The norovirus is responsible for the ‘stomach flu’ Photo by: GrahamColm
How do the symptoms of stomach flu progress?
Viral gastroenteritis, or ‘stomach flu’ as it is commonly referred to, is not anything like influenza. Symptoms of the stomach virus include inflammation of the stomach and intestines – about 20 million cases in the United States per year are caused by the norovirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
There is a new type of norovirus going around, called the GII.4 Sydney. This new virus is making millions of people sick worldwide, so if you happen to get this nasty virus, what can you expect from the stomach flu?
Stomach Flu Symptoms: Progression
If you come into contact with the norovirus, then you can expect to become sick within four to 48 hours, reports PubMed Health. The most common symptoms include; abdominal pain and cramping, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. However, you can also have low-grade fever, body aches, chills, and joint stiffness. Generally, within a day or two you will be feeling better, but norovirus symptoms can last up to ten days, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Is it a Stomach Bug, or Food Poisoning?
So you begin to feel that uncomfortable wave of nausea, and then the misery begins. You may be wondering if it was something you ate and not the stomach virus, so how can you tell the difference?
Although you cannot see it, the stomach flu is caused by a virus, while food poisoning can be caused by viruses, bacteria, and even parasites that contaminate your food or water.
Symptoms of food poisoning are very similar to the stomach virus. According to PubMed Health, symptoms can include, nausea, vomiting, watery and sometimes bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever. These symptoms often times begin with in two to six hours of eating or drinking and can be even more severe than symptoms of the stomach virus.
Since the symptoms are very similar, the best way to tell if it was possibly food poisoning is to look back at what you ate over the past 24 hours. Under-cooked meat and poultry can result in food poisoning. Not only that, unpasteurized milk, soft cheeses, produce, and lunch meat are all foods that can contain bacteria, parasite, or viruses that if not washed and cooked appropriately, can make you sick. If you ate with a group of people, ask to see if they are sick as well. With food poisoning, people who eat the same contaminated food will generally feel the same symptoms.
Click to Read Page Two: Norovirus Symptoms
I started feeling a bad pressure at the back of my throat. In Atlanta there had been a few orange alerts for smog and I usually run every other morning. On Monday I ran and came home. I felt very exhuasted and slept for a few hours. Waking up I had that weird pressure at the back of my throat. Not entirely like a sore throat because the pressure was more dulled, as if it was just bad sinuses. The next day I woke up feeling absolutly horrible; chills, all over body aches, I broke a mild fever sleeping. I woke up at some point, ate dinner and then took an Advil and felt beter for the rest of the night. Throat was still tight and a little bit worst. Yesterday I woke up to horrible stomach pains. Cramps that started just under my rib cage. I had to run a few errands but after that I came home and slept for about 6 hours. The cramps slowly moved down and I had bad diarrhea all throughout the night. I couldnt eat anything yesterday. I tried crackers. I tried broth and lime I couldnt even stomach water without it severely hurting. Finally we found we had a strong medicine for cold and flu and I took that a few times. Definatly helped with the all over body chills and weakness a bit but the cramping didnt go away. I tried to stomach some apple sauce since I hadnt had anything solid in over 24 hrs at that point and it still was a big nope. So I just took an advil and it wasnt too bad. At like 3 in the morning I finally woke up and sat on the tilet for about an hour just getting everything out of my system. It was all water and broth. My body wasnt keeping anythong down or absoebing water. But after that the cramps werent bad at all. This morning I woke up an have drinken a bit of water and waited. I had no vramps yet. I’m going to try some apple sauce and a bit of peas a rice. Well see how I feel. At least I’m able to get out of bed today. Luckily I didnt have work these past several days…but I definatly believe I just got over this stomach flu…
I was very tired after shopping for a Bridal Shower on Friday. I was so glad to find out “Bed, Bath and Beyond” provide’s with wrapping materials…. and that you can do it right there in the store, before you leave. I certainly did not beleive I would feel like wanting to wrap when I when I got home.. because I felt so tired. Anyway…. this was not normal for me to feel so tired. Even if was 8:00 PM. I normally do not feel “drained” by this time of day. Woke up Saturday morn…. felt fine. Went to wedding shower at 2:00 PM. Got home at 6:00 PM. Began feeling dizzy and off balance. Sat down bin recliner chair to watch T.V. Sometimes the fast motion on the T.V. made me feel nauseous. Finally got out of recliner, and went to be bed. That didn’t last long; I had to get up, to throw up. While lying in bed; my stomach was constantly bothering me, I was getting the chills, had pain in stomach and guts, and every noise I heard made my body jerk inside; as if it were amplified 10 times!
Today is 3 days later. Throwing up has stopped, but not the diarrhea. And I have been left with a very bad pain in my stomach like there’s something broken in it (as if I was punched very hard in the stomach.
No fever… the whole time.
Throughout my whole childhood I would get the stomach bug about once a year, Vomiting in general scares the crap out of me but having to vomit every 10-20 mins I kinda wanted to just die. I have the stomach bug now, almost at my 24 hour mark and wow I forgot how cruel this virus is. Literally your whole body is weak and for me anyways I would sweat before and after throwing up. If you have never had the stomach bug, god bless.
I ve been sick since Sunday night to now. I have stomach flu and I never had it in my whole life. My third day I’m absolutely weak and dehydrated but I no longer have chills. My sister drop off what I need to eat … Banana , applesauce , Popsicles, rice and water. I had Popsicles and I felt better and little of each. I’m still weak. I wish no one have this stomach flu!! Ithought I was going to died. Today I don’t feel no need to go to bathroom. Thank you Jesus!!!
I started getting a stomach ache 4 days ago it was just.light, but today it gradually got worse and now.I’m throwing up. I feel like I got.punched in the stomach……. I hope it goes away quickly, in a truck driver and am out on the road. No fun when sick