What can you eat when you have a stomach virus?
Dealing with a stomach virus can be a miserable experience, and knowing what to eat can be a challenge when your stomach is constantly churning. But is there anything you can eat that won’t worsen the symptoms?
Stomach viruses, also known as gastroenteritis, are a common illness that can cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach cramps. While the virus typically goes away on its own after a few days, it’s important to be careful with what you eat to avoid further aggravating your symptoms.
When your stomach is not feeling well, your body needs nutritious and easily digestible food to promote healing and to prevent dehydration. However, not all foods are created equal, and some may be more helpful than others. In this article, we’ll explore what foods to include in your diet and which ones to avoid when you have a stomach virus, so you can start feeling better soon.
What can you eat when you have a stomach virus?
When dealing with a stomach virus, it’s important to focus on eating nutrient-rich foods that are easy to digest. To keep your body nourished and hydrated, try choosing from the following foods:
• Clear liquids such as water, broth, sports drinks, or electrolyte solutions.
• Bananas and other soft fruits like applesauce or mangoes.
• Plain crackers, toast, or white rice.
• Cooked vegetables such as squash, potatoes, and carrots.
• Lean proteins like boiled eggs or cooked chicken.
• Yogurt or kefir for probiotic benefits.
• Herbal teas for hydration and to soothe the stomach.
In addition to focusing on these types of easily digestible foods, it’s also important to make sure you are getting enough fluids. To prevent dehydration, make sure to drink plenty of water and other clear liquids like broth throughout the day.
What should you avoid when you have a stomach virus?
When dealing with a stomach virus, there are certain foods that can be hard to digest or may exacerbate your symptoms. It’s generally best to avoid these foods while you are recovering:
• High-fat and greasy foods such as burgers, fries, or chips.
• Dairy products like milk, cheese, and ice cream.
• Fried or processed foods like hot dogs or nachos.
• Spicy or acidic foods like tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onions.
• Caffeinated or carbonated beverages like soda or coffee.
• Alcohol and sugary drinks.
• Processed sugars in candy, cookies, cakes, and other desserts.
Remember to listen to your body and take it easy as you recover from a stomach virus. If you are still experiencing symptoms after three days, it’s best to contact your doctor for further advice.
When recovering from a stomach virus, it’s important to give your body the rest and nutrition it needs to heal. Taking small steps can help you feel better faster, even if it is just getting out of bed and taking a few bites of food. Eating nutritious and easily digestible meals will provide your body with energy while keeping your stomach from becoming further upset. Adding probiotic-rich foods such as yogurt or kefir can be especially helpful for restoring healthy bacteria in the gut.
Is a stomach virus contagious?
A stomach virus is a contagious illness that can be acquired from another person’s unwashed hands, contaminated surfaces, food or drink. The most common stomach viruses in the U.S. are norovirus (often called the Norwalk virus), rotavirus (most common in babies and young children), enterovirus, and adenovirus. Children typically receive a rotavirus vaccine as an infant which will protect them from severe disease up to 90% of the time. Unlikely popular belief, noroviruses are very common and not exclusive to cruise ships, but rather can easily spread through any environment where people congregate such as schools, college dorms, churches, nursing homes, campgrounds and prisons.
It is important to take preventive measures such as washing your hands frequently with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds and avoiding contact with anyone exhibiting symptoms of a stomach virus in order to avoid getting sick. Surface contact should also be avoided for any potential areas that could have been contaminated by someone who had the virus. If you start showing signs of being ill it is important to discuss this with your healthcare provider in order to receive the appropriate treatment needed for relief from your symptoms and limit further spreading of the infection.
How long does a stomach virus last?
A stomach virus, also known as gastroenteritis, is a type of viral infection that affects the digestive system leading to symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In most cases, a stomach virus is self-limiting and will usually clear up on its own in one to seven days without needing any special treatment. It is still important to practice proper hygiene and handwashing when you’re sick or even after you have recovered from the virus because it can remain contagious for a few days afterwards.
When dealing with gastrointestinal issues caused by a virus, antibiotics are not necessary since they do not work on viruses. However, if there is evidence of bacterial involvement or parasites present medical attention may be required to treat the condition properly. Other signs someone may need medical attention include symptoms of dehydration such as fatigue, dry mouth/tongue, decrease in urine output, dark colored urine due to low fluid levels in the body. Additionally, children should stay away from any sort of daycare or school setting for at least 48 hours after symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting subside.
Are the stomach flu and stomach virus the same thing?
The stomach flu and the stomach virus are two quite different things. While the stomach flu, also known as influenza, is a respiratory infection that affects the nose, throat and lungs with common symptoms such as coughing, sore throat, headaches and fever; the stomach virus is an intestinal infection of viral gastroenteritis that mainly targets the digestive system often causing diarrhea and vomiting. There may still be some stomach symptoms related to the flu, particularly in children, but these will usually result from an accompanying secondary illness rather than directly from the virus itself. It is important to note however that one can catch both illnesses at any given time for example due to complicating factors or environmental factors.
It is therefore recommended that you speak to your doctor if you believe your child may have either a stomach virus or a case of gastroenteritis. They can help provide more valuable information as well as possible treatments available should your child display any of these symptoms. Furthermore good hygiene practices such as frequent hand washing after toilet use and when preparing food will help limit transmission of such viruses between people whether it be those suffering from the flu or the gastric virus..