stomach flu.
Rehydration is First Priority
Traditionally, clear liquids have been recommended for replacing the fluids that are lost during a bout of stomach flu. However, according to "American Family Physician," most fluids that are readily available and commonly used, such as ginger ale, tea, broth, apple juice or sports drinks, can actually worsen diarrhea and electrolyte imbalances. Commercial formulas such as Pedialyte or the World Health Organization's Oral Rehydration Solution are considered to be safer and more effective. When nothing else is available, homemade hydration solutions, can be prepared easily.
Reintroduce Food
For many years, doctors recommended withholding food for 24 to 48 hours to "rest" the bowel during episodes of acute gastroenteritis. However, studies have shown that early reintroduction of food hastens improvement in most cases. The lining of your gut, which is injured by the organisms that cause stomach flu, heals faster when nutrition is available for cellular repair.
Probiotics May Help
Probiotics have been used for years for various gastrointestinal illnesses, but their benefits have been inconsistent, and there is no agreement on which strains or dosages work best. A 2010 review in "American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy" reports that probiotics have proven quite useful for infectious diarrhea, particularly when it is due to rotavirus, a common cause of gastroenteritis worldwide. Probiotics may help by reestablishing a normal balance of gut organisms, normalizing intestinal acid-base balance and modulating the intestine's immune response.
Precautions
Although probiotics appear to confer benefit during episodes of gastroenteritis-associated diarrhea, scientists have not decided which strains are most effective. In addition, there is no consensus on how much of a given strain should be consumed and for how long. Taking bacterial probiotics concurrently with antibiotics will effectively neutralize the former, so their administration should be separated by at least two hours. Probiotics may not be safe for people whose immune systems are compromised. Check with your doctor before taking probiotics for stomach flu and diarrhea, and seek medical attention for any intestinal illness that does not improve within a few days.
References
- "American Family Physician"; Management of acute gastroenteritis in children; Burkhart D; 1999
- Rehydrate.org; Oral Rehydration Solutions ORS Made at Home
- "Archives of Disease in Childhood"; Guidelines for managing acute gastroenteritis based on a systematic review of published research; Murphy M; 1998
- "American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy"; Probiotics; Williams N; 2010
