How Serious Are Your Stomach Flu Symptoms? How to Know if It’s Time for an Urgent Care Visit
The flu season affects millions of people. It results in close to 49 million illnesses every year. The stomach flu, an unrelated illness, affects almost as many around the same season.
If you have the stomach flu, how do you know when it’s time to see a professional?
People often confuse influenza (flu) and viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu). That’s because both run rampant during the sickest time of the year. But the stomach flu is no joking matter.
And you need to know when the symptoms are beyond your home remedies.
If flu season has you down, know when to recover at home or go to Oxford Urgent Care. Here are the stomach flu symptoms you must know.
Excessive Vomiting
Brought on a by a rota or norovirus, one of the first signs of the stomach flu is vomiting.
Sometimes nausea and queasiness accompany this vomiting, which is why people confuse it for something else. Throwing up is a common signal for many others illnesses. But this type of vomiting goes from normal to excessive right away.
That’s the clue you may have gastroenteritis.
Bacteria that are food-born also cause the stomach flu. So if you feel sick right after a meal, consider gastroenteritis.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is also a tricky symptom because, like vomiting, there are many causes. But coupled with vomiting, diarrhea is a clear indication of a flu virus in the stomach.
Unfortunately, this symptom fluctuates throughout the course of the flu. It can go from loose and watery to uncontrollable with abdominal cramps. This symptom normally lasts no more than a couple of days.
If it lasts longer, you need to call your primary or take a trip to Oxford Urgent Care right away.
Muscle Aches and Cramping and Pain in the Stomach
Because gastroenteritis launches an attack on the intestines, pain and cramping in the stomach are the results.
Depending on the onslaught of the virus, the pain can go from sharp, to mildly uncomfortable. In severe cases, muscle aches occur.
It’s not common to every case of the stomach flu, but it is a symptom that causes more discomfort to the body.
Fever
A fever happens when the temperature rises above normal in the body. For most people, 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit is a normal body temp.
The occasional fever occurs with the stomach flu. It doesn’t happen with every case, but it is a definite symptom. If the virus causes a fever that rises above 102 degrees, see a doctor right away.
A temperature this high can be a dangerous sign that the virus is taking a turn for the worse. Don’t reach for the over-the-counter meds, seek out a medical professional.
Know the Stomach Flu Symptoms
Gastroenteritis is as serious as the seasonal flu. The average stomach flu symptoms subside within two days. But this virus can get dangerous beyond that.
Contact your doctor as soon as possible if the symptoms worsen beyond self-manage. Or, head straight for Oxford Urgent Care.
Contact Oxford Urgent Care right away for questions and help with health-related illnesses.