Food Poisoning vs. Stomach Bug: How To Tell - Health.com

Iff you have diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting, you may be wondering if you've come down with the stomach flu or contracted food poisoning. These illnesses share similarities, but food poisoning is typically more severe and goes away quicker than a stomach bug. Food poisoning may also cause body aches and weakness.

Viruses cause the stomach flu, which is medically known as gastroenteritis. The most common culprit is norovirus. Bacteria, parasites, and viruses can cause food poisoning.

You can feel better if you have food poisoning or stomach flu by getting plenty of rest and staying hydrated. Read on to learn how to tell the difference between food poisoning and a stomach virus.

What's commonly called the stomach flu isn't related to the flu at all. The influenza virus causes the flu. Most stomach bugs are caused by norovirus, or a family of highly contagious viruses that affect the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

Other viruses that can cause a stomach bug include:

• Adenovirus
• Astrovirus
• Rotavirus

You can contract a virus by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your mouth. The virus also spreads through close contact with someone who's infected or by eating contaminated food.

On the other hand, food poisoning is an umbrella term for any more than 250 foodborne illnesses. Microbes like bacteria, parasites, and viruses can cause these illnesses. Norovirus transmitted through food could be considered a foodborne illness. Others include salmonella and listeria.

You can get salmonella from foods like undercooked poultry or meat. Listeria is linked to soft cheeses, raw bean sprouts, and melons.

The stomach flu and food poisoning are easy to confuse because the symptoms are almost identical. These symptoms can include:

These distinct illnesses share many characteristics. The stomach flu and food poisoning have a few differences in their symptoms.

 	Stomach Flu  	Food Poisoning  
Incubation Period 	12 hours to eight days, depending on the virus	Two to six hours
How Long Symptoms Last 	One to 10 days, depending on the virus	A few hours to several days
Symptoms	- Abdominal cramps or pain - Diarrhea - Fever - Nausea or vomiting	- Abdominal cramps or pain - Body aches - Diarrhea - Drooping eyelids - Fever - Increased gas - Loss of balance - Nausea or vomiting - Slurred speech - Weakness 

Stomach Flu Symptoms

The first signs of the stomach flu will appear between 12 hours to eight days, depending on the virus you've contracted. Ongoing diarrhea and vomiting attacks are the main signs. People with a stomach bug can also have signs of dehydration, like headache, lightheadedness, and dry mouth.

Food Poisoning Symptoms

Most cases of food poisoning typically develop within two to six hours after eating contaminated food. People with food poisoning can experience non-GI-related signs, such as:

• Body aches
• Drooping eyelids
• Fever
• Increased gas
• Loss of balance
• Slurred speech
• Weakness

If you have a stomach bug, you've got to wait until your body thoroughly flushes a virus from your system. The virus is self-limited and lasts one to 10 days for most people, depending on the virus.

If you have food poisoning, you'll also have to wait it out for anywhere from a few hours to several days, depending on the microbe. Most people recover without issues, but there can be some potential long-term issues. Complications can include arthritis, brain and nerve damage, and kidney failure.

It's important to get as much rest as possible and watch for signs of more severe illness. You'll also want to keep drinking fluids and electrolytes if you have either illness. Staying hydrated prevents dehydration, which can be dangerous if it becomes severe.

Sipping oral rehydration fluids can help replace electrolytes and fluids if diarrhea or vomiting is severe. Sports drinks may help some but might not replace the proper nutrients and minerals. These drinks can also be high in sugar, which can make diarrhea worse.

You may not always be able to prevent the stomach flu or food poisoning. Taking steps to wash your hands thoroughly and prepare food safely can lower the risk.

Stomach Flu

You can lower your risk of contracting a stomach bug by:

• Cleaning and sanitizing surfaces that may have been contaminated
• Follow food safety guidelines
• Getting a rotavirus vaccine (for infants)
• Regularly washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds

Food Poisoning

You can prevent food poisoning by following food safety guidelines:

• Avoid drinking water from untreated streams or wells
• Clean dishes and utensils that have touched raw eggs, fish, meat, or poultry
• Cook beef to 160 degrees, poultry to 165 degrees, and fish to 145 degrees
• Don't consume foods that smell unusual or taste spoiled
• Don't place cooked meat or fish on the same surface as stored raw meat before washing it
• Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours of cooking it
• Throw away expired foods, packaged food with a broken seal, or bulging or dented cans
• Toss raw meat, poultry, or fish that's been refrigerated for longer than two days
• Wash your hands with soap and water before cooking and after touching raw meat

Contact a healthcare provider or seek emergency or urgent care if things don't clear up at any point. Talk to a healthcare provider if you experience a high fever, bloody diarrhea, diarrhea lasting more than two to three days, or you can't keep any fluids down. Contact a healthcare provider right away if you have an infant who has diarrhea for more than one day.

Signs that you might not be hydrating enough include:

• Dark-colored urine
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Dry skin
• Fatigue
• Feeling very thirsty
• Urinating less than usual
• Signs of severe dehydration (e.g., confusion, fainting, rapid breathing, or shock)

Seek medical attention right away if you experience any symptoms of severe dehydration or have a child in your care who is showing signs of it. Children or infants who are dehydrated may cry with few or no tears and be unusually sleepy or fussy.

Food poisoning and the stomach flu cause similar symptoms, including diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. A stomach bug can be milder and last longer than food poisoning. However, these illnesses also have different causes: Norovirus commonly causes stomach flu, while bacteria, viruses, and parasites may result in food poisoning.

If you have either illness, it's important to get plenty of rest and stay hydrated. Contact a healthcare provider right away if diarrhea doesn't go away in two to three days (one day in infants) or if you have severe dehydration symptoms.

Adblock test (Why?)