Gastroenteritis Symptoms

Gastroenteritis: Introduction

Gastroenteritis, popularly known as gastro is an intestinal infection that causes your gastrointestinal tract to get inflamed and swollen. A gastroenteritis infection can be caused by virus, bacteria or parasite. The germs enter the stomach through contaminated food or water.

As a matter of fact, most people with gastroenteritis can manage without pursuing any form of treatment. Diagnosis is simple, as signs for gastroenteritis is apparent in the form of vomiting and diarrhea but nonetheless one is required to undergo physical examination.

What are the Gastroenteritis Symptoms?

The period of incubation is about one to three days. Upon getting infected, symptoms start to appear within a period of twelve hours to three days. This generally depends on the type of infection that you have.

The most common viral symptoms of gastroenteritis consist of vomiting and a watery diarrhea.

Other signs and symptoms for gastroenteritis:

• Nausea, vomiting
• Fever
• Stomach bloating
• Loss of appetite that is unexplained
• Abdominal cramps, pain
• Diarrhea that contains mucus or is watery
• Feeling ill

A person with gastro almost always has diarrhea, it may be watery. There also may be vomiting or fever. In serious cases, an affected person can display signs of gastroenteritis in the form of blood or pus in feces.

Viral type of gastroenteritis may prove threatening for those who are unable to drink enough fluids to compensate for lost body fluids (through vomiting and diarrhea). This is especially true for the elderly, infants, small children and individuals having a weakened immune system.

Vomiting can cause complications even in seemingly healthy people. Severe gastroenteritis symptoms such as fever, dehydration and frequent vomiting require immediate medical attention.

Though gastroenteritis is gender neutral and can occur to people of all ages, it commonly affects small babies and young children.

Adults have a strong immune system compared to children and as such when affected with gastro, it often resolves on its own with little or no treatment. For children with dehydration, a gastro infection can turn threatening.