How do I know if my child has a stomach bug?
If your child has the stomach flu, they may have hard-to-miss signs and symptoms like:
- diarrhea (usually watery and sometimes explosive)
- stomach pain and cramps.
- fever (usually mild and sometimes nonexistent)
- chills.
- nausea.
- vomiting.
- poor appetite.
- headache pain.
When should I take my child to the doctor for stomach flu?
When to See Your Doctor See the doctor if the vomiting and diarrhea continue more than a few days, or if you notice any signs of dehydration like: Not urinating. Dry mouth (no saliva) Crying without tears.
What can be mistaken for stomach flu?
Gastroenteritis is often mistaken for stomach flu although it is actually an inflammation of the lining of the intestines caused by a virus, bacteria or parasites. Symptoms of gastroenteritis include diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, headache, fever and chills. Most people recover with no treatment.
How do stomach flu symptoms start?
Viral gastroenteritis is an intestinal infection marked by watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea or vomiting, and sometimes fever. The most common way to develop viral gastroenteritis — often called stomach flu —is through contact with an infected person or by ingesting contaminated food or water.
What do you give a child with a stomach virus?
Your doctor may recommend that you give your child bland foods for the first 24 hours. Bland foods include bananas, rice, applesauce, toast, saltine crackers and unsweetened cereals. If your child does well with these foods, you can add other foods over the next 48 hours.
Should I take my child to the doctor for a stomach virus?
It’s important to get your child to a doctor if the symptoms get worse or last for longer than 5 days. If she becomes develops severe stomach cramps or bloody diarrhea, these could be signs of a more serious illness than a stomach virus. Signs of dehydration are also a cause for immediate concern.
How do I know if it’s the stomach flu or something else?
Both cause stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, but there are a few differences between the two. If you have body aches, headache, or fever, you are more likely to have stomach flu. Stomach flu is also more likely to cause projectile vomiting. Food poisoning is more apt to cause bloody diarrhea.