Stomach Flu Symptoms
Stomach Flu disease
Stomach flu or gastroenteritis, as it is commonly known, is a disease of the gastrointestinal tract and is unconnected to influenza. It involves inflammation of both the small and large intestines. The term gastroenteritis is a combination of two terms viz. Gastritis i.e. inflammation of the small intestine and enteritis i.e. inflammation of the stomach lining. Ineffective treatment of the disease leads to the death of about 5 to 8 million individuals annually. It is prevalent especially among infants below the age of 5.
Cause and Spread of Stomach Flu
Stomach flu is usually caused by certain specific viruses. However, some bacteria and their toxic secretions may also lead to gastroenteritis. Adverse reactions to some food stuffs may also cause the condition. The norovirus is the responsible for most of the cases of viral gastroenteritis. The rota virus is responsible for most cases in children. The adenovirus and astrovirus are also responsible for gastroenteritis. Similarly, bacteria like Salmonella, Escherichia Coli etc. are responsible for gastroenteritis.
These microbes that are responsible for the spread of stomach flu, usually spread through a variety of foodstuffs. They may be present in meat, that has not been properly cooked, or through products that are stale etc. Sharing food with an infected person will almost certainly give you the disease as well. The microbes can also spread through contaminated water.
Stomach Flu Symptoms
The stomach flu symptoms of gastroenteritis usually manifest themselves within a day or two. Some of the common symptoms are as follows:
- One of the major stomach flu symptoms of gastroenteritis is diarrhea. However, as diarrhea can be caused by a number of other conditions, having diarrhea is not a sure sign, that you have stomach flu.
- Vomiting and nausea are among the other symptoms of gastroenteritis. Such feeling is usually encountered immediately after the individual has had something to eat.
- Because of recurrent diarrhea, the person usually suffers from dehydration as well. The same may lead to tiredness, dizziness, headaches etc.
- The person may also have a mild fever.
- Abdominal pain and cramps are also usually seen in the patient.
- The person usually feels weak and in extreme cases, may also suffer from fainting.
- In children, the dehydration symptoms may be more pronounced and may include sunken eyeballs, dark circles beneath the eyes, increased rate of heart beat, the skin may lose its turgor (rigidness), reduced perfusion may result in lack of nutrients in body parts.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Stomach flu is usually diagnosed by analyzing the stools of the concerned person. Presence of the particular microbes or WBCs (White Blood Corpuscles) indicates the disease. The disease can also be detected by analyzing the food eaten by the person.
Various methods can be adopted for treatment of gastroenteritis. They are as follows:
- Rehydaration is the primary method of treating stomach flu. It is necessary to make up for the water that is lost due to diarrhea.
- The diet of the person may also be changed to include specific nutrients, that help in reducing the ill-effects of the disease.
- External zinc supplements prove to be useful in curing the disease.
- In a few cases, antibiotics may be used, if the cause is determined to be bacterial and it is also determined that one type of bacterium is responsible for the disease.
Safety Precautions to prevent Stomach Flu
- Having a proper and nutritious diet, will usually ensure that you do not contract stomach flu.
- In case, a person in your family is suffering from the disease, then you should ensure that he or she does not share food with others and also, that it is properly disposed off. This will stop further spread of the disease.