Amanda Benko | Intern UAB School of Education – CHHS

Have you ever had your stomach feeling off? If yes, I’m sure you will agree that at that moment, you are not focused on the reasons for the increased emergency. All that you want is to start feeling better. However, figuring out whether you have stomach flu or food poisoning will inform your best action plan and enable you to understand how long you will have the awful feeling. As noted by De Marco et al. (2019), stomach flu is usually quite common, and like several viruses, it can be passed around by groups of people who gather close to one another. The virus can easily be passed if you are in an enclosed space and in close contact with one another, for example, on a cruise ship (or daycare).

On the other hand, food poisoning often originates from food. For instance, when food sits out too long without refrigeration or is not properly cooked, bacteria can grow in the food. Sometimes, it can be very hard to distinguish between food poisoning and stomach flu since these conditions share many symptoms (Aljamali, 2021). The main side effect of both is diarrhea – watery or bloody. You can also experience vomiting and nausea, while some may develop chills and fever in both cases. However, the major difference between the two is when the symptoms begin after exposure and how long the symptoms would last. In most cases, stomach flu may take around 24 to 48 hours incubation period within your system before it starts showing symptoms. Nevertheless, food poisoning comes quickly, around 2-6 hours after eating spoiled food (Aljamali, 2021). If you are on a picnic and everyone eats the same food, many people will likely experience the same symptoms. You can easily identify food poisoning because the symptoms may start after a more recent event.

Some common symptoms of stomach flu are nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Stomach flu can also cause fever and chills. Other symptoms include body aches, stomach pain, and headache. However, you will mainly experience nausea and particularly diarrhea. With food poisoning, you can also experience vomiting and diarrhea, although it can be more severe compared to stomach flu. Occasionally, you can get a fever as well. Other symptoms include an upset stomach and stomach cramps. Whenever you feel these symptoms, seeking proper medical attention and staying hydrated is essential. Some have found that ginger helps reduce nausea as well. What remedy do you know of to help battle an upset stomach?

References

Aljamali, N. M. (2021). Review on food poisoning (types, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment). Global Academic Journal of Pharmacy and Drug Research, 3(4), 54-61.

De Marco, R., Shankar, S., Rosenbaum, J., & Efron, D. (2018). A Case of the Stomach Flu. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 54(2), 214-214.