Stomach flu: overview, manifestations, treatment and prevention

Stomach flu, also known as gastroenteritis, is an intestinal infection with symptoms such as acute diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and sometimes fever. Despite the name flu, the illness is not caused by the influenza virus. Stomach flu is usually caused by a virus that attacks, most commonly norovirus, into the intestinal tract and causes gastroenteritis.

One of the common risks of stomach flu is coming in contact with an infected person or ingesting contaminated food and water. If a person is healthy, the disease will recover on its own without complications. However, for infants, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, stomach flu without prompt treatment can cause death.

Stomach flu does not have an effective treatment. So prevention is very important. In addition to avoiding potentially contaminated food and water, thorough and frequent hand washing is the body's best defense.

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• 1. What are the symptoms of stomach flu?
• 2. When should you go to a medical facility for a checkup?
• 3. What causes stomach flu?
• 4. Who may be more susceptible to stomach flu?
• 5. What complications can stomach flu cause?
• 6. How to prevent stomach flu?
• 7. How is stomach flu diagnosed?
• 8. How is stomach flu treated?

1. What are the symptoms of stomach flu?

Although it is often referred to as the stomach flu, the stomach flu is not the same as the flu. The flu really only affects the body's respiratory system. Meanwhile, stomach flu, also known as gastroenteritis, attacks the intestinal tract, causing symptoms such as:

• Watery diarrhea, usually without blood. Hematuria is usually caused by an infection and is more severe.
• Abdominal cramping pain every time

Diarrhea and intermittent abdominal cramps are symptoms of stomach flu

• Nausea or vomiting
• Occasional headaches, body aches
• There may be a slight fever

Depending on the cause, stomach flu symptoms can appear within one to three days after you're infected and can range from mild to severe. Symptoms usually last only a day or two, but sometimes the illness can last up to 10 days.

Because of the similar symptoms, stomach flu is easy to confuse with diarrhea caused by bacteria, such as Clostridium difficile, salmonella and E. coli, or by a parasite.

2. When should you go to a medical facility for a checkup?

2.1 If you are an adult, go to a medical facility to be checked if:

• Watery diarrhea more than 3 times/day for more than 24 hours
• Nausea and vomiting for more than 2 days
• Vomiting blood
• Diarrhea with blood
• There are signs of dehydration such as excessive thirst, dry mouth, dark yellow urine, little or no urinating all day. Feeling tired, exhausted, dizzy when standing up.
• High fever over 39 degrees

2.2 For infants and young children:

Your baby needs to see a doctor right away if:

• Under 3 months old
• Fever of 39 degrees or more
• Lethargic, always sleepy
• Children stop eating and drinking
• Not as flexible or playful as usual
• Vomiting, vomiting a lot leading to poor appetite or vomiting continuously for more than 4 hours
• Bloody stools or diarrhea 3 or more times/day
• Signs of dehydration such as thirst (the child finds or reaches for a water bottle constantly), urinating less than usual (no less diapers after 6 hours)
• The fontanelle on the top of the head is sunken

3. What causes stomach flu?

Stomach flu is more likely to be contracted by eating or drinking contaminated food, or by sharing utensils, towels, or food with an infected person.

Several viruses can cause stomach flu, including:

Norovirus: Both children and adults can be affected by norovirus. It is the most common cause of foodborne illness worldwide.

Norovirus is the most common cause of foodborne illness worldwide.

Norovirus infections can spread easily in families. It is especially likely to spread in communal places like nursing homes, etc. In most cases, this virus is usually contracted from contaminated food or water. In addition, person-to-person transmission is also possible.

Rotavirus: Worldwide, this is the most common cause of viral stomach flu in children. Children often become infected when they put their fingers or other objects contaminated with the virus into their mouths. Rotavirus infection is most severe in infants and young children. Adults infected with rotavirus may have no symptoms, but can still infect children. In some countries and in Vietnam, there is now a rotavirus vaccine.

Some animals, especially raw or undercooked oysters, can also cause stomach flu. Although contaminated drinking water is the cause of viral diarrhea. In many cases, however, the virus is transmitted by the fecal-oral route. That is, people with the virus handle food processing without washing their hands with clean soap after going to the toilet.

4. Who may be more susceptible to stomach flu?

People who may be more susceptible to stomach flu (gastroenteritis) include:

Young children: Children in child care centers or elementary schools may be especially susceptible. Because at this time the child's immune system is mature.

Elderly: The immune system of adults tends to become weaker with age. In particular, elderly people in nursing homes are very susceptible to infection because their immune systems are weakened, and living in close contact with many other people increases the risk of spreading the disease.

Students, community gatherings or dormitories: Any place where groups of people congregate in close proximity can be a breeding ground for stomach flu.

Anyone with an immunocompromised condition: If your resistance to infections is low – for example HIV/AIDS, cancer, receiving radiation, chemotherapy or diabetes, etc.

Seasonal illness: Each type of gastrointestinal virus is usually seasonally active. For example, the number of rotavirus or norovirus infections often spikes between October and April every year.

5. What complications can stomach flu cause?

The main complication of stomach flu (gastroenteritis) is severe dehydration and electrolyte loss.

If you are healthy and drink enough water to make up for the amount of lost body fluids vomiting and diarrhea. Dehydration will not have a serious effect.

However, infants and young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems can become severely dehydrated. These subjects should receive intravenous fluids if adequate oral rehydration is not possible. Severe dehydration can lead to death, although this is rare.

6. How to prevent stomach flu?

The best way to prevent the spread of stomach flu is to follow these precautions:

Take children to get vaccinated: Currently, Vietnam has an oral rotavirus vaccine to prevent diarrhea.

Currently, Vietnam has an oral rotavirus vaccine to prevent diarrhea.

Oral dose after 6 months of age (age of starting weaning), 2nd dose after 4 weeks. Babies should be vaccinated against rotavirus before 24 weeks of age.

Wash hands with soap: Not only in adults but also children, washing hands with soap is extremely important. As children get older, teach them to wash their hands, especially after using the toilet. It is best to use clean water and soap, scrub your hands for at least 30 seconds. Especially when washing, pay attention to the areas that are often missed on the hands such as between the fingers, fingernails, thumbs and wrists. Then rinse thoroughly. Should prepare a bottle of hand sanitizer when there is no hand wash basin

Use separate personal items such as towels, washcloths, toothbrushes, spoons, glasses, etc.

Avoid raw foods, fruits that need to be peeled, and raw vegetables and salads that need to be washed. Avoid undercooked meat and fish.

7. How is stomach flu diagnosed?

Usually, with only acute diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting, slight fever, especially in children, it is mostly caused by stomach flu caused by viruses. Therefore, the main treatment is supplementing with fluids, digestive enzymes and monitoring. If the condition does not improve, there may be other reasons such as suspected infection or suspected cholera. The doctor may do additional blood tests, stool smears, stool cultures, blood cultures, etc. to make a diagnosis.

8. How is stomach flu treated?

There is usually no specific treatment for viral stomach flu. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses. In addition, overusing them can contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Initial treatment includes supportive measures, weight lifting.

8.1 Home remedies:

To make your body more comfortable and prevent dehydration, try the following:

• Eat soft, easy-to-digest foods to limit intestinal irritation. Stop eating if nausea returns.
• Drink more water a day. An average person needs to drink about 2 liters of water per day. In addition, you need to replace the amount of water equivalent to the amount of fluid lost through vomiting and diarrhea.

An average person needs to drink about 2 liters of water per day. In addition, you need to replace the amount of water equivalent to the amount of fluid lost through vomiting and diarrhea.

• Get plenty of rest: Viral symptoms and dehydration can make you weak and tired.

8.2 For infants and children:

If your child has any of the above symptoms that require hospitalization. Mothers need to take the child to a medical facility immediately for examination and appropriate treatment.

If not, there are a few things you can do to make your child more comfortable:

• Help your child rehydrate: Give your child an oresol electrolyte solution every time he vomits or has diarrhea.
• You can refer to: Oresol: Effective rehydration and electrolyte therapy
• In case the baby is still compensated, it is necessary to continue to breastfeed. In case the child is already eating solids, it is necessary to add more fluids, juices, etc.
• Limit foods high in sugar such as ice cream, soft drinks, and candy. These can make diarrhea worse.
• Avoid giving your child over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medicines, unless advised by your doctor. Anti-diarrheal medicines can make it harder for your child's body to get rid of the virus.
• If you have a sick infant, let the infant's stomach rest for 15 to 20 minutes after vomiting or diarrhea. Then feed the baby. If your baby is drinking formula, you do not need to dilute the milk, just give the baby extra water.

You may want to refer to: Acute diarrhea in children: Some issues parents need to know

Stomach flu is a common cause of digestive disorders. The best measure is prevention by eating cooked food, drinking boiling water, washing hands before preparing food, after going to the toilet and before eating, etc. For young children who are learning to eat solids, they should be vaccinated against rotavirus. before 24 weeks of age. If diarrhea and vomiting do not improve on their own after 24-48 hours, you should seek medical attention.

Written by: Hoang Yen

Medical consultation: Dr. NGUYEN TRUNG GIA