Tag Archives: infectious diseases

Viral and Bacterial Infections of the GI Tract

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There are varying types of infections that can be caused by a virus or by bacteria. When it comes to viral or bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, common symptomology may present itself. Gastroenteritis is a medical term used to describe inflammation of the GI tract, involving both the small intestine and the stomach. The symptoms of gastroenteritis include cramping, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain. Left untreated, the symptoms of gastroenteritis can cause severe dehydration and, in some cases, death. According to the World Health Organization, complications from gastrointestinal infections kill approximately 2.2 million people each year worldwide, mostly young children in countries with poor or limited access to essential health and sanitation resources.

Below are some of the most common viral and bacterial infections of the GI tract:

  • Rotavirus: One of the most common viruses, especially in children under 2 years old. It is easily spread through direct contact, and it typically occurs most often during the winter. It has an incubation period of 1-3 days, and symptoms can range from diarrhea, vomiting, to low-grade fever.
  • Norovirus: Affecting both children and adults, it is perhaps the most common foodborne illness. This virus is especially likely to spread through direct contact, so individuals in confined spaces are extremely susceptible. While you can contract this illness through contaminated food or water, person-to-person contact is also possible.
  • Campylobacter: This infection affects mostly children and young adults during the summer and fall months. Milk and poultry are the most common contagions, as it is easy for the bacteria that cause the illness to grow in and/or on these foodstuffs. There is an incubation period of approximately 4-7 hours.
  • Salmonella: This may be the foodborne bacterium that is most widely known. It can be found in meats, poultry, eggs, egg products, non-pasteurized cheese, milk, and other foods. Salmonella typically appears in the meat of animals that have been treated with antibiotics for growth promotion. You can also contract this illness from fecal-oral contact (e.g., when you change a baby’s diaper and forget to wash your hands). This infection presents the greatest risk to infants and seniors.
  • Escherichia coli (E. coli.): This bacteria is normally found in the intestinal tract. The primary mode of contraction is spread through the fecal-oral route, prompting many Americans to question our food handling processes. This illness can cause cramping, diarrhea, and can even go on to infect the blood. If the infection spreads to the blood, the individual must seek immediate medical attention.

Self Help

When symptoms of a viral or bacterial infection of the GI tract become difficult to manage, many patients will seek out some form of relief. There are a multitude of self-care measures than an individual can take in order to alleviate some of the more acute manifestations of the illness.

  • Bed rest: If you are feeling weak or tired, retreating to bed may be the best way to avoid upsetting a sore stomach.
  • Hydrate: Viral and bacterial infections of the GI tract will cause a body to lose fluids at an alarming pace. Be sure to stay hydrated by continuously drinking small sips of water, or by sucking on ice chips.
  • Avoid medications: If you have to take pharmaceuticals or over the counter medicines to achieve quick relief, be sure to avoid any medications with ibuprofen, as it can make symptoms worse. Similarly, medicines with aspirin can sometimes cause liver toxicity, especially in children.
  • Avoid certain foods and drinks: Products like dairy, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and other substances high in grease or fat content should be avoided until symptoms begin to cease. These substances will most likely aggravate symptoms and cause undue harm.
  • Ease back into eating: If you’re experiencing difficulty keeping food in your system, perhaps the best action plan that you can take is to very gradually reintroduce foods into your diet. This way, you will be able to better identify those foods and drink that are more likely to intensify symptoms.
  • Avoid anti-diarrheal drugs: Drugs like these can sometimes be detrimental for individuals experiencing symptoms of a viral infection (especially children). Anti-diarrheal medications may interfere with elimination of the virus through the feces.

Western Treatments

While viral and bacterial infections of the GI tract are still relatively prevalent in the United States, there is no singular medical treatment that can be used to rid patients of their symptoms. While antibiotics are simply not effective against viruses, overuse or misuse of antibiotics can contribute to the development of highly evolved, antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria in some patients.

Most clinicians will simply recommend bed rest and proper self-care. Oftentimes, the body’s natural defenses will rid the virus or bacteria from the system. However, if the individual’s immune system is in any way compromised, infections of the GI tract can become much more serious, requiring hospitalization and reintroduction of fluids back into the body intravenously.

A Case Study in TCM Treatment

A man in his early 40’s was diagnosed with HIV. This HIV positive status weakened his immune system and caused him to have symptoms that included fatigue, abdominal cramping, retinitis, and severe diarrhea. At the time of treatment, his CD4 (or T-cell) count gravitated between 50 and 100. Although this patient was seeing multiple specialists and had been prescribed several pharmaceuticals to help alleviate his discomfort, he was still experiencing many of these painful symptoms on a regular basis. A Traditional Chinese Medical diagnosis found that his pulse was slightly rapid and sinking, and his tongue was thin and dry with a coating around the edge.

The patient was given six doses per day of a formula containing natural eggshell membrane in order to reduce the chronic diarrheal symptoms of his condition. In addition to this formula, the patient was also prescribed two doses per day of a mixture that included poria sclerotium, coix seed, barley shen qu, magnolia bark, angelica root, pueraria root, red atractylodes rhizome, vladimiria souliei root, amongst a handful of other choice ingredients. This last formula was used to address the abdominal cramping. After a couple weeks, the chronic bouts of diarrhea began to cease, allowing the patient to reduce the first formula. At this point, a third formula containing red ganoderma fruiting body, isatis extract leaf and root, spatholobus stem, astragalus root, tremella fruiting body, andrographis herb, and lonicera flower was administered. This mixture has been taken by other individuals with HIV, with largely positive results. After a couple months, the patient’s symptoms had been greatly reduced.

Treating Hepatitis

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Very generally, hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver that is typically caused by a viral infection. Hepatitis is categorized into several different viral strains ranging from hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E (here we will be focusing primarily on hepatitis A, B, and C). Hepatitis may initially occur with few outward symptoms, but left untreated it will often manifest in painful physical symptoms and, in some cases, death. The symptoms of the virus can be worsened by risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse, or contact with other toxic agents.

While the mode of contraction for hepatitis differs from strain to strain, acute viral hepatitis of any kind is characterized by jaundice, fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, tenderness in the upper right abdomen, dark urine, and a loss of appetite. Some other forms of hepatitis can become chronic and need constant maintenance. Chronic hepatitis can lead to liver scarring and, in some cases, cirrhosis. Next we will review hepatitis types A, B, and C individually.

  • Hepatitis A: Caused by the hepatitis A virus, this form of the liver infection is highly contagious. The most common way to contract hepatitis A is from contaminated food or water, or from close contact with someone who already has the infection. This form of hepatitis is acute in nature and oftentimes the liver heals itself within weeks to months of contracting the virus with little or no permanent liver damage. While there is a vaccine for hepatitis A, there is no defined medical treatment that will cure it.
  • Hepatitis B: Hepatitis B is another acute form of liver infection, although for some people, the infection can become chronic.  Children are much more susceptible to developing a chronic form of hepatitis B, as it is common for mothers to pass on the infection to their children during delivery, combined with the fact that children generally have less resilient immune systems. The most common way to contract hepatitis B is through contact with infected bodily fluids. Many people don’t display their symptoms until after an incubation period of about 60-90 days. Depending on the severity of the infection, individuals with hepatitis B may not need a serious medical intervention in order to rid their bodies of the virus. If the infection becomes chronic, antiviral medications may be necessary.
  • Hepatitis C: While hepatitis C can be acute, many people who contract this strain of the virus develop a long term infection and, oftentimes, suffer permanent liver damage. Symptoms of hepatitis C typically take a long time to manifest (sometimes decades), allowing an extended window of time for the patient to suffer irreparable damage to the liver before being diagnosed and treated. The most common way to contract hepatitis C is through contact with infect bodily fluids—specifically blood. While some cases of hepatitis C can be left untreated, many cases must be treated with antiviral medication and, in the worst case scenario, a liver transplant. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C.

Self Help

Perhaps the best prevention against hepatitis is through good hygiene, knowledgeable sterilization practices, and proper food preparation. However, there are several more things that you can do to help you alleviate your symptoms and/or decrease your risk of developing a more acute form of the virus.

  • Get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B (currently there is no vaccine for hepatitis C)
  • Get plenty of Vitamin C
  • Take precautions when getting any tattoos, piercings, manicures, or pedicures—ask about sterilization
  • Do not use any razors, needles, or inhalant devices used by other people
  • Do not abuse drugs or alcohol
  • When traveling outside the United States, only drink boiled, bottled, or filtered water and peel all fruit
  • Request disposable acupuncture needles

Western Treatments

Most people who contract a chronic form of hepatitis will seek assistance from their local hospital or clinical physician. Antiviral medications are commonly prescribed by medical doctors to help combat the symptoms of hepatitis, while iron preparation is often recommended before treatment. That being said, some antiviral medications can have negative side effects such as depression and flu-like signs and symptoms while the iron preparation oftentimes causes painful constipation. Some individuals are impacted so negatively by these side effects that treatment must be delayed or stopped completely.

A recent medical development has been the creation of the hepatitis C drug, Sovaldi. The formulation of this drug has caused nationwide controversy, as a single pill comes with a price tag of $1,000, making it absolutely inaccessible for most people suffering with hepatitis C. When the paths to relief are littered with complications such as these, many people suffering with hepatitis opt for a more effective, natural form of treatment.

A Case Study in TCM Treatment

A 40-year-old female had been diagnosed with a chronic hepatitis C infection. All of the traditional Western medical interventions that she had attempted in the past had caused her side effects that were largely intolerable, leading her to seek out a more natural source of relief from her symptoms. Traditional Chinese diagnosis revealed that her tongue was reddish-purple with a textured coating, with a slightly wiry and weak pule in the kidney position. The patient was prescribed an herbal mixture including, among other ingredients, eclipta herb concentrate, milk thistle extract, curcuma tuber, salvia root, lyceum fruit, ligustrum fruit, and bupleurum root. This mixture was to be combined with a secondary mixture containing spatholobus stem, ho-shou-wu root, salvia root, codonopsis root, astragulus root, ligusticum root, rehmannia root, and lyceum fruit. The first mixture was administered to regenerate the liver and reduce enzymes, while the second mixture was recommended for replenishing the blood and Qi. The patient still remains on these herbal mixtures, but reported feeling more energetic during the day after approximately two months of treatment.