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.