Acute gastroenteritis

　　Acute gastroenteritis is caused by the intake of food containing pathogenic bacteria and their toxins, or by improper diet, such as excessive consumption of刺激性 and difficult-to-digest foods, leading to acute inflammatory changes in the gastrointestinal mucosa. In China, the incidence rate is higher in summer and autumn, with no gender difference, and the general incubation period is 12-36 hours.

　　1. Infection by bacteria and toxins

　　The genus Salmonella is the main pathogen causing acute gastroenteritis, among which Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella choleraesuis, Salmonella gallinarum, and Salmonella anatis are more common.

　　Toxins are commonly Staphylococcus aureus, and viruses can also be seen. There are often cases of collective onset or multiple cases in families. For example, eating contaminated meat or fish from poultry or livestock; or eating seafood such as crabs and snails that grow in saltwater; or eating leftover food and dishes contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus can trigger the disease.

　　2. Physical and chemical factors

　　Consumption of cold and raw foods or certain drugs such as salicylates, sulfonamides, certain antibiotics, etc.; or accidental ingestion of strong acids, bases, and pesticides can all cause this disease.

　　Complications that may be caused by acute gastroenteritis include the following:

　　1, Crohn's Disease: It is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease of unknown etiology, with a slow onset, manifested by weight loss, anorexia, fatigue, and abdominal pain located around the umbilicus or in the lower right abdomen. Diarrhea initially intermittent, later becoming persistent.

　　2, Tuberculosis of the Intestine: It has a slow onset, usually located in the lower right abdomen, and may have intermittent severe pain, increased bowel sounds, and changes in bowel habits, with alternating diarrhea and constipation. The mild form may only have loose stools, while the severe form may be mucous and bloody diarrhea.

　　3, Gastrointestinal Neurosis: This disease is caused by dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract due to disordered function of the higher nervous system. It has a slow onset and clinical manifestations are mainly gastrointestinal symptoms.

　　4, Primary Small Intestine Malabsorption Syndrome: The typical symptom of this disease is steatorrhea. The feces are pale, in large quantity, and have an oily or frothy consistency, often floating on the surface with a strong odor.

　　5. Idiopathic ulcerative colitis: The cause of this disease is unknown and is related to immunity, mainly presenting with ulcers, involving the mucosa of the rectum and sigmoid colon, and is more common in young and middle-aged people.

　　Prevention of acute gastroenteritis

　　1. Pay attention to hygiene: Keep food, utensils, containers, refrigerators, and other food storage places and environments clean.

　　2. Do not eat unclean food: Do not eat food that has decayed or become rotten. It is best not to keep cooked food overnight, and fruits and vegetables should be washed clean before eating.

　　3. Avoid irritation: Diet should be light, and avoid刺激性 foods such as chili, coffee, strong tea, etc. At the same time, avoid the irritation of drugs, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which can severely irritate our gastrointestinal mucosa.

　　4. Strengthen physical exercise, pay attention to keeping warm: In summer and autumn, when weather changes are severe, everyone should adjust their clothing in a timely manner, especially after entering autumn, they should pay attention to keeping warm and cover the blanket when resting. Strengthen physical exercise to improve immunity.

　　Dietary taboos for acute gastroenteritis:

　　1. It is best to use liquid food during an attack, with food being soft, low in fiber, low in greasiness, and easy to digest, such as rice gruel, almond tea, clear soup, light tea water, lotus root powder, peeled red date soup. The diet should mainly consist of liquid food, and gradually transition to semi-liquid food after the condition improves.

　　2. For patients with severe vomiting and diarrhea, drinking sugar salt water is recommended to replenish water and sodium. If dehydration and electrolyte imbalance occur due to vomiting, intravenous injection of glucose salt water solutions should be considered.

　　3. Avoid consuming gas-producing and high-fat foods, such as milk, soy milk, sucrose, etc.

　　Dietary recipes:

　　1. Clean 1000 to 1500 grams of fresh lotus root, blanch it in boiling water, mash it to extract the juice, and take it with boiling water, twice a day; or use 500 grams of fresh lotus root without the joint, 50 grams of ginger, clean and chop them, extract the juice with disinfected gauze, and take it with boiling water.

　　2. Use 60 grams of Congmi, 5 grams of amomum powder, cook Congmi into congee with water, add amomum powder when it is cooked, boil for 1 to 2 hours after boiling, and serve in the morning and evening.

　　3. Use 100 grams of fresh potato, 10 grams of ginger, squeeze the juice, add 30 milliliters of fresh orange juice, mix well, heat the cup in hot water to warm, and take 30 milliliters daily.

　　4. Use 750 grams of corn heart, 6 grams of Huangbai, 6 grams of dried ginger, grind them into fine powder, take 3 grams three times a day, with warm water.

　　5. Use 3 grams each of green tea and dried ginger slices, pour boiling water over them, cover and steep for 30 minutes, and drink frequently as tea, several times a day.

　　6. Use 60 grams of white adzuki beans, slightly fry and grind into powder, 60 grams of Huoxiangye dried into powder, mix them together. Take 10 grams each time, four to five times a day, taken with ginger soup.

　　7. Use 30 grams of Xianxianzi, wrap it in gauze, add 500 milliliters of water, boil to 300 milliliters, remove the residue, and add Congmi congee soup, taking it in two doses warm.

　　8. Use a moderate amount of scallion whites, crush and fry them, and place them on the navel. Secure with adhesive tape and warm the navel. Use once or twice a day for several days.

　　9. When the pain is severe, drinking water should be prohibited to allow the gastrointestinal tract to rest thoroughly, and drinking water should be considered according to the condition when the abdominal pain subsides. Avoid consuming cold and刺激性 food, such as vinegar, chili, scallions, ginger, garlic, Sichuan pepper, strong tea, coffee, cocoa, etc. During cooking, prefer light flavors and use less oil or other seasonings.

　　Acute gastroenteritis is a common disease, often caused by improper eating. In addition, excessive consumption of strong tea and alcohol, spicy food, certain medications, as well as viral and bacterial infections can also lead to the disease. It is more prevalent in the summer and autumn seasons, with patients often experiencing a sudden onset. They may have a history of consuming unclean food, and initially, they may feel stuffy in the epigastrium, decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, which may temporarily alleviate the symptoms after vomiting, with the vomit often containing food and even bile. Subsequently, the condition may worsen, leading to abdominal pain and diarrhea, with the stool usually being watery, dark yellow or light green in color, and some patients may have mucus and pus in their stool. Traditional Chinese medicine classifies acute gastroenteritis into several types and develops different treatment methods for each type.

　　Gastrointestinal damp-heat type

　　Symptoms include an acute onset, vomiting acid, frequent nausea, intermittent abdominal pain. Urgent defecation (urgent after stool), uncomfortable defecation, yellow-brown stools with a foul smell, thirst and desire for drink, irritability, short and red urine, yellow greasy fur, slippery and rapid pulse or slippery and rapid pulse.

　　Treatment: Focus on clearing heat, clearing dampness, regulating qi and soothing the stomach. Medication:清热化湿汤 (Qing Re Hua Shi Tang):葛根20g, 黄芩15g, 黄连10g, 生甘草6g, 白头翁12g, 秦皮12g, 金银花20g, 茯苓15g, 白扁豆15g, 芍药20g, 木香12g, 柴胡12g,公英20g, 黄柏12g, 鸡内金12g, 山楂12g, decocted in water, one dose per day, Qing Yan Ning Qing Wei Wan taken orally.

　　Type of cold and dampness obstruction

　　Patients vomit clear water, have frequent nausea, diarrhea with watery stools, abdominal pain and intestinal rumbling, accompanied by stomach cold and fever, neck or joint pain in the whole body, thin white or white greasy fur, soft pulse.

　　Treatment: Focus on dispelling evil, clearing dampness, and dispersing cold and dampness. Medication:健脾化湿汤 (Jian Pi Hua Shi Tang):大腹皮12g, 白芷10g, 紫苏12g, 半夏曲12g, 扁豆15g, 莲子12g, 生姜6g, 白术15g, 陈皮12g, 厚朴12g, 桔梗15g, 藿香15g, 炙甘草6g. decocted in water, one dose per day.口服胃立康、正气丸. (Weili Kang, Zhengqi Wan taken orally.)

　　Food retention in the gastrointestinal tract

　　Symptoms include nausea and aversion to food, strong appetite, feeling better after vomiting, abdominal pain, loose stools with foul smell, urgent and uncomfortable, pain reduced after defecation, thick and greasy fur, slippery and full pulse.

　　Treatment: Focus on digestion, soothing the stomach and reducing vomiting. Medication:��食导滞汤 (Xiao Shi Dao Zhi Tang):枳壳12g, 木香12g, 香附12g, 降香10g, 佛手12g, 半夏12g, 鸡内金12g, 焦山楂15g, 神曲10g, 茯苓15g, 陈皮12g, 连翘20g, 炒莱菔子15g, 甘草6g, decocted in water, one dose per day.口服参茯丸、保和丸. (Shen Fu Wan, Bao He Wan taken orally.)