Flu Vs Stomach Flu: Is Their A Difference?

Stomach virus vs. influenza: What is the difference?

Most time people do make a mistake by called flu instead of stomach flu in this article on flu vs stomach flu.

Stomach flu (also called Norovirus) is an acute virus infection of the stomach usually caused by gastroenteritis

But often times when people think they’re suffering from the common cold, they actually suffer from one of these viruses instead.

A stomach virus occurs when your digestive system becomes inflamed and irritated. Some causes include bacterial infections, viral infections, and parasites; some foods can cause an allergic reaction.

Flu is caused by the influenza virus. It causes fevers, muscle aches, and tiredness. Severe cases may be fatal.

There are times when antibiotics are used to help patients with bacterial gastroenteritis, however, they’re not effective against influenza.

Stomach flu refers to an illness caused by bacteria found in the digestive tract; however, influenza is an infectious disease that affects the respiratory system.

Stomach viruses (such as stomach flue) usually start out by causing gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. However, they can sometimes lead to respiratory infections (like influenza).

Gastroenteric viral infections include symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.

Viral Gastroenteritis (Stomach Flue) occurs when someone has direct contact with an infected person, or they ingest something that contains the virus. It usually causes mild diarrhea or

Preventing viral gastroenteritis is important because there is no cure for it yet. So keep yourself safe by avoiding foods and drinks that might contain viruses, washing your hand often and thoroughly, and staying away from sick people.

Viral Gastroenteritis is an infection in the intestine and stomach. It causes diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and sometimes vomiting.

It’s important to note that some people call viral gastroenteritis “stomatitis” (a mouth disease). However, the virus that causes influenza is not the same type of virus that causes stomatitis.

Staying hydrated may help prevent dehydration from causing diarrhea.

Influenza is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. It usually causes mild illness but occasionally leads to severe complications including pneumonia.

What causes symptoms of flu vs stomach flu

Stomach flu doesn’t affect your lungs. It just makes you feel bad because your stomach hurts. Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) infections cause symptoms in the GIT, including diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fever, etc.

Diarrhea is often watery (i.e., doesn’t contain blood). Bloody diarrhea suggests something else (more severe) may be wrong.

• Nausea, vomiting or both
• Stomach cramps and pain
• Occasional muscle aches or headache
• Low-grade fever

Gastrointestinal (GI) infections caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites, or fungi can be either acute or chronic depending on their cause. Acute GI infections usually occur within one week of infection and may resolve without treatment within several weeks; however, some people develop long-term complications. Chronic GI infections tend to persist for months or years.

Viral gastroenteritis (or simply “viral gastro”) refers to a condition characterized by nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, and sometimes bloody stools. It often occurs after eating contaminated foods, but the cause of viral gastro is not always known.

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Stomach flu causes these common signs and/or feelings:

They can include:

• Cramps in your stomach or side
• Stomach pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fever

You might feel sick to your stomach if you’ve lost a large amount of water through vomiting or diarrhea. Your weight may also drop because you’re losing fluids. These symptoms should go away within 24 hours after you stop being ill. If they continue longer, call your doctor.

• Sunken eyes
• Lightheadedness
• Being more thirsty
• Dry or sticky mouth
• When there’s a lack of normal elasticity of the skin, it becomes difficult for the skin to stretch naturally when
• Peeing less
• Fewer tears

If you want to prevent vomiting, drink enough fluids. Try something simple like toast, rice, bananas, and apple sauce instead of solid foods. Then go back to eating normally within 24 hours if you feel better.

Causes of Flu vs stomach flu

If you’re most likely to get sick from eating contaminated foods or drinking contaminated water, you might also be at risk for catching a virus through shared utensils, towels, or foods.

Gastroenteritis may be caused by a wide variety of different viruses,

• . Noroviruses. Both adults and kids can get sick from eating food contaminated with viruses called noroviruses. These nasty infections are often contagious and can make you feel miserable. They’re also very easy to avoid if you know what to do.

It’s usually picked up from food or drinking infected liquids. However, it can also be passed between people through physical contact.You can also catch the disease if you touch something that has already beencontamined with the Noro­vius bug and then touch your mouth.

• · Rotavirus is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis worldwide in children, who are usually infected by touching their mouths with objects containing the virus (such as toys) or by eating foods that contain the virus (like raw vegetables). The infection is most serious in babies and toddlers.

When an adult gets rotavirus, they may not have any symptoms, but can still pass the disease on to others. This is of particular importance in institutions like nursing homes where adults who don’t know they’re sick can unknowingly pass the disease to others. There is a safe and effective rotavirus vaccination for children, however, there are no vaccines currently approved for use in adults.

Oyster consumption may result in gastrointestinal illness. However, contamination is usually caused by handling contaminated foods without proper hand washing.

Gastrointestinal bacteria include:

• E. coli
• Campylobacter
• Shigella
• Salmonella

Gastrointestinal viruses account for nearly 50% of adult and even more than 90% of child gastroenteritic cases.

• Norovirus or Norwalk-like virus
• Adenovirus
• Rotavirus
• Cytomegalovirus
• Astrovirus
• Calicivirus

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Because people don’t wash their hands well after going to the restroom or changing a child’s diapers, they often pass on germs that cause sickness. Wash long enough to sing Happy Birthday twice – to be safe. Most medical professionals call the flu “a family affair,” because it spreads easily among members of families.

Parasitic infections like giardia, cryptosporidium, and dysentery can cause severe diarrheal illness. These illnesses are usually linked to areas where the water isn’t safe. Travelers should drink bottled or purified water to reduce their chances of catching diarrhea.

Other reasons for developing diarrhea may be caused by consuming tainted food; ingesting chemicals, heavy metals, or poisons; or taking certain medications

Risk factors

Gastroenteritis affects everyone everywhere and can occur at any age.

People who may be at greater risk of contracting gastroenteritis include:

Young children who attend childcare facilities or elementary schools may be particularly susceptible because it takes time for their immune systems to develop.

• Elderly. Adults. Immune system weakens. Nursing homes. Close proximity to others. Germs spread.
• Anywhere where groups of people live closely together can be an environment for a bacterial illness to spread.
• Anyone who has a weak immune response. If your ability to fight off infections (such as colds) is lower than normal, you’re probably especially vulnerable.

For example, people living in the Northern Hemisphere tend to get rotavirus or noro­vius infections from January through March.

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Complications of flu vs stomach flu

A major complication of viral gastroenterits is dehydration. Dehydration shouldn’t be too difficult if you drink enough to replenish the fluid you lost through vomit and diarrhea.

If someone has diarrhea for too long, he or she may develop severe dehydration. Severely dehydrating patients often need hospitalization. Diarrhea rarely leads to death.

What can we do to prevent flu vs stomach flu

To avoid spreading intestinal infections, follow these precautions:

Vaccination is one of the best ways for your child to protect him/herself from disease. Get your child immunized early (when he/she is between 6 months and 12 months old) so they’re protected before they get sick.

• Washing your hands thoroughly, and making sure your child does so, is important. If they’re old enough, teach them to do so.

Wash your hands after diaper changesand before cooking or feeding children. Use hot soapy water and rub hands for20 seconds. Rub under fingernail beds and around cuticle areas. Rinse thoroughly.Use sanitize wipes and alcohol-based hand sanitizers to keep germ-free.

• Prepare safe meals. Wash all fresh produce before consuming. Clean kitchen surfaces before cooking. Avoid cooking if ill.
• Keep your safe separation from people infected with COVID-19. If possible, avoid close contact with them.
• Dispose of used tissues immediately. Wash hands after using the bathroom.If someone in your home has viral diarrhea, wash your hands frequently.
• . Avoid contacting any potentially infected material. If someone in your home has developed viral gastroenteritis, wash clothing and bedding in hot soapy water and then let air dry. Washing clothes in cold water can spread germs if no soap residue remains. Wash your own hand thoroughly before and after handling any dirty items.
• Check out your child care facility. It should have separate rooms for washing dishes and servingfood. There should be a washroom where you can change a baby’s soiled onesies and nappies.

Take precautions when traveling

When you travel abroad, you can encounter some health risks if you don’t follow safe hygiene practices. These include drinking clean water and eating healthy foods.

You must drink only bottled or carbonated water; there is no alternative.

• Avoid using frozen foods for cooking because they could contain dangerous bacteria that has been passed into the water used to freeze them.

Use bottled water when brushing your mouth.

Avoid eating any raw foods that have been handled by humans.

Avoid overcooked meats and fish.

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Diagnose of flu vs stomach flu

Gastrointestinal infections occur when bacteria or parasites enter the digestive tract. They usually begin with diarrhea, followed by vomiting and abdominal pain. Your doctor will most likely diagnose viral gastroenteritits (stomatitis) using symptoms, a physical examination, and possibly a blood test. If you’re unsure whether you have a virus, your doctor might send a sample of your stools to a lab for testing. Depending on what they find, your doctor might prescribe an antibiotic to treat any accompanying bacterial infection.

Treatments for both flu vs stomach flu

There’s usually nothing you can do to treat viral gastroenterritis except take care of yourself. Antibiotic therapy isn’t helpful. First things first: Stay hydrated.

Stomach flu treatment

People who suffer from gastroenteritis usually recover without any medical intervention. However, they can speed up recovery by drinking plenty of liquids. They can replace lost fluids and electrolytes by consuming:

• water
• fruit juice
• sports drinks
• broth
• saltine crackers

If you’re sick, you’ll want to take these supplements: Oral Rehydrating Salts (ORS), Antidiarrheal Medications (ADMs), and Diarrhoeal Treatments (DTTs).

Usually people with bloody stool or high temperature will need medical attention for any kind of infections or parasite.

Flu treatment

Most people who get influenza—also known as “the common cold” —will experience mild symptoms that don’t need any medical attention. These include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny nose and body aches.

• stay at home to rest
• Drinking lots of water to replace lost fluid and keep yourself hydrated
• avoid touching people
• Wearing gloves when gardening

More serious cases may require antiviral medication.

Anyone who has been diagnosed with influenza and may be at high risk of developing severe illness should take antiviral medication as soon as they begin to experience mild to moderate illness.

Immunization against seasonal influenza is one way to protect yourself from the virus.

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Clinical trials

You can read about some of the different things that may help you manage or prevent diabetes.

Flu is actually an infection caused by viruses (including influenza virus)

To help keep yourself feeling more comfortable while recovering from an injury and preventing muscle cramps and heat stroke, try these things:

• Let yourself digest. Don’t eat anything solid for a few hours.
• · · Most people drink too little because they get thirsty too fast. They may not realize how much thirst they actually feel until they’ve drunk enough fluids. To avoid getting dehydrated, wait 20 minutes after drinking before eating or drinking another beverage. Then sip your next meal slowly.
• EAT LESS OFTEN AND MORE IN AS YOU ARE ABLE, YOU CAN GO BACK TO EATING A NORMAL DIET. You might find that you could eat bland foods at first, such as soda crackers, soups, oatmeal, noodles, and rice. If your nausea returns after stopping eating, stop eating again.

Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, fatty or highly seasoned foods until you’re feeling better.

Make sure you get enough sleep. You might be feeling weak and exhausted from your illness and dehydration.

• If you’re an adult, consider trying anti-diarrheals. Some people may benefit from taking loperamide (imodium) or bismuth sub­salicylic acid (pepto-bismol). Avoid these if you have bloody diarrhoea or fever, which could indicate another problem.

For infants and children

When your kid has an intestinal infection, replacing lost fluid and salt is the most important thing. Here are some suggestions that might be helpful.

If you want to help your child rehydrate, give him/her some water. Ask your doctor for advice if you’re unsure how to use the oral rehydrating salts.

If you’re going to feed your children fluids, don’t just hand them plain old H2O; instead use clear liquids like Pedialyte or Gatorade, which contain electrolyte solutions designed to replace lost body fluids from vomiting and diarrhea. Also avoid giving your child apple juice because it may worsen their diarrhea.

Once your child has been rehydrating for several hours (i.e., he or she has drunk at least eight ounces of water), reintroduce him or her to his/her normal diet. For example, if your child had previously eaten cereal, then start by offering him/her milk instead. If your child had previously eaten bread, then offer him

• Avoid certain types of nutrition, such as sugary drinks (such as soda) and sweets. They may worsen diarrheal episodes.
• Make sure your child gets enough sleep. He/she might be feeling weak because of the flu and dehydration.
• Avoid making your baby take store-bought anti- diarrhea medicines unless your doctor tells you they’re okay. They may cause diarrhea to become worse.

If you have a child who is ill, try not to make him/her vomit or diarrhea again until he/she feels better. Give your child liquid if he/she is thirsty; otherwise give only food (not water). Breastfeed your child if you can. If you cannot breastfeed your child, feed him/her a bottle containing an appropriate amount of fluids. Do not dilute his/her formula.

When to contact your doctor

If you get sick with the flu, you should contact your GP straightaway if you have any of these symptoms.

• Diarrhea lasting for two continuous days
• A change in someone’s mental state, such as extreme fatigue or irritable behavior.
• a high fever
• frequent vomiting
• 4 or more loose stools in a 24 hour period
• Severe abdominal pains
• black or tarry stools
• Blood or pus in your stool
• signs of dehydration

Influenza (flu) usually causes these flu related health issues:

• difficulty breathing
• shortness of breath
• persistent chest or abdominal pain
• dizzyness, confusion, or trouble waking up
• seizures
• severe muscle pain or weakness
• worsening cough or fever

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Summary

In the comparison of flu vs stomach flu, stomach flu are infection usually the viruses responsible for causing gastrointestinal or GI tract). Stomach flu symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea e.t.c.

A Flu is caused by a virus called “influenza”; it causes symptoms including a sore throat, runniness, and sometimes a high temperature.

Both conditions usually need rest at home and lots of liquids. If they become worse, you may need antibiotics or antivirals.