{"id":5582,"date":"2019-04-11T05:58:48","date_gmt":"2019-04-11T05:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=5582"},"modified":"2021-03-30T18:14:27","modified_gmt":"2021-03-30T18:14:27","slug":"14-causes-of-gastroenteritis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-causes-of-gastroenteritis\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Causes of Gastroenteritis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Bacterial gastroenteritis, commonly referred to as food poisoning, occurs when we consume contaminated food or water. Food or water is the vehicle for transmission of the condition, but it’s bacteria that are responsible for the symptoms associated with gastroenteritis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gastroenteritis displays a range of symptoms affecting the digestive system, including abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Cases of gastroenteritis vary in their intensity of symptoms. One person may experience mild symptoms and be fine in a few hours, while another may develop severe symptoms that last for days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Various strains of bacteria are responsible for gastroenteritis infection, and the type determines your symptoms. It\u2019s vital that people infected with gastroenteritis take time to rest in bed, and drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our behavior, external environment, and what we eat and drink all play a significant role in the development of the infection. Here are eight causes of bacterial gastroenteritis.
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1.    Consuming Contaminated Food and Water<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The most common cause of gastroenteritis <\/a>is consuming meals and drink contaminated with bacteria. Most of the population doesn\u2019t grow their food; they rely on farms and supermarkets to get the food from the source to the dinner table. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chain of custody attached to the manufacture and distribution of food and beverages means that hundreds of hands touch the products you eat before you come in contact with it at the grocery store. If someone in the logistics process has a bacterial infection, such as norovirus, the chances are they will transfer it to the food they handle, where it finds its way to your dinner plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Millions of Americans eat out every day, and some people rely on fast food or restaurants for all the meals they consume during the day. If the chef, busboy, or person behind the order counter has a bacterial infection, they may pass it onto your food, resulting in you receiving your meal \u2013 and a bout of gastroenteritis.
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2.    Touching Contaminated Surfaces<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Do you wash your hands after ordering your meal at your local fast-food restaurant? If not \u2013 then you might want to reconsider your hygiene <\/a>protocol. Bacteria responsible for the development of gastroenteritis can live outside of the body for up to two weeks in the case of some strains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People with the infection may visit a fast food restaurant to order some food before the virus starts to present symptoms. If you touch the touch-screen order machine after them, you could pick up the bacteria, resulting in the transmission of the disease to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People infected with bacterial gastroenteritis require bed rest to recover from their condition. For those infected individuals living alone, they may open the fridge, handle the TV remote, turn on faucets, and flush the toilet \u2013 all using their hands. Since the bacteria causing the infection can live outside the body for extended periods, anyone visiting the infected person’s home is at risk if they touch these contaminated surfaces.
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3.    Sharing Food and Drink with an Infected Person<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bacterial gastroenteritis also spreads through contact with the body fluids of an infected person. In some cases, it may take up to three days for the symptoms of the condition to manifest. During this incubation phase, as is the case with norovirus, the virus is still contagious and transmits through saliva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The person may not know they are infected and are innocent in their intentions, but that doesn\u2019t change the fact that they are transmitting disease in their offering to you. As a result, sharing food or beverages with infected people can result in you catching the disease as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never share food or drink with anyone outside of your immediate family. In today\u2019s environment, there is no telling what kind of diseases, bacteria<\/a>, or viruses other people are carrying. Picking up an infection from another person is preventable, as long as you follow stringent hygiene protocols \u2013 such as washing your hands and refusing to eat food and drink from others.
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4.    The Types of Bacteria that Cause Gastroenteritis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many people make the misinformed mistake that they get food poisoning from one specific \u201ctummy bug.\u201d In reality, numerous strains of bacteria cause a wide range of symptoms. The type of bacteria infecting your digestive system also determines the intensity and frequency of your symptoms as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the more common strains of bacteria responsible for inducing bacterial gastroenteritis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shigella \u2013 Found in raw food and contaminated water sources, such as swimming pools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Escherichia coli<\/a> \u2013 This is present in unwashed vegetables and fruit, as well as undercooked cuts of beef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salmonella and Staphylococcus \u2013 found in undercooked fish, poultry, dairy products, and on the outside of eggshells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Campylobacter \u2013 is present in undercooked poultry and dairy products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yersinia enterocolitica \u2013 Is found in raw or undercooked pork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These bacteria can transfer to the human body and multiply in the digestive system. Depending on the quantity ingested, symptoms may begin to show up in as little as a few hours after ingestion. However, some bacteria and viruses responsible for the development of gastroenteritis may take a few days to present symptoms.
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5.    Outbreaks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever heard of stomach bugs that takedown entire communities? You may have recently recovered from a bout of gastroenteritis, and run into neighbors or friends in your community that tell you, \u201ca bug is going around.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In reality, the chances are that the \u201cbug\u201d causing the outbreak of stomach flu or gastroenteritis, comes from the same source \u2013 your local supermarket or favorite restaurant in your neighborhood. Hundreds of people handle your food on its way to the supermarket shelves, and if any of them have a bacterial or viral infection <\/a>that causes gastroenteritis, they can inadvertently infect hundreds or thousands of other people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another possible source of outbreaks \u2013 are nursery schools. Children have weaker immune systems than adults or adolescents. As a result, they tend to pick up infections easily from others. If one of the children at your kid\u2019s nursery school experiences infection with gastroenteritis bacteria or viruses, the chances are they\u2019ll transmit it to every child at the school \u2013 and then the children pass it to their parents and siblings who infect other members of the community.
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6.    Contact with an Infected Person<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The bacteria and viruses that cause gastroenteritis are incredibly contagious. Coming in contact with an infected person means that you are at high risk of catching the bug as well. These viruses and bacteria infect the saliva and body fluids of infected individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should an infected person be outside and start to develop a sweat, they may wipe their brow unconsciously with the palm or back of their hand. Hours later, you bump into this friend at the supermarket and shake hands as you greet them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They proceed to tell you they\u2019re feeling a little under the weather, you sympathize and part ways. A few days later, you begin to develop symptoms of gastroenteritis<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This example is a classic representation of how gastroenteritis spreads from person to person. Wash your hands regularly, and keep a bottle of anti-bacterial and antiseptic <\/a>hand cream or gel in your car or handbag for such emergencies.
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7.    Weak Immune Function<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

More than 70-percent of the immune system resides in the digestive system<\/a>. As a result, people dealing with gastroenteritis typically experience a rapid recovery from their symptoms in as little as 24 to 48-hours after infection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, people with weakened immune systems may find that it takes longer for the infection to pass, especially if it’s bacterial in nature. Chemotherapy patients experience lowered immune response due to the aggressive drug therapy protocols used to treat the disease. Children have yet to form their immune system completely, exposing them to a higher risk of infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weakened immune function means that your body has a harder time fighting off the effects of the disease and producing the antibodies and white blood cells needed to eradicate the infection. As a result, your symptoms may be more intense than those in healthy individuals with a robust immune system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your doctor may write you a prescription for pharmaceutical-grade probiotic formulas to enhance your digestive flora that improves your immune response.
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8.    Why It\u2019s Important to Stay Hydrated<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Diarrhea <\/a>is one of the most common physical symptoms associated with gastroenteritis. Unfortunately, this symptom can be severe in people suffering from the condition \u2013 resulting in rapid dehydration as the body expels its water in an attempt to try and flush out the invading pathogens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the body expels water through diarrhea, it also releases vital minerals and electrolytes responsible for maintaining the body\u2019s electrolyte balance. When the body is dehydrated, and minerals deplete rapidly, the infected individual runs the risk of developing seizures from the mineral loss. If left unmanaged and untreated, the infected individual may fall into a coma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s critical that you stay hydrated during your battle with gastroenteritis. While you might not feel like you can keep anything down, it\u2019s vital that you keep consuming fluids \u2013 especially after each bowel movement. There are numerous supplements containing electrolytes and minerals \u2013 specifically designed for dealing with this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Undercooked Restaurant Foods<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Food in restaurants that haven\u2019t been prepared properly makes for one of the most common causes of gastroenteritis out there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes the food isn\u2019t cooked all the way through \u2013 a definite danger sign if you\u2019re dealing with pork<\/a>, some types of fish and chicken \u2013 and other times food might have touched something else that wasn\u2019t properly cooked (even though it appears perfectly fine).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s okay to order a rare steak when it\u2019s beef or most other types of red meat. It\u2019s not okay to eat or touch raw chicken or pork where there\u2019s any potential for infection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re thinking, \u201cWell, maybe this pork (or chicken) is a little undercooked…\u201d that\u2019s your sign that you should send the plate back to the kitchen \u2013 either for a re-do or a refund. When you don\u2019t, you\u2019re risking gastroenteritis that could have been easily prevented just with some proper precautionary measures from the kitchen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Restaurants with Terrible Hygiene Policies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Restaurants are required to stick to very specific hygiene <\/a>requirements by law, and face the risk of being shut down when they don\u2019t \u2013 but having said this, the occasional slip in routine can (and does) still happen in your average restaurant, and just one employee who didn\u2019t wash their hands after touching something that has been contaminated can bring down the entire night\u2019s worth of customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One instance of gastroenteritis isn\u2019t necessarily a comment on the quality of the restaurant, but it can be if it happens to you more than once. Should you keep getting sick from the same restaurant, file a report with your state and have health inspectors look in order to find out why. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a restaurant repeatedly violates basic hygiene policies and you get sick several times, you could be saving many other customers a potential bout of illness by reporting the restaurant to the right authorities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Surface Contamination Through Salmonella<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not just uncooked food that can cause the bacteria leading to gastroenteritis: You\u2019re also at risk from touching anything that was near enough to the contaminated food, person or substance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can be illustrated by an example of  \u201cwashing off\u201d a raw chicken in the basin. It\u2019s commonly done, but one of the worst possible things that you can do in your average kitchen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of doing what people might think \u2013 cleaning the chicken \u2013 you\u2019re instead just dirtying the sink. Raw chicken and raw pork are potential carriers, and should almost be treated the same way as any serious contaminant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wash anything that has touched it thoroughly, and make sure that you don\u2019t touch anything else while you could still have traces of it on your hands. Just these few precautionary measures are enough to make a major difference to your risk of contracting salmonella <\/a>(one of the direct causes of gastroenteritis when you are exposed to it).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. So-Called \u201cTake-Out Syndrome\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTake-Out Syndrome\u201d is an increasingly common condition that scientists and doctors are studying. In short, it describes the phenomenon of people who become violently ill (and sometimes even die) after consuming take-out foods that have been in the fridge for a few days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, there\u2019s no sign that there was anything wrong with the source of the food \u2013 e.g. nothing can be traced to the restaurant as a potential source of contamination<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s possible that people should instead be looking at their fridges. Anything past 48 hours could mean that your food has been contaminated with any number of things that were present during the food\u2019s journey from the restaurant to your fridge or freezer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once take-out has been in your fridge for several days, you can no longer consider it safe for consumption, human or otherwise. Food that has been warmed up and cooled down several times can also have very serious consequences. It\u2019s never worth the risk when it could turn out to be deadly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Unwashed Produce Directly from the Store<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Raw meat products (such as fish, chicken, and pork) aren\u2019t the only places where the bacteria that cause gastroenteritis can hideaway. Sometimes they\u2019re also found on produce \u2013 where they usually can be traced to someone who didn\u2019t wash their hands after touching something contaminated and then touched the produce after. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We don\u2019t just wash fruits <\/a>and vegetables to get rid of any remaining traces of pesticides that might be present on the food. It\u2019s also done in order to remove any potential contaminants that might cause health problems, salmonella being one.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you imagine just how many people walk through a grocery store every day just to touch fruit or vegetables and put it down again, you\u2019ll start to see why this is so important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always wash produce that comes from a store. Do the same with produce that has been in the fridge for a while. Usually, clean water will do, but it can also be done with a mixture of vinegar and water for high-risk areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Reinfecting Yourself By Accident<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have already had a recent episode of gastroenteritis that has healed and you start to experience the same symptoms not long after this, it could be likely that your immune system<\/a> is low enough to have opened the door for the infection to have happened again \u2013 and usually, it comes back worse than the first time.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this happens to you, then you should take a serious look at any possible ways you might have caused the infection to happen again. Could it be something that\u2019s present in your house or fridge, or could you have re-infected anyone else in the house which then touched something you did too? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you went back to the same restaurant or maybe the risk-factor parts of the house (such as the bathroom) wasn\u2019t cleaned well enough to remove traces of the virus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

See your doctor if you suspect that you have been subsequently re-infected with the same illness you\u2019ve had before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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