Your Guide to Surviving Gastro
It’s going round at the moment, and boy is it not fun, it’s your pal Gastro! Gastroenteritis (or gastro for short) is a common condition that affects the gut and is often highly infectious. It’s triggered by an infection (you might call it a bug) that causes inflammation of the lining of our digestive system. Symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, headaches, fever, lethargy and loss of appetite - never fun.
If you’re suffering from or have recently suffered a bout of gastro, it’s important to take steps to manage symptoms and take care of your body to help it bounce back. Here are some things you can do to look after yourself if you’re unlucky enough to catch a stomach bug.
Eat small, frequent meals. Instead of eating three large meals a day, try eating smaller, more frequent ones. This will help ease the burden on your stomach lining and make it easier for your body to digest food.
Avoid spicy, acidic, and fatty foods, as well as alcohol and caffeine as these will irritate your stomach. Try to stick to bland foods that are easy to digest like bananas (these also contain potassium which you lose when you have diarrhea), rice, toast, crackers, chicken broth (classic stereotype but it works), yoghurt (which has lots of good probiotics for gut health) or boiled (boring) potatoes.
Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water keeps your body hydrated and flushes out toxins to speed the recovery process. You’ll also be losing lots of fluid if you’re vomiting or have diarrhea, which needs to be replaced. Take small sips more often instead of large gulps, and consider an electrolyte containing supplement (i.e. hydralite) if you’re severely dehydrated.
Get plenty of rest. Your body needs time to heal after getting gastro. Try to avoid strenuous activities and take it easy until you feel better. An excuse to sleep all day? Yes please.
Try natural remedies. Supplements like ginger, cardamon and curcumin can help soothe your stomach and reduce inflammation. Chamomile tea can also assist with calming your nervous system.
Seek medical advice: Although for most healthy adults gastroenteritis isn’t serious and will usually subside within a day or two, symptoms can occasionally persist longer and/or become severe. In either case, make sure you seek medical advice to get your gastro under control.
It’s common to finish a bout of gastro feeling sore in places you normally wouldn’t. Severe vomiting and diarrhea places a lot of stress on areas like your neck, diaphragm, ribcage, lower back and pelvic floor - not to mention how sensitized your nervous system will be. You might experience headaches, jaw pain, joint sprains, muscle pain as well as lingering abdominal and/or pelvic pain.
Osteopathic treatment helps to optimize the body’s healing and promote recovery after a bout of gastro. At the Osteopaths of Collingwood, our fun loving, gastro negative Osteopaths provide holistic manual therapy and advice on diet, lifestyle and exercise rehabilitation to help you get better, sooner. If you’re struggling to bounce back after a bout of gastro (or anything else for that matter), don’t hesitate to reach out so we can help you get back on track!
