Introduction
The typical seasonal gastro-intestinal flu usually refers to an inflammation of the gastro-intestinal tract, which has little to do with the actual flu pathogens, but is triggered by a wide variety of bacteria and viruses. The gastro-intestinal flu can be severe and sudden, with severe diarrhea and vomiting, and thus pose an acute danger to weakened persons, the elderly and children. In most cases, the symptoms subside by themselves within a few days.
Normally, the body conquers the infection itself within a week at most. In this healing phase the body can be supported by various home remedies, but medication is rarely necessary. The purpose of home remedies is to avoid having to look for help in the pharmacy, but at best to find it in the kitchen.
Which home remedies can help?
The various home remedies attack various parts of the body and help to relieve the symptoms of gastroenteritis. In this way, it should be possible to get through the time until the healing phase in a pleasant way. The household remedies themselves hardly help to eliminate the pathogens.
However, the sometimes severe accompanying symptoms can be reduced to a minimum. The remedies can be conventional foods or active ingredients. For example, activated carbon or healing earth.
Most home remedies against the gastro-enteritis are used against severe diarrhea and nausea. The diarrhea can be treated very well with various means, for example with pectins, healing earth, activated carbon or swelling agents. Vomiting can also be treated with home remedies.
This can be achieved above all by drinking large quantities of water or tea, which also have a calming effect on the stomach lining. Other household remedies can be directed against abdominal cramps, high fever or electrolyte loss. Home remedies for the prophylaxis of stomach flu in cold seasons can also be found in the house.
The most important home remedies for the various symptoms are described in more detail in the following sections. Pectins are a form of sugar that is found in various types of fruit. Especially in apples, but also in bananas, citrus fruits, apricots or carrots there are many pectins.
The pectins are considered as so-called “absorbents”. The idea is that the pectins absorb the toxins in the intestinal wall and thus help the body to fight them. Due to their occurrence in many foods, they are often used as household remedies for gastro-enteritis.
Highly concentrated pectin preparations can be purchased in pharmacies. The healing earth is, as the name suggests, a kind of sand. Due to its fine grains, it forms a large surface on the intestinal wall and, similar to pectins, is supposed to coat, absorb and thus eliminate toxins, bacteria and viruses.
Healing earth can be purchased on the Internet, in various supermarkets, but also in pharmacies. This is then mixed in water according to the recommended dosage and drunk. The exact effect of the healing clay is controversial among scientists.
The activated carbon is one of the most popular household remedies in the treatment of gastro-enteritis. However, it is less a typical household remedy than a frequently used naturopathic medication. The natural activated carbon is used medicinally, especially in cases of poisoning.
It consists of burnt substances that are pressed into tablet form and can be purchased in pharmacies. After swallowing the tablet, the activated carbon spreads rapidly on the intestinal wall and binds various toxins before they can be further absorbed into the body. In the acute therapy of poisoning, it is an enormously important drug.
As a household remedy against the gastro-enteritis it is only effective to a limited extent. In particular with bacteria, which release poisons for their part, for example certain kinds of the E. coli intestine bacteria, the activated carbon can unfold its effect. Gastrointestinal tea is probably the most frequently used household remedy for flu-like infections and gastrointestinal inflammations.
It fulfils several symptom-relieving functions at the same time. On the one hand, a few cups of tea a day can compensate for the lack of water that inevitably occurs with prolonged diarrhea and vomiting. With sugar added, tea can also provide lost energy and carbohydrates.
In addition, some types of tea have a soothing effect on the irritated gastrointestinal mucosa.These include in particular camomile and fennel tea. The warmth and ingredients of the herbs can soothe irritated mucous membranes, reduce vomiting and allow the appetite for solid foods to return and be digested. In addition, the typical gastrointestinal tea has an anti-inflammatory effect.
This reduces the overall inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, further reducing vomiting and diarrhea. Cola and pretzel sticks are a very popular, old household remedy for nausea and vomiting, but this is only of limited use. Cola is said to help against dehydration and provide the body with energy due to its high sugar content.
The salt sticks on the other hand are supposed to counteract the loss of electrolytes and bring them into balance. For mild complaints, these two household remedies are better than completely abstaining from food. For more severe complaints, however, you should never rely entirely on cola and salt sticks.
The salt sticks provide a small amount of sodium, but no potassium, which is also needed and in severe diarrhea must be urgently supplied to the body. The cola gives the body fluid, but its acidity and caffeine content also irritates the stomach lining and can increase nausea. Therefore, the use of these household remedies must be made dependent on the extent of the symptoms.
Apple can be effective against gastro-enteritis in several ways. Apples can provide the body with important vitamins and energy during the symptom-rich phase of the flu, provided that they are not vomited. Apples also contain a high amount of pectins, which play an important role in the stomach flu.
They are regarded as absorbents and are supposed to bind the harmful viruses or toxins in the intestinal mucosa. However, if the stomach mucosa is very irritated, an acidic apple can also make the nausea worse. Ginger is a popular household remedy for gastrointestinal complaints and nausea with vomiting.
Ginger has an antibacterial and antiviral but also a general anti-inflammatory effect. Ginger can also reduce vomiting and nausea by having an anti-emetic effect. However, many people do not like pure ginger from the tuber, which is why ginger is also available in pharmacies in the form of tablets.
However, both variants help equally. Sage has anti-inflammatory effects on mucous membranes of the digestive tract. It is particularly helpful against nausea and stomach pain caused by the stomach flu.
The calming effect of sage also helps against irritable stomach syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome. Sage can be taken pure, in tea form or as a pastille or tablet and can also be used for children. Fennel can also be taken in pure form, as a pastille or as tea to combat the symptoms of gastroenteritis.
In particular, strong inflammatory symptoms in the gastrointestinal tract such as stomach pain, nausea and diarrhoea can be relieved by fennel. Camomile in tea form is one of the most common remedies available in the household. Like sage, ginger, fennel and stinging nettle, camomile tea has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-emetic effects. Several cups of tea a day additionally help to renew the body’s water balance and thus counteract further symptoms of gastro-enteritis.
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