What is a stomach virus?
A stomach virus is an intestinal infection caused by viruses. This disease occurs when a virus attacks your gastrointestinal system.
The medical term of stomach virus disease is viral gastroenteritis. Several people call this stomach infection stomach flu or stomach bug.
The stomach virus is a common illness seen all over the globe. The viral pathogens are the culprit for most cases of stomach virus or stomach bug.
What are the symptoms of the stomach virus?
If you are suffering from a stomach virus you may observe the following symptoms.
- Abdominal cramps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Muscle ache and pain
- Joint pain
- Low fever
- Watery stools
- Loss of appetite
- Quick weight loss
- Not feeling hungry
Please note you may get any of these symptoms or many symptoms. The symptoms depend upon the range of infection.
What causes stomach virus?
Several different viruses like rotavirus, norovirus, adenovirus, and astroviruses cause stomach virus. These viruses are the most common reasons for a stomach virus.
Rotavirus
Rotavirus infection is the most common cause of a stomach bug (1). Rotavirus infection symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, anorexia, and low-grade fevers.
Adults are more likely to develop a rotavirus stomach bug. It can cause severe dehydration problems to children and infants also.
The rotavirus stomach flu may continue for 10 days. It is the leading cause of infantile diarrheal illness worldwide.
Norovirus
It is the main culprit behind the epidemic diarrheal illness. Norovirus causes frequent stomach virus outbreaks within closed communities.
The norovirus stomach bug affects nursing homes, schools, military populations. It also spreads in athletic teams, and cruise ships.
Symptoms like abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are caused by this virus. Norovirus also causes myalgias, malaise, and low-grade fevers.
This stomach virus causes many non-bloody bowel movements per day. Yet, the illness is self-limiting and does not need hospitalization for major cases.
Most patients with norovirus stomach flu may recover within 72 hours.
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How stomach virus spreads?
The stomach virus or stomach bug is transmitted via the oral route. It includes contaminated food and water. Stomach flu also spreads via infected clothes, utensils. and by contacting the infected person.
Transmission of stomach virus may occur via fomites, vomitus, and airborne methods. The stomach bug is also spread from an infected person.
How to prevent a stomach virus?
Maintaining proper hygiene and hydration is the only way to prevent a stomach virus. You should follow the below-mentioned precautions to prevent a stomach virus:
- A frequent wash of your hands with clean water
- Drink clean water
- Avoid sharing clothes, foods, and dishes
- Use hand sanitizers
- Try to avoid uncooked meats and raw seafood, fruits and vegetables
- change your clothes whenever you return from outside
- Wash your clothes with anti-bacterial detergents daily
- Maintain a personal set of your clothes, dishes, and room
- Cleanse your room and walls daily
- Keep and drink electrolyte-rich oral solutions
- Vaccination(for infants and children)
- Try to maintain a healthy sleep schedule
How to cure a stomach virus?
There is no common treatment that can cure a stomach virus. The stomach virus treatment is based on symptomatic support.
Maintain hydration status and counter fluid and electrolyte losses is the major requirement. The patient should follow these two rules to cure the stomach virus earlier.
However, fluid therapy is the core part of treatment. Fluid therapy is used to delivers fluids directly into a person’s vein.
It is also mandatory to careful monitoring of electrolyte status. Also, electrolyte-rich oral rehydration solutions may help to cure a stomach virus.
How long does a stomach virus last?
A stomach virus usually lasts for less than a week. The symptoms start improving after 1 to 3 days. For major cases, stomach virus cures within 1 to 3 days.
However, sometimes stomach virus may continue for 10 days or more. If signs of illness continue for more than two weeks, then it is a chronic disease, not the stomach flu.
Also, it is observed that for a tiny group of people stomach virus lasts for only 1-2 hours.
How do you sleep with a stomach virus?
There is no hard and fast rule for sleeping with a stomach virus. To get a peaceful sleep with stomach virus you can follow these steps
- Sleep on side
- Go early to bed
- Don’t eat or drink heavy foods before sleeping
- Stop the music and use earplugs
- Turn off all the lights on your bedroom
- If possible take a hot shower before going to bed
- Drink a glass of electrolyte-rich oral solution before sleeping
FAQ of How To Cure a Stomach Virus
Is Ginger Ale Good for a stomach virus?
No ginger ale may not be good for a stomach virus. Ginger ale is prepared by mixing ginger roots with sugar and corn syrup.
Ginger is good for the stomach. but, the excess sweetener and corn syrup of ginger ale can make the stomach disorder worse.
Is ginger good for a stomach virus?
According to scientific studies, ginger is beneficial for the stomach. Research has shown that a regular intake of ginger beverages can reduce stomach problems.
The study was a comparison between ginger beverage and carrot-water beverage. Ginger beverage contained ginger root extract, citric acid, glucose, mMNaCl, and K sorbate.
The carrot beverage was also made with the same ingredients but with a difference. Carrot extract and water were used instead of ginger root extract.
2 groups were selected for this experiment. Group consumed 225 ml of ginger beverage before and after exercise(total 2 times). The ginger beverage was replaced with a carrot beverage for the second group.
After the exercise, it was observed that stomach problems were decreased for the ginger group. But no improvement was observed in the carrot group.
So, we can conclude from this scientific research that ginger may be good for a stomach virus.
Who is prone to stomach virus?
Men and women are affected equally. The stomach virus can lead to morbidity, especially for young or elderly patients.
Stomach virus is a leading cause of infant death in undeveloped countries. It causes a more severe and prolonged illness for elderly individuals and immunocompromised patients.
Does sleep help stomach virus?
A solid sleep may help with the stomach virus. By maintaining a solid sleep your body gets rest. As a result stomach virus symptoms start decreasing.
