The Stomach Flu: Symptoms and Treatment

Hearing the words "my tummy hurts", can make your mind go crazy thinking of all the different scenarios that come along with that sentence. You start to think is it because she ate to much, or is it the stomach flu? Then you start to think if its the stomach flu everyone in the house is going to get sick, now what?

The stomach flu is not a flu at all, it is a virus. It is technically called viral gastroenteritis. It irritates the stomach and the small intestine and causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is not spread through the air like influenza. You get it from touching surfaces or objects that are contaminated with infected stools or vomit. You can also get it from eating foods that have been in contact with stools or vomit. You can also get it from eating spoiled foods, drinking bad water or from bacteria.

The symptoms of the stomach flu are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever. You will want to watch out for dehydration which is common in a person that is vomiting or has diarrhea. Symptoms of dehydration are increased thirst, sunken eyes, can not cry tears and decreased urine output. Having a dry or sticky mouth can also be a symptom. To avoid dehydration you will want to slowly sip on liquids. Try to put back what you lost through vomiting and diarrhea. These symptoms can last anywhere from 1-6 days, but they usually go away within 48hours.

Taking antibiotics will not treat the stomach flu because it is caused by a virus not a bacteria. Taking over the counter medications such as pepto bismol or an antidiarrheal can make the situation worse. Taking these medicines slows down stool production which allows the virus to linger in your body. The best thing to do is to let it run its course.

If you are vomiting you want to only drink clear liquids until the vomiting stops. Then you can slowly start to eat things that are light on the stomach such as jello, plain rice and crackers. Eat these foods to start off and avoid anything that is high in fat, greasy or spicy because it can make you vomit again. You don't want to stuff yourself full of jello and crackers either. Eat just enough to take the hunger because you want to keep down what you just ate. If you start to vomit again go back to drinking clear liquids. As you start to feel better you can start to eat more things.

Viruses are very contagious, but they are preventable. First off, frequent hand washing is key in preventing the virus from entering your body. You can use hand sanitizer in between washing your hands, or when there is no sink around to wash up. Always wash your hands before eating and don't share eating utensils with others. Keep all hard surfaces in your home clean at all times. If someone in your home becomes sick keep them away from others in your home. You will want to make sure that everything the sick person touches is disinfected and all bedding is washed when they are better. Basically the best prevention is good hygiene.

source:2005-2009 webmd
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/flu-guide/stomach-flu-not-influenza