Definitive Reasons You Should Go To The Er For Stomach Pain
Before we get into cases that require some interrogation of whether or not you should go to the ER, its important to cover those cases of stomach pain that, without question, require emergency medical assessment and treatment. If you meet any of the following conditions and youre experiencing severe stomach pain, seek medical attention immediately.
Nobody Likes Getting Sick But There Is An Exceptional Dissatisfaction For When The Stomach Flu Hits The Stomach Flu Hits Hard And Delivers Is Own Brutal Mix Of Symptoms Often Rendering You Nonfunctional And Miserable For Days In Your Misery You Will Probably Wonder What On Earth You Can Do To Feel Better And Thats What We Are Here To Tell You
What is the Stomach Flu?Whats often called stomach flu is gastroenteritis, an infection of the stomach and intestines. The initial stages start with chills, fever, and nausea, which transition into vomiting, diarrhea, and aches and pains. Its awful, and there is no cure. Stomach flu has to run its course. The sickness usually passes in about 10 days without medication. The first few days tend to be the worst, but you can take steps to help get through it.
Causes of the Stomach Flu?Gastroenteritis is usually caused by any number of different viruses that can attack your gastrointestinal system. Its not caused by the influenza virus, which gives you the seasonal flu. Less often, bacteria can cause it, typically due to contaminated water or food that was prepared inadequately or in an unhygienic environment. The stomach flu is contagious, so contact with someone who has contracted the virus
RecoveryWhile the stomach flu is definitely not a pleasant experience, most people make a full recovery without any complications. The first few days tend to be the worst, but you can take steps to help get through it:
3. Get plenty of restWhen you have the stomach flu, your body needs rest in order to fight off the infection. Get plenty of sleep and reduce the amount of activity you normally do during the day. This means lounging on the couch when youre not in bed. While youre resting, your body is working hard to fight off the infection and repairing damage on the cellular level.
When To Go To The Emergency Room For Pediatric Stomach Virus
Its important to get your child to a doctor if the symptoms of pediatric stomach virus get worse or last for longer than 5 days. If she develops severe stomach cramps or bloody diarrhea, these could be signs of a more serious illness than a stomach virus. Signs of dehydration are also a cause for immediate concern.
If your child develops these signs of dehydration, go to the emergency room immediately.
- High fever
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Everything You Need To Know About The Stomach Flu
Fun fact: the Stomach Flu isnt actually related to the flu virus at all.
The only commonality is that stomach bugs and the flu are both viruses. The stomach flu lasts anywhere from 1-10 days, depending on your immune system and the individual strain of the virus.
Unlike food poisoning, stomach bugs are usually not contracted via contaminated foods. You catch a stomach virus like you catch the flu by coming into contact with someone who is infected.
If youre aware someone has the stomach flu, youll want to take extra precautions to wash your hands after touching something an infected person has touched.
Try to refrain from touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, as this is the easiest way to pass the virus on from the infected person to yourself.
Technically, you can catch a stomach virus. When this happens, its a similar effect to putting your hand in your mouth after touching an infected person.
Make sure to avoid sharing food and drinks with someone who has a stomach bug.
When To Go To The Er For Flu Symptoms
Adults who have the following symptoms, even if they don’t fall into a high-risk category, should go to the ER:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness or frequent dizzy spells
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Flu-like symptoms that appear to get better, but then return
It may be more challenging to pinpoint the flu in infants and children, especially if they’re not yet talking or walking. Watch for these emergency symptoms:
- Skin or lips that take on a bluish tint
- Fast or troubled breathing
- Lack of tears when crying or fewer wet diapers than usual
- Not eating or drinking
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What To Bring When You Visit
Know your family medical history and be prepared to give this information to the doctor. To help us treat you more effectively, please be prepared to tell us about any medications you take , past illnesses and surgeries, and your primary care doctor’s phone number and address so we can transfer records, if necessary.
What You Can Do For Vomiting
If youre vomiting, the most important thing you can do is try to stay hydrated. Drink clear liquids frequently and in small quantities. You can also chew on crushed ice or eat popsicles to help you stay hydrated. Dont try to eat anything if youre vomiting frequently, and make sure to get plenty of rest.
When your vomiting slows down, you can try to eat bland foods such as rice and toast. Avoid greasy or spicy foods. Dairy products can also upset your recovering stomach.
The doctors at MedHelp urgent care can help you get back to normal. No appointment is required for urgent care visits.
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Should I Go To Urgent Care If
When presented with certain symptoms when a doctor is unavailable such as late at night or on the weekends you may wonder how serious they really are. Is it worth the trip to M.D. Express Urgent Care or should you just stay home? Here we discuss a few of the most common symptoms and if or when they warrant a trip to one of our locations.
Is The Virus Dangerous
The virus itself isnt particularly dangerous, but experiencing ongoing symptoms can result in a weakened immune system and difficulty recovering from the illness. The pediatric stomach virus symptoms themselves can cause complications that can be life-threatening, such as dehydration caused by loss of fluids from vomiting and diarrhea.
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When To Go To An Emergency Room For Stomach Flu
Stomach flu or gastroenteritis is a common disease which accounts for a good number of the emergency room visits to our facility here at Bellaire emergency room. A lot of people reporting stomach flu confuse it with just a normal stomachache and dont normally know how they got the infection.
Because of the recent rise in the number of stomach flu that have been reported to our emergency room, we thought it wise to address the diseases cause, symptoms, prevention measures and when it is right to report stomach flu to the emergency room. Understanding these things will help you differentiate stomach flu from the other related infections and help you seek medical care as soon as possible when you are affected. So, what is stomach flu?
Stomach flu
Stomach flu or gastroenteritis is the inflammation of the various parts of the gastrointestinal tract caused by viral infections. The Norovirus belongs to a family of viruses that spreads very quickly and this makes stomach flu very contagious. In the U.S states, the stomach flu is estimated to affect more than 10o million people per year but luckily only 2% of these 100million people require hospitalization.
A lot of people confuse food poisoning with stomach flu. Whereas stomach flu is caused by a virus, food poisoning is caused by ingesting contaminated foods. Just like stomach flu though, food poisoning cases spread especially if people share the food and it is therefore very easy for one to confuse it with stomach flu.
Diarrhea
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When Should You Go To Urgent Care For The Flu
Before the onset of COVID-19, it was advisable to take a wait-and-see approach with the flu. If you have not had a previous COVID infection, you should get tested for both COVID and the flu if you have any flu-like symptoms.
Get tested as soon as you start to have symptoms. Knowing what has caused your illness will help you know how to mitigate spread and how best to treat your illness. You can get tested for both flu and COVID-19 at any MedHelp urgent care clinic.
Some cases of flu will be more severe. If you have any of the following symptoms, you should go to the nearest ER:
- Difficulty breathing, especially when at rest
- Severe chest pain
- Confusion
You Have Experienced Severe Abdominal Trauma
You see this phrase abdominal trauma thrown around a lot when discussing when to go to the ER for stomach pain, but rarely is it explained. Abdominal trauma typically occurs as a result of an accident, such as a car crash or a sports injury. It can involve a severe compression or displacement of the internal organs, such as when a seatbelt strains against your stomach in a car accident.
This type of abdominal trauma can also be caused by physical abuse. Finally, abdominal trauma can also be the result of penetrating wounds to the stomach, including knife and gun wounds.
If you have recently been the victim of abdominal trauma and are experiencing stomach pains, now is not likely the best time to question when to go to the ER for abdominal pain. Seek treatment immediately.
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Urgent Care For Stomach Pain
Most people have experienced stomach pain at one time or another. This can range from mild aching to acute pain and occurs between your pelvis and your chest. Typically, most stomach pain is mild and can be caused by indigestion, food allergies, or muscle strains.
Severe or acute stomach pain may indicate a more serious condition, like appendicitis and gall bladder stones. Often, these require emergency care.
If you are experiencing mild stomach discomfort, come to Bayside Urgent Care Center. We can help you determine the cause of the pain and recommend treatment. We are located in Clearwater, Florida, and were always accepting new patients. No appointments are necessary.
Flu: What To Do If You Get Sick
Influenza can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Flu is different from a cold. Flu usually comes on suddenly. People who have flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:
- fever* or feeling feverish/chills
- headaches
- fatigue
- some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
*Its important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.
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Choose Bayside Urgent Care For Stomach Pain
Our center is located in Clearwater, Florida, conveniently situated to Largo, Belleair, Dunedin, Indian Rocks Beach, and Tampa. If you are experiencing symptoms detailed above, visit our office or call.
*Urgent care is not a substitute for emergency care. Always head to the nearest emergency room or call 911 if you are experiencing very serious or life-threatening problems. Read What is Urgent Care for more information.
Contact
What Is Urgent Care
Urgent care centers fall midway between doctors offices and emergency rooms. They usually operate outside of doctors normal business hours, including evenings, weekends, and some holidays, so if you have a minor medical emergency, are ill, or even just need a vaccination, we are open when you need it.
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How Long To Stay Home
Stay home or keep your kids home for 24 hours to 48 hours after symptoms go away. This includes vomiting, diarrhea, and fever.
A child who is running a fever is contagious. Even without a fever, stomach viruses are very contagious. When you have symptoms, you can spread these viruses easily.
You may be tempted to send your child to school if they went all night without vomiting or diarrhea. Even so, it’s important to wait a full 24 hours after the last episode. This is because symptoms could return. Symptoms are unlikely to return if they have been absent for 24 hours.
So What Exactly Is A Fever
Doctors classify a fever as having a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit and higher. Chemicals are produced by your body in response to an invasion from a microorganism or other intruder, which causes your body temperature to rise. As a result, your body readies itself by producing antibodies to ward off the infection.
It is essentially up to the body to then maintain its normal body temperature after the fever hits. The brain, skin, and blood vessels all play important roles when it comes to lowering your body temperature. In order to accomplish this, your body will either increase or decrease sweat production, depending on necessity. Blood will also be regulated as needed, either moving closer or farther from the skin.
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Reasons Behind Stomach Pain
As a key part of your digestive tract, your stomach is responsible for making enzymes that break down the food you eat before advancing its contents to the small intestine.
You may develop pain from gas or experience discomfort from bloating when you eat too much food, or when food disagrees with you. These issues typically resolve quickly, perhaps with the aid of over-the-counter medications.
Common causes of stomach pain may include:
- Acid reflux
- Stomach flu
- Vomiting
Excessive stress can also contribute to stomach pain and other digestive issues. Women may experience abdominal cramping and pain as part of their monthly period.
Pain in your stomach or abdomen can also be a warning sign that something more serious is wrong. For instance, a sharp or persistent pain in one specific area can be a symptom of a heart attack, organ rupture, or other serious medical condition.
Persistent abdominal pain can also stem from inflammatory bowel disease , irritable bowel syndrome , or kidney stones.
Know The Stomach Flu Symptoms
Gastroenteritis is as serious as the seasonal flu. The average stomach flu symptoms subside within two days. But this virus can get dangerous beyond that.
Contact your doctor as soon as possible if the symptoms worsen beyond self-manage. Or, head straight for Oxford Urgent Care.
Contact Oxford Urgent Care right away for questions and help with health-related illnesses.
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Know The Best Time To Go
You can visit an urgent care center at any time during the clinics normal operating hours. Be aware that some times may be busier than others. This includes nights, weekends, and holidays when many doctors offices are closed.
The more people waiting ahead of you, the longer it may take to be seen. If you need urgent care but can wait a bit longer, call your nearest urgent care center and ask about the estimated wait time before leaving home. Youll be seen by a healthcare professional quicker if you arrive when the clinic isnt busy.
When To Go To The Emergency Room Vs An Urgent Care Clinic
Its Saturday, and the cold youve been nursing for the past few days seems to be getting worse. Youve vomited once and have a fever. Should you head to a hospital emergency room or an urgent care clinic?
If youve ever wondered whether to go to an ER or an urgent care clinic, youre not alone. As an emergency medicine physician, Im often asked by family, friends and patients if their symptoms warrant an ER visit, a trip to an urgent care clinic, a call to their primary care doctor or simply management at home.
Especially now as we continue to face the COVID-19 pandemic and the onset of flu and cold season, its important to listen to your body and assess the severity of your symptoms to prevent overwhelming hospital emergency rooms with mild illnesses or injuries that could be managed elsewhere. You could also avoid a long wait in an ER waiting room when an ER may not be the level of care you need.
If you are experiencing mild symptoms, such as a temperature below 100 degrees, aches and pains, a mild cough, etc., that could be caused by the flu, COVID-19 or hundreds of other viruses, I would start by doing what your mom used to tell you rest, drink plenty of fluids, take over-the-counter medications like Tylenol, if needed, and monitor your symptoms.
Always remember, if the urgent care provider thinks you need a higher level of care, they will get you to the ER.
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