How To Treat Norovirus

Norovirus is a gastrointestinal disorder that causes diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and pain. It is also referred to as the Norwalk virus because the first ever recorded case of the illness was in Norwalk, Ohio, in 1968. Norovirus might cause symptoms such as chills, fever, fatigue, headaches, and weight loss. Moreover, due to the severity of its symptoms, individuals afflicted by norovirus are susceptible to dehydration, which might trigger other significant side effects. Norovirus easily spreads through foods and drinks and can substantially impact your well-being. The Center For Disease Control's data indicates over fifty percent of all foodborne disease outbreaks every year are due to noroviruses. Unfortunately, due to the different forms of noroviruses, exposure to one does not make you immune to the others. However, here are some effective treatment options if you get afflicted.

Replace Lost Fluids

One of the major pairs of norovirus symptoms is vomiting and diarrhea, and because one loses large amounts of fluids during those processes, dehydration might occur. Dehydration implies that your body cannot store water and thus needs constant replenishment. Water is essential in the body because it helps in almost all metabolic processes. If we do not replace lost fluids after a bout of diarrhea or vomiting, dehydration will get severe, urinating will stop, and the kidneys might fail, leaving the body unable to remove toxic waste products. When rehydrating, avoid diuretics such as caffeine because they increase the amount of urine your body produces, which only worsens the dehydration. Also, avoid sugary drinks such as fruit cocktails, as they cause excess water to be drawn into the large intestine, thereby softening the contents and worsening diarrhea.

Continue reading to learn about another way of helping alleviate norovirus symptoms, particularly diarrhea.