Winter is cold and flu season, but it also is a common time for other contagious illnesses. The increased time spent indoors with poor air circulation and close contact with others makes the winter time a common time to get sick. The stomach flu is a gastrointestinal infection that causes intense stomach cramping among other unpleasant symptoms. Learn about what causes the stomach flu, what to do if you think you have it, and when to seek medical care for treatment. AFC Urgent Care Waltham offers same-day illness care for a variety of conditions. Walk into the clinic today, or schedule an appointment online.
What is the Stomach Flu?
The stomach flu is a viral infection caused by norovirus. Not to be confused with the flu, which is caused by the influenza virus, the stomach flu causes a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms. You can catch the norovirus by coming into direct contact with someone who is infected. In many cases, symptoms don’t appear until a day or two after being infected with the virus. This means that you can spread the virus without knowing it. You can also catch norovirus by consuming food that has been contaminated with the norovirus and by sharing drinks and food with anyone who is sick with the stomach flu.
How To Tell If You Have the Stomach Flu
Because of it’s symptoms, the stomach bug is often confused with other illnesses that cause an upset stomach, such as food poisoning. Unlike food poisoning, however, the stomach flu is severely contagious. It is important to be able to differentiate between the stomach flu and food poisoning so that you don’t accidentally spread your illness to others.
The stomach flu usually resolves within a week, but can sometimes last longer. Symptoms of the stomach flu include:
- Stomach cramping
- Chills
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Headache
Symptoms of the stomach flu tend to build slowly over a few days, while food poisoning symptoms often occur quickly and are very intense. Food poisoning symptoms typically only last a day or two, while stomach flu symptoms can last a week or longer.
When To Seek Medical Care for the Stomach Flu
Viral infections like the stomach flu cannot be treated with prescription antibiotics. Instead, your body has to fight off the infection on its own. For most healthy adults, the stomach flu does not require medical intervention. However, dehydration is always a risk that can cause severe symptoms such as loss of consciousness. It is never a good idea to force yourself to eat or drink, in case it causes further stomach irritation. If you have trouble keeping yourself hydrated, you should seek medical care for IV fluids.
If your symptoms last more than a week, you should also seek medical care to ensure that you are not suffering from something more serious than a norovirus infection. Norovirus can cause severe symptoms in at-risk populations. Young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems should seek medical care if they think they have the stomach flu for proper medical support.
Visit AFC Urgent Care Waltham for Same-Day Illness Care in Waltham, MA
If you’re suffering from gastrointestinal symptoms that align with the common symptoms of the stomach flu, seeking early medical treatment can help you ensure that you have all of the tools necessary to manage your symptoms and recover quickly. AFC Urgent Care Waltham offers same-day illness diagnosis and treatment daily from 8am-8pm. We never require that you schedule an appointment in advance, simply walk into the clinic for rapid illness care.
Our medical staff is board-certified and trained to identify and treat a variety of different illness symptoms. Our clinic is equipped with a full laboratory, allowing us to perform advanced diagnostic testing and get the results fast. Visit our clinic today. For more information, contact us directly by calling 781-894-6900.
