Probably everyone knows what poisoning is.without exception, a person. As a rule, people mean a variety of intestinal diseases under this term. And often people do not consider it necessary to take any measures, but if there is a rotavirus infection in adults, treatment must be started as early as possible. Otherwise, the risk of developing certain complications is very high. First, let's try to figure out what a rotavirus infection is and why it is so dangerous. Doctors call this an infectious intestinal disease caused by rotavirus. After penetration into the body, five to seven days pass, after which the first signs of the disease appear. However, in some cases, the incubation period can range from three to ten days. And throughout this time, a person poses a potential danger to others, as he can become a source of infection. But after a complete recovery, an adult most often develops strong immunity to the virus that caused the disease.
Ways of infection with this infection
Doctors mainly distinguish the food routeinfection - when the virus enters the body through the oral cavity. This can happen when eating unwashed food or from dirty hands. Most often, rotaviruses enter the human body with dairy products. This is explained by the specifics of their manufacturing technology. Moreover, these same viruses are very, very resistant - neither low temperatures (storage in the refrigerator) nor chlorination of water cause them practically no harm. By the way - pay attention to the fact that very often infection occurs when drinking "holy" water. Do not risk your health. There is also another way of transmitting the infection - droplet, when a sick person sneezes. And this is no accident - after all, rotaviruses also lead to inflammatory processes affecting the upper respiratory tract. At first glance, it may seem that a person is sick with an acute respiratory disease. And only an upset stomach makes doctors suspect the presence of a rotavirus infection. This type of infection can occur both as isolated cases of the disease and as real epidemic outbreaks. Moreover, these outbreaks, just like ordinary acute respiratory diseases, have a pronounced seasonal dependence. As a rule, approximately 90% of all cases of rotavirus infection occur in the cold season - from November to April.
Symptoms of rotavirus infection
Once in the body, the virus penetrates intothe mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract. As a rule, the mucous membrane of the small intestine is most severely affected. Due to the fact that the rotavirus begins to actively multiply, the gastrointestinal tract is affected, characterized by inflammation of the intestinal mucosa - enteritis develops. It is because of it that diarrhea appears. This disease has characteristic symptoms that allow it to be accurately diagnosed:
- Decreased appetite.As a rule, a sick person almost completely loses his appetite and refuses to eat. However, strangely enough, neither nausea nor vomiting is observed. However, it is still necessary to take liquid - in very small portions, but as often as possible. Otherwise, dehydration may develop.
- Increased body temperature.The sick person's body temperature rises, but only slightly - to about 38 degrees. Although, of course, in some cases the temperature can rise even higher, but not for long. On average, the elevated body temperature lasts for two to three days, after which it normalizes on its own.
- Loose stools.An essential symptom of rotavirus infection is loose stool. Its intensity can vary greatly - it all depends on the individual characteristics of each person's body. The duration of stomach upset can last from one to three days, provided that adequate treatment is started in a timely manner.
Treatment of rotavirus infection
If the rotavirus infection proceeds without complications, the patient receives treatment at home. However, even in this case, it is important to know how exactly to help the sick person:
- Decreased body temperature
As mentioned above, with rotavirusinfection, the body temperature of a sick person rises. Very often, people immediately take various antipyretic drugs as soon as the thermometer goes over 37 degrees. However, you should never do this - after all, rotavirus dies only at a temperature above 38 degrees. By lowering the temperature earlier, you will only “make life easier” for rotaviruses, allowing them to continue to multiply. In the same case, if the body temperature rises above 39 degrees, you can take measures to reduce it. Moreover, it is not necessary to immediately take pharmacological drugs. Often, simple proven folk methods reduce body temperature no worse, and do not put a strain on the body. If you have vodka in the house, try using the following method. Dilute five tablespoons of vodka in one liter of cold water. Wipe the entire surface of the skin with a soft cloth, paying special attention to the palms and feet. You can repeat the rubbing as often as necessary - there will be no harm. As a rule, one rubbing reduces the temperature by one degree. If this measure does not help - which is unlikely - you can take any antipyretic. However, please note - in no case should you exceed the dosage. In the same case, if this measure does not help, you need to call an ambulance. But in practice, such cases of high temperature are extremely rare.
- Liquid chair
In order to eliminate the symptoms of gastrointestinal –intestinal disorder, you can take Enterofuril. It should be taken at least twice a day, in the dosage indicated on the package. The course of treatment should last at least five days, even if all the symptoms of the disease disappear earlier. However, before using it, you should still consult a doctor. In some cases, the doctor may prescribe some other drug, based on the condition and well-being of the sick person. Most often, stopping diarrhea is not so difficult. Of course, in most cases, diarrhea stops on its own. However, it is still worth playing it safe - the drug is guaranteed to prevent prolonged diarrhea.
- Pain in the abdomen
Often, during an illness, a sick person canexperience pain in the intestinal area. Moreover, this pain can be of a very different nature - from sharp cramping to pulling. This pain occurs due to spasms of the intestinal muscles, or from an excess of gases. By the way, flatulence is a fairly common companion of rotavirus infections. In this case, a sick person can take one tablet of no-shpa - most often this measure is enough for the pain to stop completely. However, be sure to remember that abdominal pain can only be tolerated if the diagnosis is reliably known. The same applies to taking any painkillers. In all other cases, a person experiencing pain in the abdominal area, a sick person should seek medical help as soon as possible. This measure is necessary in order to exclude the possibility of other, more serious diseases - including acute appendicitis.
- Restoration of intestinal microflora
After a sick person has developedappetite and diarrhea stops, it is necessary to begin a course of treatment aimed at restoring normal intestinal microflora. As a rule, for this purpose, the patient is prescribed drugs such as Linex. The dosage and duration of treatment in each individual case is determined by the doctor. As you can see, if there is a rotavirus infection, treatment in adults is not that difficult. However, only if you start it in a timely manner, you can count on the fact that you can get rid of the disease in the shortest possible time. Otherwise, as mentioned above, the risk of developing various complications is very high.
Complications of rotavirus infection
In the event that the treatment of rotavirusinfection was not started in a timely manner, or the sick person has a significantly reduced immunity, it is possible to develop a complicated course of the disease. In order to avoid this, it is worth knowing about them and knowing what to do in such situations. In the event that a sick person has severe diarrhea or vomiting, the main danger that can lie in wait for him is dehydration. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to drink as much as possible. Moreover, the higher the body temperature and the more intense the diarrhea, the more liquid you should drink. On average, an adult needs to drink at least three liters of liquid during an illness. For drinking, a sick person should give preference to still drinking water, fruit drinks, or rosehip decoction. In the event that a sick person vomits, it is worth trying to take the liquid in several sips, after a short period of time. If vomiting continues, most often the sick person is hospitalized in the infectious diseases department, where the liquid will be administered intravenously, using droppers. In no case should you refuse this - otherwise even death is possible, which can occur due to severe dehydration of the body. In addition, in the absence of adequate and timely treatment of rotavirus infection, the risk of developing a bacterial intestinal infection is very high. In this situation, the course of the disease worsens tens of times. In such cases, a fatal outcome occurs in about 3%. And it is not so difficult to completely exclude this pathology - it is enough to just start treatment of rotavirus infection in a timely manner. This disease does not entail any long-term consequences and complications, so there is nothing to worry about. It has already been said above that most often after an infection, an adult develops strong immunity. However, we must not forget that there are several different viruses, so there is no guarantee that you will never get rotavirus infection again. But you can reduce this risk by observing basic safety measures.
Prevention of rotavirus infection
In order to maximally protect yourself from the possibility of infection with rotavirus, there are several preventive measures:
- Quality and clean products
To avoid infectionrotavirus, it is necessary to carefully monitor the quality and cleanliness of the products consumed. Do not assume that it is enough to simply wipe an apple before eating, and spring water is crystal clear by default. You should also not forget about basic hygiene rules - remember that the rule prescribing to wash your hands before eating is also true for adults.
- Vaccination
Recently doctors have begun to advisevaccinate against rotavirus infection. However, this method of prevention is quite controversial - firstly, there is no guarantee that the vaccine works in 100% of cases, since it was started to be made relatively recently. Secondly, the cost of this vaccine is unreasonably high, and finding a clinic that has this vaccine is not so easy. In any case, if you suddenly get rotavirus infection, do not panic - it is quite easy to cure. The main thing is to start on time. We recommend reading:
