When To Seek Medical Attention
Gastroenteritis symptoms can be especially dangerous for certain populations, prompting a call to your provider. These include:
- Infants
- People with a weakened immune system
- People undergoing chemotherapy
- People over 65 years old
In addition, if an infant is not drinking or has had diarrhea for two days, you should seek immediate medical attention.
Furthermore, the following symptoms warrant medical help:
- Irritability, lack of energy, or altered mental state
- Diarrhea for more than two days
- High fever
- Six or more loose stools in one day
- Severe pain in the abdomen or rectum
- Blood and pus in the stool stool with a black or tarry appearance
- Dehydration symptoms
What Should I Do If My Stomach Is Bloated And Hard
Home care Drink plenty of water or other clear fluids to help reduce abdominal pain and bloating. Avoid pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs until you know your pain isnt due to an abdominal condition such as a gastric ulcer or an intestinal obstruction.
Eat At Regular Intervals
Many people experience bloating directly after a big meal. It is possible to avoid this by eating several smaller meals each day, which can help to keep the digestive system moving.
Swallowing food quickly can introduce air into the digestive tract. Drinking from a straw can also lead to people swallowing more air, which in turn leads to gas and bloating. People who have bloating should avoid using straws if possible and try eating slowly to avoid swallowing air during meals.
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Cinnamon To Treat Stomach Flu Naturally
Cinnamon has antibacterial and antiviral properties which fight back with the virus or bacteria causing stomach flu. Moreover, it is warm in nature, this quality is beneficial for treating pains, chills felt during stomach flu.
How to Use Cinnamon?
- In a one and a half cup of boiling water, mix a teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
- Let it steep for a while, then strain the water.
- Add a tablespoon of honey and drink it 3-4 times in a day for 48 hours.
How To Prevent Stomach Flu
- Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
- Get your child vaccinated against rotavirus.
- Wash your hands thoroughly before eating and after using the loo.
- Do not share personal utensils with an infected person until he/she recovers.
- Avoid drinking chilled water.
- Do not consume raw meat or raw foods like sushi.
- Disinfect all the hard surfaces at your home if any of your family members have gastroenteritis.
- Avoid sending your child to the daycare centre until they recover completely to prevent the infection from spreading.
- Get ample rest and sleep well.
As already discussed, there is no specific medical treatment for gastroenteritis. Rest and hydration, coupled with the remedies mentioned above, can help in speeding up your recovery from gastroenteritis without any further complications.
Infants and older adults who have stomach flu should be given extra care as this infection can prove to be life-threatening, given their compromised immunity.
Contact a doctor immediately if your symptoms worsen, or you develop a high fever , are unable to keep liquids down for more than 24 hours or exhibit signs of dehydration, vomit blood, or have bloody diarrhea.
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Stomach Flu Causes And Risk Factors
What are stomach flu causes? A number of different viruses can cause viral gastroenteritis or stomach flu including noroviruses and rotaviruses. First, lets talk about the norovirus, which is said to be the number one cause of viral gastroenteritis in children and adults. If your stomach flu is caused by the norovirus, then the period during which you are contagious starts from the time you start to feel sick up until three days after you are better with some individuals being contagious as long as two weeks following their recovery. The norovirus causes stomach flu symptoms within a day or two of being exposed to the virus. On the plus side, most people who have the stomach flu due to norovirus feel better within 24 to 48 hours.
Another virus, the rotavirus, is the top cause of stomach flu in kids and infants, but it can also affect adults. Symptoms usually begin within one to three days of exposure. However, with this virus at the root, the stomach flu can be caught from someone before symptoms appear and even up to two weeks following recovery! Astrovirus and enteric adenovirus can also cause stomach flu.
How do you catch these viruses and end up with the stomach flu? The stool and vomit of infected individuals contain the viruses that cause stomach flu. The viruses that can cause a case of the stomach flu can easily spread from close contact with infected individuals through the following:
So how do you get rid of the stomach flu?
Treatment For Diarrhoea And Vomiting
You can usually treat yourself or your child at home. You dont need to take anti-diarrhoea medicine unless you need to shorten the length of time your diarrhoea lasts.
Children should not take anti-diarrhoea medicine. Anti-vomiting medication is sometimes helpful. Ask your pharmacist or GP for advice.
The most important thing is to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Oral rehydration solutions available in your pharmacy can be useful to treat diarrhoea.
Older children may not like the taste of oral rehydration solutions. Clear, flat lemonade type drinks can be given to them to help avoid dehydration.
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How To Avoid Stomach Flu With Mashed Potatoes
The last remedy on our list is by no means the least effective for treating a stomach flu. Among the bland foods, your stomach is likely to be able to tolerate are mashed potatoes. The vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and starches found in potatoes are an effective way of providing your body with the nutrientsnecessary for a quicker recovery.
What to Do:
- Make mashed potatoes without adding too much butter or too many seasonings so that your stomach can handle them.
- Consume these slowly, using the method we discussed in the two remedies above.
How Long Does Stomach Flu Last
Depending on the cause of your stomach infections, your symptoms may last anywhere from 110 days. Understanding how long stomach flu lasts can help you determine whether youre suffering from a stomach virus, food poisoning, or another condition.
Viral gastroenteritis symptoms typically appear within 13 days of infection, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. While symptoms usually last between 12 days, they can last as long as 10 days.
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Home Remedies For The Stomach Flu
In most cases, stomach flu resolves on its own, without the need for medications or medical treatments. Healing from the condition primarily means managing the symptoms, getting rest, staying hydrated, and boosting electrolyte intake. Treating gastroenteritis primarily involves dietary restrictions, drinking water, and getting rest.
Theres much you can do to prevent the infections that cause this condition.
How To Avoid A Stomach Bug With Bananas
Both ripe and green bananas are quite helpful in the treatment of a stomach bug. Besides being easy to digest, bananas contain pectin, which helps to soothe stomach irritation, as well as potassium and magnesium, which are essential electrolytes that often need to be replaced after youve gone fifteen rounds with a stomach bug.
What to Do:
- Select bananas that are still firm and have some green spot on the peel to get more of the beneficial nutrients and eat 2 to 3 daily until you recover fully.
- An alternative with lots of potency is to consume soup made from green bananas, which are called guineos in the Caribbean and South and Central America. Eat this soup a couple of times a day. You can make guineo soup with or without adding meat, depending on how you feel or personal preferences.
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Bland Foods: Home Remedy For Stomach Bug
As you are working to keep food down after a bout with a stomach bug, consuming bland foods is something to keep in mind among the home remedies for the stomach flu. Bland foods provide the nutrients to help fuel your recovery and tend to be things that you can keep down without stirring up your stomach again.
What to Do:
- Consume small portions of foods like gelatin, chicken breast, rice, lean meats, cooked eggs and some cooked vegetables and fruits.
- Start with a couple of bites or spoonfuls, wait 20 minutes and try it again, increasing the amount you consume. Work your way up throughout the day as your stomach tolerates the foods.
The Viruses That Cause Stomach Flu Can Leave You Dehydrated And Drained While There Is No Medicine To Beat These Viruses Some Effective Natural Remedies Will Ease The Symptoms For Sure
Written by Editorial Team | Published : April 3, 2019 8:57 PM IST
Frequent trips to the bathroom, vomiting and dehydration–these are the typical signs of a stomach flu, also known as viral gastroenteritis. A stomach flu attack may also come with fever, muscle pain and abdominal cramps. It takes approximately one to three days for the symptoms to be visible after you get the infection. This is a communicable water-borne disease that can be caused by norovirus and rotavirus. If norovirus is the culprit behind your stomach flu, then the symptoms are likely to subside within 24 to 48 hours. Rotavirus, which is known to affect kids more than adults, can be spotted even after the symptoms vanish. They stay in your body for weeks after recovery.
You can catch the infection by sharing food, drinks or utensils with an infected person, putting your hand in the mouth after touching a contaminated surface or while caring for someone fighting a stomach flu.
As this is a viral infection, antibiotics and any other medications cannot come as an effective solution. Also, overusing them can lead to the development of drug resistant bacteria in your body. So, the line of treatment includes medicines to control the symptoms rather than tackling the culprits. However, in case of a stomach flu, home remedies can prove to be extremely effective. Here are a few easy-to-use home remedies for you.
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Ice Chips: Home Remedy For Stomach Flu
One aspect of the stomach flu that you need to guard against is dehydration. Because so many fluids are leaving your body, retaining the electrolytes and fluids your body relies upon can lead to worsening of symptoms. One way to prevent that loss is through ice chips. The cooling and soothing effects of ice chips also tend to help calm your churning stomach as well.
What to Do:
- In the earliest stages of a stomach bug, you can begin sucking on a few ice chips between trips to the bathroom. You might not keep them down, but they will bring relief.
- As your stomach steadies, keep sucking on ice chips until you can start consuming other fluids and foods.
Caraway Seeds To Cure Stomach Bloating
Caraway has anti-spasmodic effects as well as a carminative and antimicrobial properties. Two elements in caraway seeds, carvene, and carvol help calm the smooth muscle tissues of the digestive tract and promote expulsion of gas to give you instant relief from stomach bloating and gas.
If you experience from regular bloating, chew a pinch of caraway seeds several times during the day. If the taste of raw caraway seeds is too strong, try some caraway crackers. Alternatively, you can prepare crushed caraway seeds to make a tea.
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Stomach Bug Healing Supplements/teas
Probiotics
Probiotics will be a game-changer. Probiotics help supply your gut with beneficial bacteria that encourages healthy digestion and bowel movements. A virus can impact your gut microbiome, so its vital to keep it balanced. Probiotics also help prevent long-term GI issues linked to dysbiosis. If youre looking for a high-quality probiotic, visit my online Fullscript dispensary UltraFlora Acute Care by Metagenics is my favorite to have on hand when illness strikes.
Charcoal
Charcoal is known to help detox the body of toxins and bacteria. Taking charcoal can help eliminate any excess invaders that make your body work harder. Lets have your body focus on healing rather than playing defense!
Immunoglobulins
Mega Mucosa by Microbiome Labs is healing and soothing to the gut. It contains dairy-free immunoglobulins and amino acids that all support a healthy mucosal barrier and immune system.
Peppermint, Ginger/Tumeric and Chamomile Tea
Chamomile has soothing effects and also has antimicrobial activity, while peppermint is known to help calm a queasy stomach. One of my favorite brands is Tulsi Tea and they have a great tumeric ginger tea as well. You can add a teaspoon of raw honey to either of these. Your toddler may love some warm sweet tea as well but avoid giving honey to your little peanut if they are under 1 year old.
Immediate Action Required: Call 999 Or Go To A& e If You Or Your Child:
- vomit blood or have vomit that looks like ground coffee
- have green or yellow-green vomit
- might have swallowed something poisonous
- have a stiff neck and pain when looking at bright lights
- have a sudden, severe headache or stomach ache
- Severe pain:
-
- always there and so bad it’s hard to think or talk
- you cannot sleep
- it’s very hard to move, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, wash or dress
- Moderate pain:
-
- makes it hard to concentrate or sleep
- you can manage to get up, wash or dress
- Mild pain:
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For Starters: Its Not Really The Flu
Confusingly, stomach flu isnt actually the flu. Influenza virus is a respiratory infection, whereas the stomach flu is viral gastroenteritis.
That means that your flu shot definitely wont prevent the stomach flu and that regular influenza shouldnt be sending you on emergency trips to the bathroom.
How Is The Stomach Flu Diagnosed
Stomach flu is primarily diagnosed through a physical examination and a patient medical history. Most cases will be diagnosed and treated by a general practitioner.
Symptoms are the best guide for diagnosis. The defining symptom of stomach flu is loose or watery diarrhea, but other symptoms might include.
- Nausea
- Low-grade fever
Loss of appetite, involuntary weight loss, and bloating might also be experienced.
Symptoms of gastroenteritis usually start suddenly , coming on in one or two hours. In addition to how quickly symptoms started, a healthcare provider will want to know:
- How long have you had symptoms?
- Do other people you know have similar complaints?
- Did you eat anything unusual recently, such as raw foods?
- Did you travel recently, especially outside the country?
A physical examination will help the healthcare professional rule out other conditions. The healthcare provider will carefully look for signs of dehydration, such as sunken eyes, limpness, dry mucous membranes , loose skin, or drowsiness.
Blood or stool tests are not necessary to diagnose a viral gastroenteritis, but a healthcare provider will use them to rule out other causes, such as a bacterial infection, parasite infection, or other intestinal problems. Blood or urine tests may be necessary if there are signs of dehydration.
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How To Prevent The Spread Of Stomach Flu Viruses
- Wash your hands thoroughly. This is particularly important after youve used the restroom and if you have diarrhea or vomiting.
- Stay home. Plan to stay home from work or school for at least 2 days after your symptoms have subsided.
- Keep your distance. Avoid coming into contact with people who are at an increased risk of serious illness. This includes babies, older adults, and people with a weakened immune system.
- Dont share. Avoid sharing items such as eating utensils, drinking glasses, phones, or towels while youre sick and for several days after your symptoms have subsided.
- Avoid handling food. Try not to handle or prepare food while youre sick and
Since a virus causes stomach flu, medications such as antibiotics dont help to treat it. Typically, most people with stomach flu recover from their illness without having to seek medical treatment.
The following home remedies can help ease the symptoms of stomach flu and prevent more serious illness.
- severe abdominal pain
- symptoms that dont get better, or begin to get worse after several days of at-home care
- symptoms of stomach flu that occur in an infant, older adult, or individual with an underlying health condition
Medical treatment involves managing your symptoms and promoting hydration. You may be given intravenous fluids to help replace lost fluids and electrolytes.
Children And Vaccination For Rotavirus
Rotavirus is a virus that causes severe gastroenteritis in babies and young children. All young children should receive the rotavirus vaccine at 6 weeks and 4 months of age. A third dose at 6 months may be needed depending on the brand of vaccine used.
This vaccine is effective in preventing the rotavirus infection in about 7 out of every 10 children vaccinated. It is also effective in preventing severe gastroenteritis in about 9 out of every 10 infants vaccinated. The vaccine provides protection for up to 5 years.
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Does Lemon Water Help With Bloating
As a bonus, lemon juice helps to loosen the toxins floating around in your GI tract, relieve the painful symptoms that accompany indigestion, and even reduce the risk of burping and bloating resulting from excess gas production in your gut. Lemon water can keep your digestive system purring like a kitty all day long.
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