It’s been going around, all my friends all the over the country have had it, i’ve had it, you’ve had it, we’ve all had it. Not COVID, the nasty gut bug! It hits kids and adults, and ranges from mild digestive upset to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. I’ve also noticed that some people don’t seem to be able to catch it, and many people take longer to recover from it. So what do you do if you find yourself coming down with a gut bug, and how to accelerate your recovery?
One of the most important things you can do to prevent infection and speed recovery is to maintain good gut health. What does this mean? Here’s what I count as good gut health
No bloating
No reflux
No abdominal pain
Bowel movement daily - should resemble a banana in shape and size
If you find your stomach getting upset from time to time, or you’re noticing some bloating, then you are more at risk for a GI infection, and a worse course of illness than someone who has perfect digestion. Prevention is truly the best medicine!
Ok, so maybe your kid is one of those who licks the grocery cart and sickness is inevitable, what do you do to recover your digestive health as quickly as possible? I have a few tried and true options for you!
Unpopular opinion: if you’re sick, stay HOME - Ok, so it’s too late for you, you are starting to hear some gurgles, your next best bet is to stop eating food and self isolate. This will ensure you remain relatively stress-free and force you to rest, which is exactly what your body needs when it is fighting something.
Hydration - Drink plenty of water, very slowly, to prevent dehydration. Some GI infections are severe enough that it is hard to keep even water down. If this is the case, sometimes an ice cube is better tolerated, but not always. Usually this level of nausea/retching resolves after 4-6 hours. The main reason to drink water is to prevent dehydration from the diarrhea and/or vomiting. A pinch of salt can be added to provide electrolytes. Gatorade is basically sugar water with artificial dyes and flavoring, so is not ideal for anyone to be drinking. I also don’t recommend Pedialyte because it has artificial sweeteners in it which can be very hard on the gut.
Probiotics - as a viral infection rips through your digestive tract, it can be nice to replenish beneficial flora. This will help support your immune system and normalize digestion more quickly. This is not essential in the acute phase, but certainly a critical part of recovery. A good probiotic can be as simple as fermented foods, or something a little more scientific. I tend to reach for the more scientific option if someone has less than perfect gut health generally or if the illness was particularly bad.
Immunoglobulins - Did you know that you can actually supplement antibodies? Antibodies are the part of the immune system that captures invaders and flags them for removal. In a healthy gut, the entire mucosal surface is coated with a special antibody called secretory IgA (sIgA). This is your frontline defense against infection, and it is the first thing to get used up with an acute infection. By giving your body more antibodies, you help your immune system kick the infection more efficiently. These can also help repair gut damage (leaky gut) and improve good flora!
Demulcents - When your gut gets ripped up, you need to soothe it and support healing. For this, we use demulcent herbs! Aloe, okra, marshmallow root, DGL, and fennel are some of my favorites. I love using a nice blend to encourage gut healing. I find that gut pain responds very quickly to this, almost as if it's quenching a fire.
Here’s a link to what I use for myself and my family when we get a gut bug. It’s safe for kids and adults, and contains none of the common allergens! This is great thing to keep onhand so it’s there when you need it in case your family catches something.
https://us.fullscript.com/protocols/idealhuman-gut-bug-recovery-program
What works for you? Do you have any favorite strategies for gut bugs? How long did it take you and your family to recover?