Bacterial Gastroenteritis
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- What is bacterial gastroenteritis?
- Symptoms of bacterial gastroenteritis
- Causes of bacterial gastroenteritis
- Prevention of bacterial gastroenteritis
- Risk factors for bacterial gastroenteritis
- Complications of bacterial gastroenteritis
- When to see a doctor about bacterial gastroenteritis
- Diagnosis of bacterial gastroenteritis
- Conventional treatment of bacterial gastroenteritis
- Alternative/complementary treatment of bacterial gastroenteritis
- Living with bacterial gastroenteritis
- Caring for someone with bacterial gastroenteritis
Alternative / complementary treatment of bacterial gastroenteritis
The alternative / complementary treatment for bacterial gastroenteritis is basically the same as for conventional (without the medications), together with some other additions.
Herbs
There are no herbs which are useful for treating bacterial gastroenteritis.
Vitamins
There is a few vitamins which are recommended to support the immune system while the body is recovering from bacterial gastroenteritis:
- Vitamin A - the antioxidant vitamin A is an excellent booster for the immune system, to help it fight off bacterial infection
- Vitamin C - the antioxidant vitamin C, together with the bioflavonoids, provide an excellent boost for the immune system, to help it fight off bacterial infection
- Vitamin E - the antioxidant vitamin A is an excellent booster for the immune system, to help it fight off bacterial infection
Minerals
There are no minerals which are recommended for treating bacterial gastroenteritis. While the electrolytes (chloride, potassium and sodium) and glucose are needed to help with loss of fluids, they need to be in specific amounts and it is not possible or feasible to make your own in the correct dosage, so it is advisable to buy an electrolyte formula from a chemist to replenish and replace electrolytes and glucose.
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Other nutrients
There is one main vitamin which is useful for treating bacterial gastroenteritis:
- Probiotics - the "good" bacteria in probiotics will help to re-populate the gastrointestinal system to reduce the proliferation of the "bad" bacteria causing the bacterial gastroenteritis. In addition to this, the live cultures in the probiotics are very beneficial in gastrointestinal health overall
Dietary modifications
There are some useful dietary modifications to help avoid bacterial gastroenteritis or reduce worsening of symptoms:
- Drink more fluids - plenty of water should be given, in small amounts and at regular intervals and juice which has been diluted with water: the ratio should be 1/2 juice and 1/2 water
- Eat easy to digest foods - for about 3-5 days after a bacterial gastroenteritis infection, it is recommended to eat soft foods, which are easier to digest and allow the gastrointestinal system an opportunity to recover from the bacterial infection without having to work hard to digest and absorb foods like meat. The best foods to eat are well cooked rice, toast and vegetable soup
- Eat vegetables and fruit - both vegetables and fruit provide a high level of nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and are very easy for the body to digest. Just ensure you eat softer and less acidic fruits (such as bananas) as they put less pressure on the digestive system
Lifestyle modifications
There are one lifestyle modifications which are useful for helping with healing from bacterial gastroenteritis:
- Rest - plenty of bed rest will be recommended to help the body heal itself from the bacterial infection. Try to stay in bed or at least avoid doing anything strenuous for a few days, to give the body a chance to heal itself. Children should be kept at home from school for the duration that the doctor recommends, to help them heal from the infection and to prevent infecting other children
Alternative treatments
There are no other alternative treatments which are useful for treating bacterial gastroenteritis.
Always ensure that you notify your medical practitioner of any supplements that you want to take - it may interfere with other medication or conditions you have. Confirm with your doctor it is safe to take BEFORE you try it.
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