Why do the intestines suffer after being infected with the new coronavirus?

This is the 4169th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

Recently, Dr. Zhou who works in the hospital has become positive. To be honest, after reading a lot of information, Dr. Zhou has been mentally prepared for a series of symptoms after this wave of virus infection. Facing fever, pain, cough, etc., he will deal with it as it comes, and treat it symptomatically. Of course, there are many people on the Internet who have other symptoms, such as: increased appetite, constant tears, weight loss, love of learning, etc. (Huh? Why do I suddenly feel a little envious?)

Some patients are puzzled. Isn’t COVID-19 a respiratory infection? Sore throat, runny nose, and poor appetite are common, so why do they have gastrointestinal changes such as “serial farts” or diarrhea when they are infected?

The novel coronavirus pneumonia is mainly characterized by respiratory symptoms, but some patients may also have digestive tract involvement, with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, diarrhea, abdominal pain, increased bowel movements, and even increased flatulence. For example, Dr. Zhou was infected this time, and he had many gastrointestinal reactions after having a fever. These digestive tract symptoms can easily be confused with the usual symptoms of acute gastroenteritis, so be sure to pay attention.

In fact, traditional Chinese medicine has long had an explanation for this phenomenon. The "Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic" says: The lungs and large intestine are exterior and interior to each other. The meridians between the lungs and large intestine are interconnected, forming an exterior-interior relationship, and they influence each other physiologically and pathologically. If the lung qi descends normally, the conduction of the large intestine will also be normal, and the bowel movement will be smooth. If the lungs fail to descend and the body fluids cannot be delivered, constipation will occur. On the contrary, if the large intestine is damp and hot, and the yang qi of the internal organs is blocked, it may affect the lung qi and cause coughing and asthma. In traditional Chinese medicine, the new crown is an exogenous plague, which causes heat to stagnate in the body and heat toxins are difficult to disperse. Because the lungs and large intestine are exterior and interior to each other, the heat and toxins in the lung meridian go down along the large intestine meridian, so intestinal symptoms such as increased flatus, diarrhea or constipation are prone to occur;

In addition, many Chinese medicines for various fever symptoms of COVID-19 are cold medicines that clear away heat and detoxify. Many people may also experience diarrhea after taking the medicine, especially if the patient has a weak spleen and stomach. Therefore, Chinese medicine also emphasizes "stop taking medicine as soon as the disease is cured" and stop overdosing on the symptoms. As the saying goes, "all medicines are three-point poisonous", whether it is Western medicine or Chinese medicine, it is not recommended that you take medicine "preventively" or overdo it when you have symptoms.

Many people will find that they start to produce serial farts after they have a high fever. Why is that? Some theories believe that it is the increase in body temperature that causes intestinal flora disorder. The normal temperature of our human body is between 36 and 37.3 degrees, and the core temperature is around 37.7 degrees. At this temperature, the probiotics in the human body are in a very comfortable environment, and their work efficiency is also very high - it is conducive to digesting food, absorbing nutrients, and resisting external viruses. When the human body starts to have a fever, the body temperature rises to around 39 or even 40 degrees Celsius. The probiotics in the intestines tend to lose their activity, that is, they are a little dizzy from the high temperature and have no strength to work. The new coronavirus is more likely to enter the intestines, causing damage to the gastrointestinal mucosa and reduced absorption capacity; while other "harmful" bacteria begin to become abnormally active, causing food residues to produce more waste gas, resulting in increased gas discharge and abnormal stool.

Another situation is that because of the sore throat like "swallowing a razor blade", many people use methods such as drinking ice water, eating ice cream or popsicles to "cold compress" the throat, or suddenly increase their appetite and eat too much food. These hot and cold, miscellaneous foods will eventually need our digestive tract to bear all of them... Just thinking about it makes me shed a few bitter tears. Can't the digestive tract that is sick and working overtime give you a little color?

So, what should we do when faced with gastrointestinal symptoms after COVID-19 infection?

1. Timely supplement of intestinal probiotics

You can supplement it with yogurt or special probiotic preparations to regulate gastrointestinal function.

2. Through massage or hot compress

For constipation, massage the abdomen along the direction of the colon, and for diarrhea, massage in the reverse direction. You can use a hot towel for local heat compress to promote intestinal peristalsis and relieve excessive flatulence.

3. Adjust your diet appropriately

Adjust your diet in time during illness, eat less overly cold food, and eat more nutritious, light and easily digestible food.

Author: Huadong Sanatorium

Zhou Lu