Gastroenteritis or infection of the gastrointestinal tract is among the very common health conditions that frequently affect people the world over. There are many bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi and other microbes that are known to cause infections in the gastrointestinal tract.

Most commonly, gastrointestinal infections are caused by the consumption of food that has been contaminated with toxic microbes such as salmonella, staphylococci or by consumption of water from unsafe or untreated sources. Some gastrointestinal infections are also communicable and may spread from person to person by contact.

Not all gastrointestinal infections respond to the same treatment modalities and the physician usually makes a decision on the course of treatment to prescribe based on a consideration of where specifically the infection is noticed in the GI tract and also how the disease was contracted.

Since a whole host of microbes are responsible for causing gastrointestinal infections, it is also important to treat the infection after carefully observing the symptoms expressed – nausea, vomiting, loose watery bowel movements that may be accompanied by severe pain and cramping when there is inflammation, fever, chills, body aches, blood and/ or mucus in the motions or urine and so on. Typically, the microbes that cause the infection cause irritation of the stomach and intestinal lining, which in turn tends to tighten. This is what triggers the symptoms of cramping pain and vomiting.

Gastrointestinal infections are, for the most part, self-limiting and symptoms usually abate within a few days. However certain viral or fungi induced gastrointestinal infections may persist for several weeks with the infection even spreading to other parts of the body. It is important that gastrointestinal infections are diagnosed and treated in a timely manner, for there are over 200 million reported cases of diarrhea in the country alone every year, with gastrointestinal infections being among the leading causes of mortality, especially in the developing nations. While bacterial infections usually get better within three days, most viral infections would require a course of antibiotics to be prescribed by the attending physician after taking into account any possible drug allergies and resistances. The associated symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and cramping may be aligned using specific over-the-counter prescription drugs. However, it is very important not to self-medicate when treating such gastrointestinal infections.

Rotavirus and norovirus are the most common causes of gastroenteritis and can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea with high to very high fever. It is very important to stay hydrated when suffering from a gastrointestinal infection. In very severe cases, hospitalization and intravenous saline administration may be necessary as a person can very quickly get dehydrated from repeated bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. Oral rehydration salts may also be used with a doctor’s prescription. It is important to eat very light meals or soups that are easy to digest for the duration of the infection. Pro and prebiotics may also be commonly prescribed to alter the acidic nature of the gut flora.