Can Stomach Flu Make You Lose Weight

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Food poisoning and the stomach flu are common conditions that may cause you to feel nauseous, weak and potentially dehydrated. Learn the difference between stomach flu vs. food poisoning, common symptoms, treatments and prevention.

If your stomach starts feeling sick, it may be tricky to determine if you have the stomach flu or food poisoning because both cause similar symptoms. Although the stomach flu and food poisoning share similar symptoms, they have different causes.

For example, someone may develop food poisoning after eating food contaminated with parasites, viruses or bacteria. On the other hand, the stomach flu, also known as gastroenteritis, is caused by contracting a virus. Despite their differences, each condition can be managed at home. Remaining hydrated is essential to recovering from these conditions.

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Food poisoning is a common illness, with31 known pathogensthat cause foodborne illnesses. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) approximates 48 million people get sick each year from foodborne diseases. Some of the most common food poisoning symptoms include diarrhea, fever, chills, headaches and muscle aches.

With food poisoning, sweating, thirst, intestinal cramping, stomach cramping and fatigue are also common. Because it is difficult to eat or drink with food poisoning, many people feel sluggish and tired.

While many people develop food poisoning symptoms within a few hours or days after eating contaminated foods, symptoms can take up to a week to develop. The incubation period depends on the pathogen you get exposed to. Fortunately, food poisoning symptoms improve within two or three days.

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The stomach bug causes intestinal and stomach inflammation from a viral infection. Norovirus is theleading cause of diarrhea and vomitingfrom acute gastroenteritis. Some of the most common stomach bug symptoms include intestinal cramping, vomiting, nausea, fever and diarrhea. In some cases, muscle aches, joint aches and headaches are also possible.

Depending on how long your symptoms last, you may notice minor weight loss and thirst. Because the stomach bug causes diarrhea and vomiting, the body loses essential fluids, causing dehydration. In most cases, people develop symptoms within 12 to 48 hours after exposure to the virus. Fortunately, stomach bug symptoms often improve within a few days, but can last up to two weeks in more severe cases.

While gastroenteritis is commonly known as the stomach flu, it is a very different condition from influenza. The traditional flu affects your respiratory system. The stomach flu affects your digestive tract. While most stomach bug cases don’t need special treatment, more severe symptoms may require medical attention.

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The stomach flu and food poisoning cause many similar symptoms, including dehydration. Dehydration occurs when the body uses or loses more fluid than it takes in, causing your body not to have enough water to carry out its daily processes. If you don’t replace these fluids, your body will become more dehydrated, leading to more severe symptoms.

While anyone can become dehydrated by not drinking enough fluids, it is more common if you have underlying medical conditions, such as the stomach flu or food poisoning. Common symptoms of dehydration include darker urine, little to no urine output and dryness in the throat and mouth.

In addition to excessive thirst, dehydration can cause a faster heart rate, low blood pressure and dizziness that worsens when standing. If you experience severe or ongoing signs of dehydration, it is important to get a hydration treatment to replenish lost fluids.

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If you or a loved one can’t keep fluids down, notice black or bloody stool or have diarrhea or vomiting that persists for more than 24 hours, you may want to see a doctor. Other potential symptoms of dehydration include irritability, disorientation and drowsiness.

In many cases, you don’t need an official medical diagnosis for food poisoning and stomach flu. If you experience more severe symptoms, you should see a doctor who will give you an official diagnosis and recommended treatment course. High-risk individuals, such as immunocompromised people, should see a doctor sooner.

In many cases, most people don’t need an official food poisoning diagnosis because they can assume they have food poisoning. Typically, more than one person is affected if people share or eat the same contaminated food. If you see a physician, they may discuss your medical history, ask about your symptoms and perform an examination. Stool, urine and blood tests can also help determine the infection source.

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Like food poisoning, the stomach flu is diagnosed with a review of any symptoms you have, discussing your medical history and performing a physical examination. Unfortunately, gastroenteritis is highly contagious, meaning it spreads easily from person to person. You may develop the stomach flu by simply going to a party or gathering of people where someone is sick, even if they don’t show active symptoms yet.

Following a recommended diet and seeking proper treatment for either condition can minimize uncomfortable side effects and promote a quicker healing process. Although the stomach bug and food poisoning share many similarities, they often require a different treatment approach.

Time is one of the most important aspects of improving symptoms. Your body needs time to rest, recover and fight off the illness. During the recovery process, you can take certain medications and follow a calmer diet. If you can keep food and liquids down, it is best to eat plainer and less processed foods, as these are less likely to upset your stomach.

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While time and rest are the fundamental building blocks for a food poisoning treatment, there are other treatment modalities to consider, especially if symptoms become severe. You should speak with your physician to determine which food poisoning treatment might be right for you.

Your physician may prescribe antibiotics if you develop food poisoning from a specific kind of bacteria. In general, physicians only recommend antibiotics in cases of more severe or long-lasting symptoms. Food poisoning from listeria requires intravenous antibiotic treatments and hospitalization.

It is important to understand that antibiotics will not provide relief of symptoms of food poisoning caused by viruses. In reality, antibiotics can actually worsen symptoms of certain bacterial or viral food poisoning.

Gastroenteritis (stomach Flu)

Fluid and electrolyte replacements are essential as your body recovers from food poisoning. Because food poisoning causes periodic diarrhea and vomiting, your body loses fluids and essential minerals, including calcium, potassium and sodium. One way to replace these electrolytes and minerals is by drinking plenty of fluids.

While ensuring you drink enough water and fluids each day helps, sometimes, your body still can’t replenish fluids quickly enough. Afood poisoning intravenous (IV) treatmentis an innovative and effective way to revitalize and rehydrate the body.

An IV treatment is more efficient at introducing essential fluids and minerals back to the body while promoting a stronger immune system to help you recover from food poisoning as quickly as possible.

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While rest, fluid intake and time will ease stomach flu symptoms, you may want to consider modifying your diet and other treatments to minimize symptoms. Some of the most effective stomach bug treatments include:

The banana, rice, applesauce and toast (BRAT) diet is a calmer and more manageable diet if you have trouble keeping food down with the stomach flu. While eating certain foods can help nourish your body, you shouldn’t force yourself to eat if you feel it will make you sicker.

As you gain more of an appetite, the BRAT diet can be a great way to consume easy-to-digest foods that provide your body with energy and nutrients. Bananas are easier to digest and can replenish potassium levels. White rice can provide your body with energy from carbohydrates. You should avoid brown rice because it has more fiber and can cause excess gas.

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Applesauce provides the body with sugars, carbs and pectin, which may help ease diarrhea. Finally, white toast is easy to digest and provides the body with important carbs. You should avoid whole wheat bread because it is harder to digest.

AnIV treatment for nauseacan improve symptoms of vomiting and nausea at their source. Nausea IV treatments use fluids and anti-nausea medicine to minimize discomfort and stomach flu symptoms and promote a quicker healing process.

If you’re experiencing nausea or symptoms of a stomach bug, you may benefit from an IV treatment to replace antioxidants, nutrients and vitamins your body is missing. IV treatments can be customized to alleviate your unique symptoms or deficiencies.

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You can follow certain tips to minimize the risk of developing food poisoning or stomach flu. Generally, food poisoning prevention is heavily tied to ensuring you eat properly cooked meals. On the other hand, stomach flu prevention revolves around reducing the spread of germs.

While the stomach bug is contagious and spreads from person to person, food poisoning doesn’t spread in this manner. While many people in a group or family, it is typically because everyone consumed the same or similar meal contaminated with a bacteria or virus.

While food poisoning isn’t contagious like the stomach flu, it can be spread through some forms of contact with infected bodily fluids. For example, if a person comes into contact with contaminated fluids and touches their mouth before washing their hands, they may develop food poisoning. You can minimize the risk of food poisoning by following these tips:

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One of the most important ways to prevent the