腸胃炎食方：綠香蕉止瀉，生薑防嘔

Summer's rising temperatures and increased food spoilage make it a peak season for gastroenteritis. This condition is often accompanied by vomiting,diarrheaSymptoms such as fever and abdominal pain can not only affect eating but also prevent normal work, causing significant disruption to daily life. There's a common belief that "sports drinks can replenish fluids and electrolytes after vomiting and diarrhea." However, Dr. Kang Han-ching of Rui Ming Tang Chinese Medicine Clinic cautions that high-sugar drinks may have the opposite effect; natural foods and proper care are better choices for relieving symptoms.

From an etiological perspective, summer gastroenteritis is related to multiple factors. Western medicine classifies it into viral and bacterial types, with norovirus, Vibrio cholerae, and Salmonella being common summer pathogens. Traditional Chinese medicine, however, believes that damp heat, ...IndigestionCold and dampness are the three main external factors that cause gastroenteritis. Specifically, in summer, contact with unclean food can easily lead to dampness and heat invading the body; overeating or consuming hard-to-digest foods can cause food to stagnate in the stomach and intestines; and excessive consumption of ice cream and beverages can cause cold and dampness to accumulate in the body, which confirms the principle that "illness enters through the mouth." In addition, if the spleen and stomach are weak and their ability to resist external pathogens is reduced, they are more susceptible to these factors and prone to gastroenteritis.

In terms of treatment and nursing care, it is important to avoid common misconceptions. Western medicine focuses on conservative treatment, as vomiting and diarrhea lead to significant loss of water and electrolytes; therefore, preventing dehydration is the primary principle. Kang Hanjing particularly emphasizes that antidiarrheal medications should not be taken in the early stages of the illness, as this may cause pathogens to remain in the body and delay recovery. Traditional Chinese medicine, on the other hand, prescribes medication according to different syndrome types. For example, patients with damp-heat syndrome often use Ge Gen Huang Qin Huang Lian Tang to clear heat and stop diarrhea; patients with food stagnation syndrome use Bao He Wan to promote digestion and eliminate food stagnation; and patients with cold-dampness syndrome use Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San to dispel cold and resolve dampness.

Besides medication, massaging specific acupoints can also effectively relieve gastroenteritis discomfort. When vomiting and diarrhea occur, you can press the Neiguan (PC6) and Shangjuxu (ST37) acupoints. The Neiguan acupoint is located three finger-widths from the inner wrist crease towards the elbow, between two tendons. This acupoint governs heart, chest, and stomach-related diseases and can help balance and relieve nausea and vomiting. The Shangjuxu acupoint is located four finger-widths below the outer knee eye (Zusanli), then four finger-widths down. It belongs to the Stomach Meridian and is also the lower He-Sea point of the Large Intestine Meridian.Regulate the gutIt has a bidirectional regulatory effect on diarrhea and constipation.

Dietary management is equally crucial in the recovery process from gastroenteritis. Regarding the popular method of supplementing with sports drinks, Kang Han-ching explained that commercially available sports drinks are not only high in sugar, but also insufficient in electrolytes. High sugar content can also stimulate intestinal peristalsis and produce a diuretic effect, potentially exacerbating water loss and increasing the risk of dehydration. She suggests that people choose to purchase oral electrolyte solutions from pharmacies or make their own saline solution. Both methods are sugar-free and provide more adequate electrolytes.

After about 8 hours of fasting, once the vomiting and diarrhea symptoms have slightly subsided, patients can gradually try eating small amounts of food. If diarrhea is the main symptom, a moderate amount of green bananas can be eaten, as they are rich in pectin and tannins, which can absorb water in the intestines and help reduce diarrhea. If significant nausea persists after vomiting, white porridge can be cooked with chopped ginger and perilla leaves. In traditional Chinese medicine, ginger is known as a "holy medicine for vomiting," with a significant anti-emetic effect. Combined with perilla leaves, it not only greatly relieves nausea but also helps regulate the spleen and stomach, restore stomach qi, and aid in recovery.