Have you ever noticed your appetite changes after a stomach bug?
Stomach bugs are terrible. I‘ve seen my kids projectile vomit across the room with diarrhea at the same time! That freaked me out! I thought they were possessed and in a way they were possessed. I have notice long term appetite changes after a stomach bug and it’s important to correct it sooner rather than later.
This stomach bug is a bad case of gastroenteritis usually caused by a viral infection of the stomach.
Some call it the Stomach flu but this is not correct. The Flu or Influenza is different. The Flu can cause fever, sore throat, runny nose and body aches and often comes on quick.
This sickness usually passes in about a week but the first few days are the worst. The most serious concern is dehydration. Getting the body to absorb water is important but that’s the problem.
This is a problem where the large bowel (colon), responsible for absorbing water is sick and not functioning properly. You just can simply drink water. It’s best to drink water with electrolytes (salt and minerals). The electrolytes can help the small bowel do the job of the large bowel and absorb that much needed water to avoid dehydration. Make sure to avoid milk and dairy as they are usually hard to digest.
As I understand the science, the combination of salt and sugar in water causes the small bowel absorb more water to hydrate the body. Sipping chicken broth and ginger ale can help combine salt and sugar to provide good hydration. I’ve also used Pedialyte with my kids and that worked well.
When sick like this it’s hard to hold food down. Focus on getting rest and staying hydrated.
Here’s an important point to remember – after a child or an adult deals with gastroenteritis (frequent vomiting and diarrhea) they can be left with an unhealthy gut health and poor digestion for a long time after. Their appetite may not come back the way it was before getting sick.
Poor digestion can lead to all sorts of health issues like allergies, food sensitivities, lack of mental focus, muscle aches, joint pain, skin rashes, eczema, insomnia and more.
The key here is to get professional help to nurture the child’s gut health back to a healthier functional state. This may include diet changes, herbs and supplements appropriate to use for a child. Digestion is important pillar of health.
Improving digestive function will involve therapies that may include the following:
- Supporting the body’s ability to make sufficient gastric juices to break down food.
- Using digestive aids in the form of supplements and herbs to support and restore good digestive function.
- Support bile production from the liver and gall bladder to break down fats.
- Repopulating the important natural gut bacteria by introducing prebiotics and probiotics back into the digestive tract. Think of prebiotics as the food for the probiotics.
Want to learn more about digestive health? Check out these helpful articles on digestion
- Diet-Digestion Reboot Program – DDR
- Digestion is a Beginning for Good Health
- Acid Reflux – Heart Burn – Quick Tip
- Lab Tests and Digestive Health
Do you have a reply or questions? Let’s continue the conversation. I invite you to enter any comments or questions in the reply section down below.
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