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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – It is that time of year – flu and stomach bugs seem to be everywhere and most of us get hit by one or the other at some point before the season ends. Bloating, gas, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are the most common symptoms with an occasional fever and headache. Symptoms will subside in a few days but there are some things you can do to make your misery a little more tolerable.
Gas and bloating happen because the digestive tract slows down when you are sick. Food does not pass through as efficiently due to bacterial overgrowth from the infection and from stalled carbohydrate foods that ferment and cause gas. The problem can be made worse by drinking milk, sweetened drinks and fruit juice. Plain water is the best choice to keep you hydrated.
Vomiting is no fun. You are left weak, mildly dehydrated and low in some vital body elements – sodium, magnesium and chloride. You may have an after bout of abdominal gas, which will pass in time. Immediately after you vomit, simply rest and give your digestive tract a chance to recover. If you have not vomited again for a least an hour, try a few sips of water or suck on ice chips. If these stay down you can try other plain fluids like apple juice, ginger ale, tea or ice pops. Stay away from coffee, alcohol and sweet drinks. Dry crackers, toast and dry cereal are often well tolerated and actually may make you feel better when you nibble a small serving. Milk can cause gas and diarrhea, in an already irritated digestive tract, after a bout of vomiting. You can usually add milk back in a week or two without any problems. Eating yogurt and kefir will rarely cause digestive problems and they help restore some of the healthy bacteria that normally live in your gut.
In the past people were advised not to eat after a bout of diarrhea. There is no connection between the length of time the diarrhea lasts and whether you eat or not, so it is better to eat and replace lost fluids, calories and nutrients. Go slowly. Your digestive tract is already in turmoil. Often after a good bout of diarrhea you are not hungry. That’s fine. But it is important to replace fluids. Sip on water or suck on ice chips or an ice pop. If you have no ice pops in the house freeze some juice in an ice tray and make these fruit cubes into flavored ice chips. Your goal is to drink about one cup of fluid an hour.
Over the next 24 hours, whether the diarrhea continues or not, keep drinking and add some simple foods – cooked cereal, dry cereal without milk, rice, plain pasta, toast and crackers. The BRAT diet can guide you toward foods that you can tolerate and these foods will help to resolve the diarrhea. It includes Bananas to replace lost potassium, low-fiber Rice, Applesauce to help form a stool, and Toast and Tea to add back calories and fluids. You can eat small amounts of any food that does not cause you discomfort. Sports drinks, like Gatorade, will replace some of the minerals lost. Dilute them with water or serve over ice. Drinking them straight can aggravate diarrhea because they are too sweet. Also stay away from alcohol, coffee, herbal teas, bouillon, fatty foods and milk. Don’t add back milk until the diarrhea has been gone for at least 24 hours. Some people are milk intolerant for a couple of weeks after a serious bout of diarrhea. If, after you drink a glass of milk, you have gas or loose stools, you may be temporarily intolerant. Simply limit milk and try again in a couple of weeks, at which point everything should be fine. Yogurt, kefir and cheese will not be a problem and are healthy choices to eat.
Most of us recover in a few days from these seasonal bugs. But, keep in mind that those over 65 or younger than two will be hit the hardest and it is wise to check in with the doctor for any illness that lasts more than 24 hours.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of 30 books. Available as eBooks from iTunes and Amazon Kindle:
Diabetes Counter
Calorie Counter
Protein Counter
Healthy Wholefoods Counter
Complete Food Counter
Fat and Cholesterol Counter
Available in print from Gallery Books:
Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd Ed.
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
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