Tap in and keep your curiosity satisfied. Your privacy is important to us. Any information you provide to us via this website may be placed by us on servers located in countries outside of the EU.
If you do not agree to such placement, do not provide the information. This is because viruses do not respond to antibiotics and simply need to run their course.
If it is determined that a bacteria, like Salmonella , is causing the symptoms, an antibiotic may be prescribed. For parasites, anti-parasitic medications may be available. There are a few steps people can take at home to aid recovery from a stomach virus or food poisoning. People should be cautious of taking over-the-counter OTC medications, unless advised by a healthcare provider, as some can worsen the infection. Even anti-diarrhea medications can make the situation worse in some cases.
Gastroenteritis will typically resolve within a few days or less without medication. However, hydration is vital to a speedy recovery and prevention of complications. The CDC estimate that norovirus causes 19 to 21 million illnesses each year. The following preventive measures can help reduce the risk of catching a stomach virus. There is a vaccination available in some countries that counters certain stomach viruses.
The vaccine can be effective in helping to prevent severe symptoms of the virus when given to children in the first year of their life. People can help prevent food poisoning by ensuring that meats, salads, dressings, and other foods are stored at the right temperature.
Do not eat food that has been left out of storage for more than 2 hours. In purely medical terms, the flu influenza is a common viral infection that mainly affects the respiratory system. You usually have symptoms such as:. On the other hand, the stomach flu is more accurately referred to as gastroenteritis.
Unlike influenza , gastroenteritis can be triggered by any number of disease-causing pathogens including:. It is commonly associated with the rotavirus in children and either the norovirus or the Campylobacter bacteria in adults. Here's a brief look at the main differences between stomach flu and seasonal flu. Spreads through person-to-person contact, contaminated food or water, or, in the case of parasites, contact with infected feces. Spreads by dissemination of virus in droplets spewed into air when an infected person sneezes or coughs; particles can travel as far as six feet.
Clearly, because lots of things can cause stomach flu , it may be overly optimistic to suggest that it will go away in 24 hours. It may do so, but it can also take up to 10 days for some to fully recover.
Gastroenteritis, also known as infectious diarrhea, is characterized by the inflammation of the stomach and gastrointestinal tract. It can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and abdominal distress. In general, stomach flu appears suddenly. It hits hard. Then it gets better once the symptoms decrease. While many types of viral illnesses such as influenza and the common cold tend to be transmitted in the air, gastroenteritis tends to be transmitted by:. Handwashing after using the restroom and practicing good hygiene helps prevent the transmission of stomach flu.
The most common causes of stomach flu include:. Symptoms of gastroenteritis are usually acute and go away on their own without the need for a healthcare provider's visit. The main focus of treatment is the prevention of dehydration due to the severe loss of fluids. Supportive therapies may include:. Call your healthcare provider immediately or go to the emergency room if the following occurs:.
Severe dehydration symptoms include dizziness , weakness, confusion, fainting , or fever over degrees. The stomach flu isn't really a kind of flu. Your stomach is in knots as another wave of nausea strikes, sending you to the bathroom for the third time in an hour.
Two likely culprits are stomach bug also called stomach flu and food poisoning. But how does stomach flu differ from food poisoning? Understanding the difference may lead to feeling better sooner and even prevent the illness from occurring in the first place. Stomach flu and stomach bug are informal terms for viral gastroenteritis , a sickness in which a viral infection causes inflammation in the stomach and intestines. Though it shares a number of symptoms with viral gastroenteritis, food poisoning is a condition caused by the consumption of contaminated food or water.
Most people develop viral gastroenteritis symptoms within 24 to 72 hours of exposure to a virus, while food poisoning symptoms can appear anytime within a few hours to weeks following exposure to a foodborne or waterborne pathogen. Several viruses are the cause of viral gastroenteritis, among them norovirus, rotavirus, adenovirus and astroviruses.
Thomas says. By contrast, the cause of food poisoning is consumption of food or water contaminated by bacteria, certain viruses, and less commonly, parasites. Viral stomach infections are contagious. It is easy to get and give a stomach virus. It is spread by contact with an infected person, surface, or object.
Stomach viruses are likely to spread at places with a lot of people. This includes schools, daycares, nursing homes, airplanes, cruise ships, and hospitals. Stomach viruses are common in cold weather months. Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask you questions about your symptoms. Your doctor may ask you to provide a stool sample. This is to rule out other health problems.
A flu shot will not prevent a stomach virus. The flu shot only prevent the influenza virus. The norovirus can change over time. Therefore, vaccines are still being studied. A rotavirus vaccine is available. Two different vaccines exist. They require 2 to 3 doses. Children should receive the full vaccine prior to 8 months of age.
If you have stomach virus, be responsible. Do not expose others to it. This includes babies, older people, and people with a low immune system. Do not go to school, work, or public places. There is no medicine that can treat a stomach virus. It has to run its course. You can do things to ease symptoms:.
0コメント