Nutrition
Infection of the viruses leads to inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and small intestine (gastroenteritis). For this reason, affected persons should refrain from eating foods that can additionally irritate the stomach. This is what you should eat: In the acute phase, which is characterized by severe vomiting diarrhea, those affected often suffer from severe loss of appetite.
In this case at least a sufficient fluid intake should be ensured. The body excretes a lot of water in the intestines to flush away the pathogens. It is therefore important to compensate for this deficiency by drinking a lot. This is what you should drink: the latter is a recipe from the World Health Organization (WHO). About three liters of this mixture should be drunk daily.You should avoid this:
- Rusk: easily digestible, contains many carbohydrates
- Liquid porridge made from semolina, rice or oatmeal
- Pureed apples or apple sauce: contain many lost vitamins
- Broths and soups: Supply of lost electrolytes like sodium, potassium and calcium
- Unsweetened, lukewarm tea
- One liter of water mixed with half a teaspoon of table salt and three teaspoons of dextrose/household sugar
- Hot, strongly spiced, sweetened and acidic dishes: irritate the stomach
- Hot, sugared teas: sugar and heat irritate the stomach wall
Duration
An infection by a gastrointestinal virus is usually short-lived. The typical symptoms of illness caused by a gastrointestinal virus are nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea (diarrhoea). The nausea and vomiting usually sets in abruptly and should subside after about two days.
A short time later, diarrhoea can also be severe. This is called the typical clinical picture of diarrhea due to vomiting caused by a gastrointestinal virus. While nausea and vomiting disappear quickly, the diarrhoea symptoms can last a few days longer.
However, this should not last longer than one week. In extreme cases, an infection can also last longer and thus have more serious consequences for the body. The individual duration of an illness depends on the respective pathogen, the general state of health of the person affected (functioning of the immune system, nutritional status, other existing diseases) and age.
