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Dec 09, 2021 · You can treat viral gastroenteritis by replacing lost fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration. In some cases, over-the-counter medicines may help relieve your symptoms. Research shows that following a restricted diet does not help treat viral gastroenteritis.
What is the best home remedy for a stomach virus?
Oct 28, 2021 · When infected with a stomach virus, avoid nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen. These drugs can worsen stomach irritation, making nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain worse. If you must take a pain reliever, use acetaminophen until your health improves. Rest
What should you eat after having a stomach virus?
Miller says there's often no specific medical treatment for viral gastroenteritis. Antibiotics aren't effective against viruses, and overusing them can contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. She recommends treating the stomach flu with the following self-care steps: Keep drinking the right fluids.
What can you take for a stomach virus?
Apr 04, 2022 · What is the treatment for gastroenteritis? In most cases, there’s no specific treatment other than supporting the body as it gets through the illness over one or two days. Gastroenteritis usually...
How to keep from getting stomach virus?
Apr 04, 2022 · When to seek help for the 'stomach flu' Unless somebody is extremely sick or immunocompromised, a day or two of symptoms typically doesn’t require testing or treatment — it’s just watching and...
How long does a stomach virus last?
Stomach flu (viral enteritis) is an infection in the intestines. It has an incubation period of 1 to 3 days, during which no symptoms occur. Once symptoms appear, they usually last for 1 to 2 days, although symptoms may linger for as long as 10 days. This can be especially true for older people.
What's the best medicine for a stomach virus?
Your doctor may prescribe an antiemetic such as promethazine, prochlorperazine, metoclopramide, or ondansetron to stop the nausea and vomiting. You can also try an over-the-counter antidiarrheal medication, such as loperamide hydrochloride (Imodium) or bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol).
How long does it take to recover from a stomach virus?
Stomach flu rarely lasts longer than 1 to 3 days. However, it may be 1 to 2 weeks before your bowel habits are completely back to normal. Dehydration is a potentially serious complication of stomach flu. It can happen if your body loses too much fluid because you keep vomiting or having diarrhea.
What kills stomach bug virus?
The CDC recommends bleach to kill the stomach bug-causing norovirus on surfaces. But if that will damage your counter or you'd rather not use it, look for “phenolic solution” on the label of a concentrated disinfectant. To kill the germs, the EPA suggests you use 2 to 4 times the recommended amount.May 14, 2021
How do you get rid of a bacterial infection in your stomach?
Most cases of bacterial gastroenteritis will usually clear up within a week. People with bacterial gastroenteritis should drink plenty of fluids and get as much rest as possible. They should also avoid contact with other people and practice good hygiene to avoid spreading the infection.
Do you need antibiotics for stomach flu?
Doctors don't prescribe antibiotics link to treat viral gastroenteritis. Antibiotics don't work for viral infections. In some cases, your doctor may recommend probiotics link. Probiotics are live microbes, most often bacteria, that are like the ones you normally have in your digestive tract.
What is the fastest way to recover from a stomach virus?
Lifestyle and home remediesLet your stomach settle. Stop eating solid foods for a few hours.Try sucking on ice chips or taking small sips of water often. ... Ease back into eating. ... Avoid certain foods and substances until you feel better. ... Get plenty of rest. ... Try anti-diarrhea medications.Jan 18, 2022
How do I know if my stomach pain is serious?
If you experience any of the following symptoms with stomach pain, see a doctor because these may be a sign of a more serious condition:Pain is severe and lasts more than an hour or comes and goes for more than 24 hours.Pain starts suddenly.Bloody bowel movements.Black, tarry stool.Diarrhea.Vomiting.More items...•Oct 20, 2020
What are the symptoms of stomach flu in adults?
Gastroenteritis causes diarrhea, nausea, and possibly vomiting. You also may have a headache, fever, chills, and pain in your belly. The most common kind -- the one caused by a virus -- makes you feel sick 12 to 48 hours after you're exposed to it, and it can last up to 3 days.Mar 9, 2021
What causes stomach virus?
You can get sick from bacteria, parasites, toxins and viruses. Viruses are the most common cause of so-called stomach flu. Norovirus is often the culprit for adults, while rotavirus is frequently to blame for stomach flu in children. These viruses mostly infect the lining of the small intestine.Apr 26, 2020
How do you get rid of a stomach virus in 24 hours?
How to treat the 24-hour flu at homeDrink plenty of fluids to replace the fluids lost from diarrhea and vomiting. ... Eat plain or bland foods that are less likely to irritate your stomach. ... Rest up. ... Use an over-the-counter (OTC) anti-vomiting or anti-diarrheal medication.More items...•Nov 19, 2018
What should I eat with stomach flu?
Foods to eat include clear broths, crackers, toast, gelatin, bananas, rice and chicken. Avoid certain foods until you feel better. These foods include dairy products, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, processed foods, and fatty, spicy or highly seasoned foods.Mar 4, 2020
How to help a child with an intestinal infection?
When your child has an intestinal infection, the most important goal is to replace lost fluids and salts. These suggestions may help: Help your child rehydrate. Give your child an oral rehydration solution, available at pharmacies without a prescription. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about how to use it.
How to get rid of nausea from eating?
Drink plenty of liquid every day, taking small, frequent sips. Ease back into eating. Gradually begin to eat bland, easy-to-digest foods, such as soda crackers, toast, gelatin, bananas, rice and chicken. Stop eating if your nausea returns. Avoid certain foods and substances until you feel better.
What to do when your child is sick?
If your child is sick, follow the same approach — offer plenty of fluids and bland food. If you're breast-feeding or using formula, continue to feed your child as usual. Ask your child's doctor if giving your child an oral rehydration solution, available without a prescription at pharmacies, would help.
What to avoid when you have a syphilis?
Avoid certain foods and substances until you feel better. These include dairy products, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and fatty or highly seasoned foods. Get plenty of rest. The illness and dehydration may have made you weak and tired. Be cautious with medications.
How long should you let your baby rest after vomiting?
They can make it harder for your child's body to eliminate the virus. If you have a sick infant, let your baby's stomach rest for 15 to 20 minutes after vomiting or a bout of diarrhea, then offer small amounts of liquid. If you're breast-feeding, let your baby nurse.
Can you treat viral gastroenteritis with antibiotics?
There's often no specific medical treatment for viral gastroenteritis. Antibiotics aren't effective against viruses, and overusing them can contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Treatment initially consists of self-care measures.
Can you give a child apple juice for diarrhea?
Don't give your child plain water — in children with gastroenteritis, water isn't absorbed well and won't adequately replace lost electrolytes. Avoid giving your child apple juice for rehydration — it can make diarrhea worse.
How long does it take for stomach flu to go away?
Stomach flu treatment options. Most cases of viral gastroenteritis resolve on their own, typically in one to three days, depending on the virus. Treatment of viral gastroenteritis focuses entirely on managing symptoms, particularly dehydration.
What is the stomach bug?
Viral gastroenteritis (“stomach flu” or “stomach bug”) is a viral infection of the stomach and intestines that causes diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and abdominal cramping.
What is the cause of stomach flu?
Several different viruses can cause stomach flu, but nine in ten cases are caused by norovirus. Rotavirus is usually the culprit when young children come down with stomach flu, but rotavirus vaccines have drastically reduced the incidence in the United States.
How to stop nausea and vomiting?
Antiemetics (anti-nausea medications agents) reduce nausea and vomiting by slowing down the part of the brain responsible for nausea and the vomiting reflex. For mild gastroenteritis, over-the-counter antiemetics such as dimenhydrinate or meclizine are usually sufficient to keep nausea and vomiting in check.
How do antiemetics work?
Antiemetics work by affecting a part of the brain involved with nausea and vomiting, so drowsiness, lightheadedness, sleepiness, restlessness, and agitation are the most common side effects . Dry mouth is a common complaint.
How long does norovirus last?
It can survive extreme heat, freezing cold, withstand many disinfectants, and survive on surfaces for up to two weeks. For this reason, norovirus is responsible for over half of all foodborne outbreaks. About 21 million people in the United States get sick and nearly 800 people die from norovirus infection each year.
How to know if you have gastroenteritis?
Symptoms of gastroenteritis usually start suddenly (or ‘acutely’, hence the term ‘acute gastroenteritis’), coming on in one or two hours. In addition to how quickly symptoms started, a healthcare provider will want to know: 1 How long have you had symptoms? 2 Do other people you know have similar complaints? 3 Did you eat anything unusual recently, such as raw foods? 4 Did you travel recently, especially outside the country?
How to help someone with stomach flu?
Wash laundry of those recovering from the stomach flu in different loads than the rest of your family. Keep your distance. Try to keep your children, especially newborns, away from anyone who is sick. If someone in your family is sick, stay home and do not go to work, school or day care.
How to protect against gastroenteritis?
Miller offers these tips to protect against the viral infections that cause gastroenteritis: Immunize little ones. Infants can be immunized with the rotavirus vaccine. This is offered at 2, 4 and 6 months old during well-child visits. Simply wash your hands. Wash your hands often to stop the spread of germs.
How long does the stomach flu last?
Symptoms can start as little as 12 hours after exposure.”. These symptoms can last anywhere from one to 14 days, and unfortunately, the stomach flu is extremely contagious.
What is the stomach flu?
Stomach Flu Symptoms. Miller says it’s easy to get confused about the difference between influenza, or “the flu,” and gastroenteritis, better known as “the stomach flu.”. The stomach flu is caused by a number of viruses, mainly norovirus, which accounts for more than 50 percent of all cases, and others, like rotavirus.
How to stop germs from spreading?
Simply wash your hands. Wash your hands often to stop the spread of germs. Hand sanitizer works after being in public as well. Give your home the once-over. Use household cleaning products to disinfect surfaces and objects, like countertops, doorknobs, handles, sinks, toilets, computer keyboards and phones.
Can you take antibiotics for gastroenteritis?
Miller says there's often no specific medical treatment for viral gastroenteritis. Antibiotics aren't effective against viruses, and overusing them can contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. She recommends treating the stomach flu with the following self-care steps:
Can stomach problems pass on their own?
While most stomach illnesses pass on their own, there are cases when medical attention is necessary. Miller recommends watching for signs of severe dehydration: In addition to severe dehydration, Miller also says the following are causes for concern, and if you experience these, contact your provider:
How to prevent gastroenteritis in children?
Given to children in the first year of life, the vaccine appears to be effective in preventing severe symptoms of this illness. Wash your hands thoroughly .
How do you get viral gastroenteritis?
The most common way to develop viral gastroenteritis — often called stomach flu —is through contact with an infected person or by ingesting contaminated food or water. If you're otherwise healthy, you'll likely recover without complications. But for infants, older adults and people with compromised immune systems, ...
What is the main complication of viral gastroenteritis?
The main complication of viral gastroenteritis is dehydration — a severe loss of water and essential salts and minerals. If you're healthy and drink enough to replace fluids you lose from vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration shouldn't be a problem.
What are the symptoms of gastroenteritis?
Gastroenteritis, on the other hand, attacks your intestines, causing signs and symptoms, such as: Watery, usually nonbloody diarrhea — bloody diarrhea usually means you have a different, more severe infection. Abdominal cramps and pain. Nausea, vomiting or both. Occasional muscle aches or headache.
What is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in children?
Rotavirus. Worldwide, this is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in children, who are usually infected when they put their fingers or other objects contaminated with the virus into their mouths. The infection is most severe in infants and young children.
What is the difference between the flu and gastroenteritis?
Real flu (influenza) affects only your respiratory system — your nose, throat and lungs. Gastroenteritis, on the other hand, attacks your intestines, causing signs and symptoms, such as: Watery, usually nonbloody diarrhea — bloody diarrhea usually means you have a different, more severe infection. Abdominal cramps and pain.
How to avoid getting sick from contaminated water?
Take precautions when traveling. When you're traveling in other countries, you can become sick from contaminated food or water. You may be able to reduce your risk by following these tips: Drink only well-sealed bottled or carbonated water. Avoid ice cubes, because they may be made from contaminated water.
How to prevent stomach flu?
If you know the stomach flu is going around, take extra precautions. Avoid close contact with infected people if possible and wash your hands frequently. Some basic ways to avoid getting the stomach flu (and illness in general) include washing your hands regularly and getting plenty of rest.
What causes stomach flu?
Causes of the stomach flu. The stomach flu (also known as gastroenteritis) is usually caused by any number of different viruses that can attack your gastrointestinal system. It’s not caused by the influenza virus, which gives you the seasonal flu.
How long is the stomach flu contagious?
And even after you’ve recovered from your symptoms, you can remain contagious for up to two weeks. Children can remain contagious for an even longer period afterward.
How to get rid of nausea from P-6?
These can be useful in treating nausea if the P-6 acupressure point gives you relief. 4. Get plenty of rest. When 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.
What to not drink during stomach flu?
What not to drink. Most likely, you won’t be in the mood for these during a bout of stomach flu anyway, but avoid: caffeinated drinks like coffee, strong black tea, and chocolate, which can affect your sleep at a time when getting enough rest is crucial. alcohol, which acts as a diuretic.
What are the best foods to digest?
These four foods are easy to digest, contain carbohydrates to give you energy, and replenish nutrients: Bananas: Bananas are easy to digest, can replace the potassium you lose from vomiting and diarrhea, and strengthens stomach lining. Rice: White rice is easy for your body to process and provides energy from carbs.
What is the best medicine for nausea?
Your doctor may prescribe an antiemetic such as promethazine, prochlorperazine, metoclopramide, or ondansetron to stop the nausea and vomiting.
Diagnosis
- Your doctor will likely diagnose viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu) based on symptoms, a physical exam and sometimes on the presence of similar cases in your community. A rapid stool test can detect rotavirus or norovirus, but there are no quick tests for other viruses that cause gastroenteritis. In some cases, your doctor may have you submit a stool sample to rule out a po…
Treatment
- There's often no specific medical treatment for viral gastroenteritis. Antibiotics aren't effective against viruses. Treatment first involves self-care measures, such as staying hydrated.
Clinical Trials
- Explore Mayo Clinic studiestesting new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
- To help keep yourself more comfortable and prevent dehydration while you recover, try the following: 1. Let your stomach settle.Stop eating solid foods for a few hours. 2. Try sucking on ice chips or taking small sips of water often.You might also try drinking clear soda, clear broths or noncaffeinated sports drinks. In some cases you can try oral rehydration solutions. Drink plenty …
Preparing For Your Appointment
- If you or your child needs to see a doctor, you'll likely see your doctor first. If there are questions about the diagnosis, your doctor may refer you to an infectious disease specialist.
Overview
Symptoms
- Although it's commonly called stomach flu, gastroenteritis isn't the same as influenza. Real flu (influenza) affects only your respiratory system — your nose, throat and lungs. Gastroenteritis, on the other hand, attacks your intestines, causing signs and symptoms, such as: 1. Watery, usually nonbloody diarrhea — bloody diarrhea usually means you have a different, more severe infectio…
Causes
- You're most likely to contract viral gastroenteritis when you eat or drink contaminated food or water, or if you share utensils, towels or food with someone who's infected. A number of viruses can cause gastroenteritis, including: 1. Noroviruses.Both children and adults are affected by noroviruses, the most common cause of foodborne illness worldwide. Norovirus infection can s…
Risk Factors
- Gastroenteritis occurs all over the world, affecting people of every age, race and background. People who may be more susceptible to gastroenteritis include: 1. Young children.Children in child care centers or elementary schools may be especially vulnerable because it takes time for a child's immune system to mature. 2. Older adults.Adult immune systems tend to become less ef…
Complications
- The main complication of viral gastroenteritis is dehydration — a severe loss of water and essential salts and minerals. If you're healthy and drink enough to replace fluids you lose from vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration shouldn't be a problem. Infants, older adults and people with suppressed immune systems may become severely dehydrated when they lose more fluids tha…
Prevention
- The best way to prevent the spread of intestinal infections is to follow these precautions: 1. Get your child vaccinated.A vaccine against gastroenteritis caused by the rotavirus is available in some countries, including the United States. Given to children in the first year of life, the vaccine appears to be effective in preventing severe symptoms of this illness. 2. Wash your hands thoro…