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:
Viral gastroenteritis can spread when people eat or drink contaminated food or water, or if they share utensils, towels or food with someone who's infected. Healthy people will likely recover without complications.
Depending on the cause, viral gastroenteritis symptoms may appear within one to three days after you're infected and can range from mild to severe. Symptoms usually last just a day or two, but occasionally they may persist as long as 10 days.
If you have gastroenteritis, the following self-care tips will help to ease symptoms:
When to see a medical provider if you have gastroenteritis:
There's no effective treatment for viral gastroenteritis, so prevention is key. In addition to avoiding food and water that may be contaminated, thorough and frequent hand-washings are your best defense. If you are ill, prevent the spread to others if you:
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
Portland, Oregon 97203-5798
503.943.8000
This website uses cookies to track information for analytics purposes. You can view the full University of Portland privacy policy for more information.