About Stomach Flu (Gastroenteritis): Symptoms, Causes & Treatments
Medical
Critical Illness

About Stomach Flu (Gastroenteritis): Symptoms, Causes & Treatments

8 Mins read

Stomach flu, or gastroenteritis, is a common illness during cooler seasons. Having gastroenteritis means your stomach and intestines are infected by a virus or bacteria. Norovirus and rotavirus are the most common types of stomach viruses that cause gastroenteritis. While norovirus can infect people of all ages, rotavirus infects mostly young children.

When you suffer from stomach flu, you probably experience:

  • Watery diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Abdominal pain and cramps
  • Fever
  • Nausea
  • Headache

Note that because of diarrhea and vomiting, it is likely that you become dehydrated as well.

  1. Contact with people who have the virus
  2. Food or water contaminated with the virus
  3. Unwashed hands after using the washroom or a nappy change

Since vaccination is not available for norovirus infection, the best way to stop stomach flu from spreading is by practicing:

  1. Good personal hygiene routines - Wash hands frequently with liquid soap and water wherever possible. Dry them with a disposable paper towel afterward.
  2. Good food hygiene routines - Clean hands and utensils, cook food thoroughly, separate raw and cooked foods, consume food and drinks from reliable sources only, etc.
  3. Good environmental hygiene routines - Ensure indoor areas are well-ventilated, clean up vomits or any contaminated areas properly and immediately, maintain washroom and drainage facilities, etc.

Besides, remember to keep your child at home if they suffer from stomach flu symptoms like fever, vomiting or diarrhea until they are fully recovered.

Typically caused by viruses, stomach flu cannot be cured by antibiotics. Plenty of fluids and supportive treatment like ibuprofen (Advil) and acetaminophen are usually all it takes for a patient to recover within days. 

You can take over-the-counter medication to treat the symptoms, but do so sparingly. For fever or aches, ibuprofen (Advil) can help, as long as it doesn’t cause you to have more of an upset stomach. It can also be hard on your kidneys if you get dehydrated. Take it sparingly and with food.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is often recommended for the stomach flu, unless you have liver disease. It relieves fever and aches.


Cigna_Elite360_CTA_Banner_EN

Cigna HealthFirst Elite 360 Medical Plan offers comprehensive and personalized medical coverage across the stage prevention, diagnosis, treatment and recovery, with a range of hospital and surgical benefits, optional insurance benefits with an annual limit of up to HK$50 million, personalized health assessment, three critical illnesses(cancer, stroke and heart attack) all-rounded care and international medical concierge service. A 360-degree total health protection that spans across all the key stages of your health journey. Learn more here.

Sources:

  1. WebMD - Gastroenteritis ("Stomach Flu")
  2. Centre for Health Protection - Viral Gastroenteritis
  3. Healthline - Stomach Flu Remedies

Recommended for you

Subscribe to Cigna Smart Health

Get the latest health tips & premium contents from our newsletter