Spring and Summer Intestinal Disease Prevention Guide
Core Tip: The consumption of summer fruits also reaches a peak. Fruits that are not washed clean can also cause gastrointestinal discomfort. At the turn of spring and summer, the gastrointestinal tract is sensitive. During this period, most acute gastroenteritis, dysentery, and other diseases are caused by the consumption of cold drinks and unclean fruits and vegetables. Cold drinks and unclean fruits and vegetables are the main culprits of intestinal diseases in the summer. Some people have poor gastrointestinal function but偏偏 (insist on) eating cold drinks, which their digestive systems cannot adapt to, thus triggering intestinal diseases. Meanwhile, the consumption of summer fruits also reaches a peak, and fruits that are not washed clean can also cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
Intestinal Diseases Increase at the Turn of Spring and Summer; Vegetables and Fruits Must Be Washed
Last weekend, Ms. Zhuang was out shopping. Due to the hot weather, she couldn't resist eating four ice creams at once. She suddenly turned pale, broke out in a cold sweat, and started to convulse and have spasms with excruciating stomach pain. After being sent to the city hospital, she was diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis triggered by consuming a large amount of ice cream at once. The doctor treating her told her: At the turn of spring and summer, the gastrointestinal tract is sensitive. Most acute gastroenteritis, dysentery, and other diseases common during this period are caused by consuming cold drinks and unclean fruits and vegetables. Cold drinks and unclean fruits and vegetables are the main culprits of intestinal diseases in the summer. Some people have poor gastrointestinal function but偏偏 (insist on) eating cold drinks, which their digestive systems cannot adapt to, thus triggering intestinal diseases. Meanwhile, the consumption of summer fruits also reaches a peak, and fruits that are not washed clean can also cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
Be Careful with Randomly Placed Food in the Refrigerator to Prevent Intestinal Diseases
Ms. Liu, a white-collar in her 30s, and her husband both work from 9 to 5. They usually don't have much time to buy fresh vegetables, so she typically buys food for several days at once and stores it in the refrigerator. A few days ago, Ms. Liu went to the emergency department of a hospital due to diarrhea and was diagnosed with acute enteritis. "I rarely eat out, and besides, the food I eat at home is stored in the refrigerator, so how did I suddenly get enteritis?" The emergency doctor examining her told her: "A refrigerator is not a disinfection cabinet. A refrigerator can also get 'sick' and infect the food stored inside, which, when consumed, can cause intestinal diseases or even food poisoning."
Intestinal Diseases are the Root of All Illnesses
We have a saying: "Diseases enter through the mouth." Therefore, traditional Chinese health philosophies emphasize the selection and pairing of food before it is consumed. Nowadays, people have money in their pockets and face a street full of delicious food, plus countless social engagements. How many people can actually control what they eat? Many people today have an unbalanced diet, such as favoring smoked, pickled, grilled, and fried foods, frequently drinking strong liquor, and having irregular meals or overeating. These acidic foods produce more toxic substances after metabolism. Coupled with the accelerating pace of life, the excretory system is disrupted, toxins are not easily expelled, and remain in the intestines, increasing the burden on the intestines and affecting the body's absorption of nutrients, which in turn causes systemic discomfort. This shows that intestinal diseases should not be taken lightly.
4 Major Distress Signals from the Intestines
Signal 1: Constipation
Traditional Chinese medicine says that as long as bowel movements are not smooth, it is called "constipation." Western medicine says that regardless of whether the stool is dry or loose, it is considered constipation if it is not passed for more than 48 hours. Short-term constipation is a warning sign that intestinal health is in jeopardy, while long-term constipation is an invisible killer of intestinal health, causing symptoms of poisoning such as bloating, bad breath, loss of appetite, and irritability. Over time, it can also lead to weight gain, skin aging, and many other diseases such as anemia, anal fissures, hemorrhoids, and rectal ulcers.
Signal 2: Diarrhea
When people think of diarrhea, they all picture a scene of rushing to the toilet many times a day. But in reality, diarrhea has little to do with the frequency of bowel movements. Even if you only have one bowel movement a day, if the stool is pasty or watery, it is diarrhea; if you go to the toilet five or six times a day but the stool is formed, it cannot be called diarrhea. Acute diarrhea has a sudden onset, with more than 10 bowel movements a day, the stool is abundant and thin, and it is often accompanied by bowel sounds, colicky pain, or tenesmus. Chronic diarrhea lasts for a long time, some for more than two months, causing weight loss, low-grade fever, and in severe cases, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and even life-threatening situations.
Signal 3: Abnormal Stool
Abnormal stool refers to discomfort during bowel movements and physical discomfort, with a recent significant change in the frequency, color, and shape of the stool. Projectile bleeding during defecation, or dripping bright red blood after a bowel movement, where blood does not mix with the stool, with varying amounts of bleeding and accompanied by a foreign body sensation in the anus, may indicate hemorrhoids. A sudden onset accompanied by abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and a small amount of blood mixed with the stool, frequent bowel movements, a sense of tenesmus, and abdominal tenderness may indicate bacillary dysentery.
Signal 4: Flatulence
In fact, flatulence is not a single gas, but a mixture of many gases, containing hydrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, indole, and volatile skatole. High-protein diets produce large amounts of hydrogen sulfide (the smell of rotten eggs) when they decompose, hence the special odor. The more fragrant the food (meat, fried food), the smellier the fart. The odor is less if you eat coarse rice and simple meals. If you have a lot of gas and it often smells bad, it means you are eating too much protein and your digestive system is overburdened. You should reduce or immediately switch to a vegetarian diet to prevent gastrointestinal diseases. Be vigilant against "diseases entering through the mouth."
The main transmission routes of intestinal infectious diseases are water, food, and person-to-person contact. A pathogen can reproduce every 2-3 hours. Bacteria do not easily breed at high or low temperatures, but at the turn of spring and summer, the temperature is just right, and bacteria multiply very quickly in humid and dark places. This can easily cause intestinal infectious diseases. The most important measure to prevent intestinal diseases is to cut off the transmission routes and prevent "diseases from entering through the mouth." You must enhance your awareness of self-protection.
First, pay attention to the hygiene of drinking water. The water you drink must be boiled. Do not drink unboiled water to avoid ingesting pathogenic microorganisms that cause digestive diseases.
Second, pay attention to food hygiene. When cooking, keep raw and cooked food separate. Food should be steamed and cooked thoroughly. Try to eat fewer cold dishes, especially raw salads. Food is best eaten after being cooked at high temperatures.
Third, pay attention to eating hygiene. Wash your hands before meals and after using the toilet. Utensils at home should be disinfected regularly.
Fourth, maintain a clean indoor environment and ventilate frequently.
Fifth, try to reduce contact with patients, especially avoid sharing tableware and utensils with them.