Gastroenteritis is one of those diseases that, sooner or later, affects everyone. No one is immune from going through it at some point in their life and luckily, in Spain it is a disease that It does not usually have too serious consequences and that passes with time and a proper nutritionat least if the person suffering from it is a healthy person and not a high-risk patient, in which case it could be more serious.
A disease with clear symptoms that, however, can be confused with others, like food poisoning. Similar symptoms and also similar treatments, but knowing what exactly is happening to us can be key to making the right decisions and, above all, to being able to obtain the best medical treatment if necessary. How are food poisoning and gastroenteritis similar and what is the difference?
Differences between food poisoning and gastroenteritis
The Symptoms between these two diseases are similar, which can make it a little difficult to recognize if what we are suffering from is caused by food poisoning or if it is gastroenteritis. Learning to differentiate them can help us obtain a correct diagnosis faster.
Gastroenteritis is a inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestinesIn general, it does not have to be serious, especially in healthy people, but it can cause dehydration or more severe symptoms. Symptoms usually last between three and four days (although they can be longer) and the most common are vomiting, diarrheanausea, pain or cramps in the abdomen, and sometimes fever. Viral gastroenteritis is the most common and can be caused by different types of viruses, such as norovirus and rotavirus.
When gastroenteritis is caused by consume contaminated food or drinks, is known as food poisoning and can be caused by bacteria, parasites and viruses. The symptoms are practically the same, so to know what it is, it is best to take other elements as a reference. For example, if the symptoms have appeared a few hours after eating, it is very likely food poisoning. These can be caused by eating undercooked meat, handling food without washing your hands, eating something that has been washed with contaminated water, drinking unpasteurized dairy products and cheeses, among other causes.
If the food we poisoned ourselves with was bought in a store or eaten in a restaurant, sounding the alarm is importantto avoid a possible outbreak and other people getting sick.
Gastroenteritis or stomach viruses are quite contagious and can be acquired by eating food or drinking liquids contaminated with the virus, but also by having direct or indirect contact with a person or a surface infected with the virus, therefore good hand hygiene is essentialas well as cleaning surfaces that may be infected.
A similar treatment for both
Although the causes of both are different (in one of them it is necessary to take food or drink in poor condition), The treatment for both is quite similar.. The key to both is rest a lot and, above all, try to avoid dehydration, which is the greatest risk in both cases, for example, drinking water in small sips, but frequently. There are also specific rehydration drinks, although sports drinks are not advisable due to their sugar content.
Once the body begins to tolerate some foods, it is best to opt for those that are soft and easy to digest, like rice, although you will have to stop eating if nausea returns. It is advisable to avoid certain foods in the following days, such as dairy products, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and fatty or highly seasoned foods.
In the case of very serious symptoms, or if they do not subside after a reasonable time, it will be necessary to go to health professionals, to prevent them from getting worse or from becoming worse or putting our health at risk. Some types of gastroenteritis may require certain medications, such as antibiotics.
References
National Library of Medicine. (sf-c). Stomach flu. https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/gastroenteritis.html
