How to distinguish poisoning from rotavirus? Symptoms of diseases

As soon as spring or autumn comes, many children and adults begin to get sick with colds. They can be called either bacteria or viruses. But often it happens that a simple poisoning on the symptoms resembles a viral infection, so it is very important to be able to differentiate the disease. At this time of year, rotavirus often causes the malaise. In adults and children, signs may resemble intestinal poisoning, but there are manifestations in which the pathologies differ from each other, respectively, and the therapy will be completely different. Let's see what the difference is between poisoning and rotavirus.

What is rotavirus

Rotavirus is a microorganism in which the custodian of hereditary information is RNA. Penetrating into the human body, causes an infectious lesion of the gastrointestinal tract. If you look at the virus under a microscope, then the shape of its body resembles a wheel.

Typically, the maximum activity of the virus begins to manifest in the autumn-winter period. The disease that provokes them is called rotavirus infection, or rotavirus gastroenteritis.

The parasite multiplies rapidly in the body and causes disruption of the digestive tract. A great danger, especially for children, is dehydration.

Infection occurs from a sick person or carrier infection. The ingestion takes place through the mouth together with food, water. It should be noted that rotavirus is sufficiently resistant to environmental factors, so the seasonality of the disease is noted.

The causes of rotavirus and poisoning

Before you look for the difference between rotavirus and poisoning, you need to understand the reasons for their occurrence.

Poisoning, as a rule, develops through the fault of microorganisms that enter our body along with food. Their intensive development provokes improper storage, violation of transportation conditions, non-observance of personal hygiene. Most often, the environment for active propagation of pathogens becomes products that are not subjected to heat treatment before consumption, for example, sausages, cheeses, semi-finished products.

But rotavirus penetrates the body from a sick person. He begins to multiply intensively in the intestine, comes out from the first days with feces. It should be noted that immunity from the virus does not suffer, repeated cases are rare.

The whole insidiousness of the virus lies also in the fact that an infected person may not even suspect about its existence in the body, because it can manifest itself with a slight malaise and a single diarrhea.

To find out the difference between rotavirus and poisoning, it is necessary to study the symptoms of pathologies.

Manifestations of rotavirus infection

Penetrating into the gastrointestinal tract, rotavirus quickly multiplies and in a short period of time can cause severe dehydration. Even on the external appearance of a person it is noticeable:

• Sunken eyes.
• Dry mucous membranes.
• Skin may appear on the skin.

One day for the virus is enough that a person significantly lost weight. Rotavirus in adults may exhibit the following symptoms:

• The body temperature rises.
• There is a general weakness.
• Completely disappears appetite.
• Often there is vomiting, abdominal pain
• There is pain when swallowing.
• If you look at the language, you can see on it a white raid.
• Constant rumbling in the abdomen.
• Redness of the throat.
• The conjunctiva becomes red.
• Nasal congestion appears.
• Easy cough.

Often the symptoms disappear after about a week.

How poisoning manifests itself

Symptoms of food poisoning in adults can be divided into several groups.

1. Symptoms of inflammation of the intestinal mucosa:

• Pain in the abdomen;
• nausea;
• Vomiting.

2. Symptoms of an organism intoxication :

• General weakness appears;
• headache;
• Pain in the muscles;
• nausea;
• chills;
• May increase body temperature.

3. Signs of dehydration:

• General weakness;
• Dryness of mucous membranes;
• Frequent stools;
• cardiopalmus;
• nausea and vomiting;
• Poorly separated urine;
• Feeling of thirst.

As a rule, the symptoms of food poisoning in adults go through a couple of days. If signs of dehydration are pronounced, it is necessary to see the doctor, because appropriate treatment may be required.

If the question arises, how to distinguish poisoning from rotavirus, then one must know that the former arises suddenly and develops rapidly. As a rule, poisoning can be associated with eating certain foods or dishes. If there was a joint meal with someone, then there may be similar symptoms at once for several people.

How to distinguish poisoning from rotavirus

We examined the symptoms of pathologies, and several criteria can be distinguished:

1. Rotavirus infection is characterized by an increase in temperature, which lasts for several days, and in case of poisoning, if it rises, it is insignificant and short-lived.
2. Rotavirus is usually a seasonal pathogen, often affects small children and is transmitted from the patient to a healthy one, but poisoning can occur at any time of the year and is associated with poor-quality products. It is impossible to get poisoned.
3. If there is a question: rotavirus or poisoning, we must bear in mind that in viral pathology, nausea, vomiting and pain in the abdomen necessarily include symptoms of acute respiratory infections, such as a runny nose, a sore throat. The urine becomes dark in color, as there is severe dehydration.
4. If rotavirus affects one member of the family or someone gets sick in the team, then, as a rule, others also begin to get sick. When poisoning, similar symptoms can be observed only in those who ate the same product or dish.

Rotavirus or poisoning? You can answer by looking at the person: with a virus infection you can see reddened eyes and a throat, there is a cough, and when there is no such poisoning.

Of course, it is very difficult for an ignoramus in such matters to answer the question of how to distinguish poisoning from rotavirus, so it is better to consult a doctor at the first signs of any disease.

Treatment of rotavirus infection

Despite the fact that poisoning and rotavirus infection can have a similar manifestation, but the reasons (and, hence, the treatment) are different. At the first signs, for example, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, most people rush to take antibiotics, antidiarrheal medications, and this only smoothes the picture, and it will be more difficult for the doctor to make the correct diagnosis.

Treatment of rotavirus infection is usually carried out according to the following scheme:

1. To prevent dehydration, the drug "Regidron" or saline solution is prescribed.
2. Since this is still a viral infection, it shows the use of antiviral drugs: "Kagotsel", "Citovir." You can not take antibiotics, they can not overcome the virus, but only weaken the defenses of the body.
3. The virus affects the intestine, so to facilitate its work, it is necessary to take enzymes "Festal", "Mezim", "Pancreatin".
4. Help adsorbing drugs: "Polysorb", "Smecta".
5. To restore the useful microflora of the intestine will help "Atzilak", "Lactobacterin", "Lineks."
6. At an elevated body temperature, you can take a febrifuge, for example, "Paracetamol."
7. If dehydration is found in a small child who can not be made to drink, make intravenous solutions.

If it is correctly determined - rotavirus or poisoning in an adult, such treatment will quickly yield positive results.

Nutrition - part of the treatment

Not only drug therapy will help to cope with rotavirus, it is important to follow some recommendations in nutrition:

1. Exclude dairy products and dishes based on them.
2. It is better to eat dishes cooked for a couple.
3. Drink a lot of liquid, it's good if it's fruit drinks, compotes, herbal teas.
4. It is recommended to add porridge, but cooked on the water.
5. Light meat and fish dishes.
6. Do not drink carbonated drinks.
7. For the time being I will have to give up baking, sweets, raw fruits and vegetables.

Even after the body managed to cope with the infection, the doctor, as a rule, recommends some time to comply with these recommendations.

How to protect yourself from rotavirus?

The disease is easier to prevent than to treat later. With rotavirus, this is, of course, difficult, but possible. It is important to observe the following recommendations:

1. Strictly comply with hygiene standards, both at home and at work. Graft them to children.
2. You can get an inoculation against rotavirus.
3. If a sick person appears at home, he should be isolated from the rest to prevent the spread of the infection.

The doctor will tell you how to disinfect the room in which the patient was.

Therapy of food poisoning

Usually poisoning, which happens in everyday life, does not refer to serious illnesses. Even if nothing is done, the symptoms go away after 2-3 days. Therapy is aimed at:

• Elimination of intoxication and excretion of pathogenic microorganisms.
• Prevention of dehydration.
• Restoration of intestinal microflora.
• Normalization of the digestive tract.

If the poisoning has serious symptoms, accompanied by severe vomiting, diarrhea, fever, it is necessary to consult a doctor for the purpose of appropriate treatment.

How to distinguish poisoning from rotavirus, we have already disassembled, so it should be obvious that a viral infection requires a more serious attitude and prolonged therapy.

Prevention of food poisoning

To avoid food poisoning, it is important to follow certain recommendations:

• Observe all sanitation standards in the kitchen.
• Stick to the technology of cooking.
• Observe the rules for storing food and cooked meals.
• Do not buy in stores products of questionable quality.
• Avoid fast food.

It is always easier to prevent the development of the disease than to treat it later. Quite often, when we go to another country or even to the sea, many people are acclimatized. Poisoning or rotavirus can lie in wait here. The body gets used to new conditions, dishes and can rebel with the manifestation of various symptoms that resemble food poisoning or a viral infection.

That is why during long trips it is very important to comply with all standards of sanitation and personal hygiene. It is necessary to be able to distinguish between these two pathologies. If it's difficult to do this on your own, you'll have to remember about the doctors on vacation.