It is a medical condition that mainly leads to irritation in the stomach and intestines. Diarrhea is a common symptom of it. There are certain popular myths regarding the same.
Plenty of water should be consumed after vomitingPlain water does not contain all the essential electrolytes such as sodium and potassium required to maintain the electrolytic balance. In fact, drinking excess water may trigger the vomiting sensation and cause more body fluids to be lost in the process. Instead, you can sip on some of the ready-to-use electrolyte mixtures available. Every time you vomit, it is not the water content that you lose, but the body fluids containing essential nutrients such as sodium and potassium. So, it is extremely vital to replenish these nutrients to prevent low blood pressure and shock due to dehydration. Therefore, you can drink any oral rehydration solution (ORS) that is the best remedy during a bout of stomach flu.Soda may help in pacifying the stomachAny form of soda, canned juice, or carbonated beverage has no role in cooling down the flaring stomach. They may actually irritate the mucosal lining of the stomach and produce more hydrochloric acid. This will result in severe acidity and heart burn. It is advisable not to try out any such remedies that may worsen the situation. Neither soda nor cola has any remedial value during a bout of gastroenteritis. Instead, you can drink plain water mixed with two spoons of sugar and a pinch of salt to feel better.You should drink as much water as you have lost in vomitingThis should be avoided at all costs. There is no need to keep drinking every time you vomit. The vomiting cycle is aggravated by the slightest of irritations, even if it is in the form of plain water. Therefore, you should wait for some time after a bout of vomiting and breathe deeply. Then, you can take just one or two spoons of an electrolyte solution such as Pedialyte or Electral. If even this is thrown up, wait for 20 minutes and then try again. Drinking a whole glass of water at one go will do more harm than good as your body will throw it up the very next minute of consuming it.Fruit juice is great for stomach fluThe reality is that all fruit juices have an acidic base and this causes irritation of the stomach lining. If at all you want to drink it, dilute it with equal amount of water; add two spoons of glucose and a pinch of salt and it becomes a balanced electrolytic solution. If there is no accompanying diarrhea, you can wait for two hours before consuming some fruit juice. If at all you feel like drinking some fruit juice, dilute it with equal proportions of water and drink it in small quantities.Apple juice is good for gastroenteritisBarring white grape juice, any fruit juice when consumed may be thrown up within minutes, causing staining on your furniture and floor. So, you need to be careful before giving apple juice to children and infants. Apple juice is found to worsen the diarrhea in many instances of stomach flu. In fact, any fruits or vegetables that are raw may prove to be deleterious for a person suffering from gastroenteritis.Do not eat solid foods for a dayThis is a myth that needs to be busted. In fact, doctors advise consumption of small portions of bland and easily digestible foods to maintain the balance of nutrients in the body after two or three hours. But, you need to be careful that you do not over indulge and eat more solid foods than required. Tea, coffee and other beverages should be avoided.Cheese and coffee is good for settling your stomachThis is followed in many parts of the world and black coffee is used as a remedy to combat gastroenteritis. Some believe that cheese is a great binding agent to help you recover from stomach flu. However, consuming caffeinated beverages may be extremely harmful to your stomach lining and you may end up with a chronic gastric problem. Coffee, tea and milk products are best avoided during a bout of gastroenteritis. Cheese is very difficult to digest and you would be already low on enzymes with your intestine being affected by the stomach flu. So, it is better to avoid milk and milk products at least for two to three days after a bout of gastroenteritis.Stay away from a person with gastroenteritisThis is a myth that holds no truth. You can contract the stomach bug only if you eat or drink something that is infected. Coming in contact with a person with gastroenteritis or looking after them cannot expose you to a risk of infection. Caring for a person with stomach flu will not harm you in any way. But, if you have had the same food that the other person has had, then there are chances that you may have contracted the stomach bug from that infected food. Gastroenteritis is caused by a stomach virus or bacteria that gain entry into the body through the digestive system. So, unless you consume something that is infected with the stomach bug, there is no chance for you to contract the bug just because you are in the vicinity of an infected individual.You cannot get dehydrated if you are drinking enough waterThis is absolutely not true. Infants and children can get rapidly dehydrated and go into a shock like condition. It is very important to monitor the pulse and vital signs of the affected individual. If you see any abnormal signs, you need to immediately need to rush to the nearest doctor who may start intravenous drips and replenishment of electrolytes. Some severe infections need to be replenished with essential nutrients and antibiotics to combat the infection. You may have to place intravenous drips to bring severe cases under control. So, check for the necessity of medical intervention and rush the patient to the nearest hospital. After all, a stitch in time saves nine and the person will come out unscathed post-recovery.
