Stomach Flu vs. Food Poisoning

Stomach Flu or Food Poisoning: What’s the Difference?

Abdominal pains, fever, and gas are common signs of many conditions, including both the stomach flu and food poisoning. The two are commonly confused. The stomach flu and food poisoning are two different conditions. 

A virus causes the stomach flu, but food poisoning is caused by bacteria, viruses, or other parasites. The former can last for days, but food poisoning usually only takes one day. Both are extremely common. The US Department of Health & Human Services estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illnesses annually, which equates to 1 in 6 Americans having a food-related illness.

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Although they share similar symptoms, there are differences to be aware of between the two. The signs and symptoms of the stomach flu can vary greatly from person to person and naturally develop within a day or as fast as two to three hours. Understanding the differences between stomach flu vs. food poisoning can ensure you take the right steps towards recovery as well as speed up doctor visits.

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What Is the Stomach Flu?

The phrase “stomach flu” does not necessarily make it the flu. It is not caused by the influenza virus, like most upper respiratory problems such as in your nose, throat, and lungs, and should not be confused with the “seasonal flu.” 

The medical term for the common stomach flu is “viral gastroenteritis.”

Stomach Flu Symptoms

Viral gastroenteritis is an intestinal infection associated with these symptoms:

• Nausea or vomiting: Your body recognizes the illness as a poison, so it reacts to the discomfort by vomiting.

• Watery diarrhea: Severe dehydration can also yield dark or decreased urine. Keep track of how long you have been having diarrhea if it has been more than three days, and see a doctor immediately if you have blood in your stool.

• Low-grade fever: A fever is the immune system’s attempt to combat illness such as viruses and bacteria infection. By heating up the body, fevers create an environment that tackles temperature-sensitive agents.

• Abdominal pain and cramping: A stomach bug can produce moderate pain.

How Long Does the Stomach Flu Last? 

The stomach flu usually starts one to three days after exposure and can take up to 10 days to fully heal. 

You may also be wondering how long the stomach flu is contagious? The stomach flu is highly contagious, and the length of that will depend on the type of virus that caused the infection. You are still contagious for up to three days after recovery in some cases. 

Read: How Long Does the Stomach Flu Last?

What Is Food Poisoning?

Food poisoning is an extensive term for some type of bacteria that has affected you. 

Food Poisoning Symptoms

Your immune system induces food poisoning to expel the illness and can present the following symptoms:

• Bloating and gas: Passing gas clears gas from the digestive tract, but lingering gas stuck in the tract can cause pain.

• Fever: You should see a doctor immediately when above 101.5 F to avoid severe dehydration.

• Muscle aches: Certain bacteria such as Staphloccus aureus and Campylobacter jejuni cause muscle pains. Inflammatory responses or irregular blood supply cause these pains.

• Weakness: Your body devotes a lot of energy to fight off the illness, and the loss of calories and electrolytes can make you feel weak.

• Abdominal pain and cramping: Your illness’s primary source is in your stomach region, so this area could experience mild to moderate discomfort. Although a stomach bug is a more general discomfort, food poisoning will yield a sharp stabbing pain.

How Long Does Food Poisoning Last? 

Food poisoning has a rapid onset of symptoms, usually appearing two to six hours after eating contaminated food or drinks. It may last up to 48 hours, but can sometimes resolve itself within 24 hours. 

How Do I Know If It’s a Stomach Virus or Food Poisoning?

Although the symptoms of stomach flu and food poisoning can overlap, the primary indicator of which you have will be the timing of symptoms.  

Viral stomach flu will incubate for roughly 24-48 hours after exposure to the virus, whereas food poisoning will be much faster at 2-6 hours after eating contaminated food. Many cases of the stomach flu resolve in a few days, with more prolonged cases lasting up to 10 days. Most food poisoning cases last only for a day or two.

Read: Nausea Treatment Online

How to Prevent Food Poisoning and the Stomach Flu

Both food poisoning and stomach flu are best cured by preventative methods instead of recovery after the fact.

Preventing food poisoning can be difficult, but there are a few steps that can help. Since you are just as likely to get it from your kitchen as you are at an outside restaurant, you can take the following steps to avoid serious illnesses:

• Wash your hands, so you do not bring unnecessary agents into your kitchen and do not mix foods

• Keep your kitchen clean in case your utensils have come into contact with other foods conducive to viral growth

• Be careful of raw meat and cook it properly, so you do not get sick

• Do not consume expired food even if the food looks and smells fine, as you should respect the “use by” date to be careful of all of the harmful microscopic organisms.

• Be mindful of your leftovers in case they have been left outside of proper refrigeration for too long or have already expired

If you are dining with street food such as at food trucks, you should be mindful of exploring street food without the perils as sanitary food preparation is key to avoid food poisoning.

Since the stomach flu is contagious, you can prevent exposure to it with the following:

• Practice proper hand hygiene

• Keep your kitchen clean

• Do not prepare foods while infected

• Avoid contact with the infected

Make sure to practice these precautions even if you feel fine as you are contagious for approximately three days after recovery.

Even with safe practices and regulations in place, such as mandated hand washing and kitchen inspections, it is essential for you to recognize stomach pains and how to best take the appropriate steps for your recovery.

What to Do If You Have the Stomach Flu or Food Poisoning?

Although most cases can be treated at home with lots of fluid with electrolytes and rest, severe symptoms such as diarrhea spanning several days and high fevers should not be overlooked.

Your body is actively fighting off the causes of your pain, so take it easy while you recover. While in recovery, you should take the necessary precautions to avoid spreading the infection:

• Wash your hands in warm, soapy water for at least 20 to 30 seconds

• Avoid sharing your food or drink to prevent spreading the illness to others

• Take time off from school or work to allow the illness to heal

Stomach Flu and Food Poisoning Treatment

While your body is in recovery, you should be taking it easy. If you are keeping food down, you should follow a simple diet of bananas, rice, apple sauce, and toast (sometimes called BRAT) in addition to liquids that are heavy in electrolytes such as a sports drink. It is vital for your health to maintain a good diet while in recovery mode to replace some of the calories and electrolytes you’re losing.  

Like most recoveries, you should avoid alcohol, caffeine, and dairy if you are sensitive to these groups. Similarly, like most illnesses, the pregnant, young, and elderly are more prone and should be extra careful when monitoring recovery.

Food Poisoning Remedies

Since the stomach flu is viral, it cannot be treated with antibiotics. Instead, it is possible to use over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to alleviate the symptoms of the stomach flu and food poisoning, such as ibuprofen and Tylenol for fevers as well as aches. These kinds of medications can be taxing on kidneys due to dehydration and should be monitored carefully with food as well as proper fluid intake to keep your body hydrated.

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   Book on our free mobile app or website.

   Our doctors operate in all 50 states and same day appointments are available every 15 minutes.

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   See a doctor, get treatment and a prescription at your local pharmacy.

   

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When to Contact a Doctor

Regarding your diagnosis of the stomach flu vs. food poisoning, a doctor will ask you about your symptoms and medical history. Your doctor may also take a stool sample to check for key signs such as blood or a noticeable bacteria count.

If you exhibit any symptoms of the stomach flu or food poisoning for more than a prolonged period of time, then you should make an appointment with your doctor, who can tell you about the difference between food poisoning and stomach flu.

If you are an adult, then you should contact your doctor when you are:

• Not able to keep liquids down for more than 24 hours

• Vomiting for more than two days

• Vomiting blood

• Experiencing excess dehydration such as darker urine and a dry mouth

• Noticing blood in your stool

• Experiencing a fever above 102 °F for at least a few days

If you are a parent and feel that your child is exhibiting symptoms, you should immediately consult with your doctor. Although most cases of either illness are not fatal, extra caution should be used when examining those who are young, elderly, or pregnant.

If you experience any of the symptoms above, click here to book a virtual appointment with a top U.S. doctor at PlushCare today.

Read More About Stomach Flu vs. Food Poisoning

• Get Stomach Flu Treatment Online

• How do I get a doctor’s note for work or school?

• Food Poisoning Treatment

Sources:

PlushCare is dedicated to providing you with accurate and trustworthy health information.

• Food Safety.gov. Food Poisoning. Accessed February 17, 2021, at https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-poisoning

• Keck Medicine of USC. Is It the Stomach Flu or Food Poisoning?. Accessed February 17, 2021, at https://www.keckmedicine.org/is-it-the-stomach-flu-or-food-poisoning/

• Mayo Clinic. Food Poisoning. Accessed February 17, 2021, at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/food-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20356230

Viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu) – Symptoms & causes

Overview

Viral gastroenteritis is an intestinal infection that includes signs and symptoms such as watery diarrhea, stomach 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 consuming contaminated food or water. If you’re otherwise healthy, you’ll likely recover without complications. But for infants, older adults and people with compromised immune systems, viral gastroenteritis can be deadly.

There’s no effective treatment for viral gastroenteritis, so prevention is key. Avoid food and water that may be contaminated and wash your hands thoroughly and often.

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Symptoms

Although it’s commonly called stomach flu, gastroenteritis isn’t the same as influenza. The flu (influenza) affects only your respiratory system — your nose, throat and lungs. Gastroenteritis, on the other hand, attacks your intestines, causing signs and symptoms such as:

• Watery, usually nonbloody diarrhea — bloody diarrhea usually means you have a different, more severe infection
• Nausea, vomiting or both
• Stomach cramps and pain
• Occasional muscle aches or headache
• Low-grade fever

Depending on the cause, viral gastroenteritis symptoms may appear within 1-3 days after you’re infected and can range from mild to severe. Symptoms usually last just a day or two, but occasionally they may last up to 14 days.

Because the symptoms are similar, it’s easy to confuse viral diarrhea with diarrhea caused by bacteria, such as Clostridioides difficile, salmonella and Escherichia coli, or parasites, such as giardia.

Viral gastroenteritis

The stomach, small intestine and large intestine (colon) are part of your digestive tract, which processes the foods you eat. Viral gastroenteritis is an inflammation of these organs caused by a virus.

When to see a doctor

If you’re an adult, call your health care provider if:

• You’re not able to keep liquids down for 24 hours
• You’ve been vomiting or having diarrhea for more than two days
• You’re vomiting blood
• You’re dehydrated — signs of dehydration include excessive thirst, dry mouth, deep yellow urine or little or no urine, and severe weakness, dizziness or lightheadedness
• You notice blood in your bowel movements
• You have severe stomach pain
• You have a fever above 104 F (40 C)

For infants and children

See your child’s health care provider right away if your child:

• Has a fever of 102 F (38. 9 C) or higher
• Seems tired or very irritable
• Is in a lot of discomfort or pain
• Has bloody diarrhea
• Seems dehydrated — watch for signs of dehydration in sick infants and children by comparing how much they drink and urinate with how much is normal for them, and watching for signs such as a dry mouth, thirst and crying without tears

If you have an infant, remember that while spitting up may be an everyday occurrence for your baby, vomiting is not. Babies vomit for a variety of reasons, many of which may require medical attention.

Call your baby’s doctor right away if your baby:

• Has vomiting that is frequent
• Hasn’t had a wet diaper in six hours
• Has bloody stools or severe diarrhea
• Has a sunken soft spot (fontanel) on the top of his or her head
• Has a dry mouth or cries without tears
• Is unusually sleepy, drowsy or unresponsive

Causes

You’re most likely to get viral gastroenteritis when you eat or drink contaminated food or water. You may also be likely to get gastroenteritis if you share utensils, towels or food with someone who has one of the viruses that cause the condition.

Many viruses can cause gastroenteritis, including:

• Noroviruses. Both children and adults are affected by noroviruses, the most common cause of foodborne illness worldwide. Norovirus infection can sweep through families and communities. It’s especially likely to spread among people in confined spaces.

  In most cases, you pick up the virus from contaminated food or water. But it can also spread between people who are in close contact or who share food. You can also get the virus by touching a surface that’s been contaminated with norovirus and then touching your mouth.

• Rotavirus. Worldwide, this is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in children, who are usually infected when they put their fingers or other objects contaminated with the virus into their mouths. It can also spread through contaminated food. The infection is most severe in infants and young children.

  Adults infected with rotavirus may not have symptoms, but can still spread the illness. This is of particular concern in institutional settings such as nursing homes because adults with the virus unknowingly can pass the virus to others. A vaccine against viral gastroenteritis is available in some countries, including the United States, and appears to be effective in preventing the infection.

Some shellfish, especially raw or undercooked oysters, also can make you sick. Contaminated drinking water is a cause of viral diarrhea. But in many cases the virus is passed when someone with a virus handles food you eat without washing his or her hands after using the toilet.

Risk factors

Gastroenteritis occurs all over the world and can affect people of all ages.

People who may be more susceptible to gastroenteritis include:

• Young children. Children in child care centers or elementary schools may be especially vulnerable because it takes time for a child’s immune system to mature.
• Older adults. Adult immune systems tend to become less efficient later in life. Older adults in nursing homes are vulnerable because their immune systems weaken. They also live in close contact with others who may pass along germs.
• Schoolchildren or dormitory residents. Anywhere that groups of people come together in close quarters can be an environment for an intestinal infection to get passed.
• Anyone with a weakened immune system. If your resistance to infection is low — for instance, if your immune system is compromised by HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy or another medical condition — you may be especially at risk.

Each gastrointestinal virus has a season when it’s most active. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, for instance, you’re more likely to have rotavirus or norovirus infections in the winter and spring.

Complications

The main complication of viral gastroenteritis is dehydration — a severe loss of water and essential salts and minerals. If you’re healthy and drink enough to replace fluids you lose from vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration shouldn’t be a problem.

Infants, older adults and people with weakened immune systems may become severely dehydrated when they lose more fluids than they can replace. Hospitalization might be needed so that lost fluids can be replaced through an IV in their arms. Dehydration can rarely lead to death.

Prevention

The best way to prevent the spread of intestinal infections is to follow these precautions:

• Get your child vaccinated. A vaccine against gastroenteritis caused by the rotavirus is available in some countries, including the United States. Given to children in the first year of life, the vaccine appears to be effective in preventing severe symptoms of this illness.

• Wash your hands thoroughly. And make sure your children do, too. If your children are older, teach them to wash their hands, especially after using the toilet.

  Wash your hands after changing diapers and before preparing or eating food, too. It’s best to use warm water and soap and to rub hands well for at least 20 seconds. Wash around cuticles, beneath fingernails and in the creases of the hands. Then rinse thoroughly. Carry sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer for times when soap and water aren’t available.

• Use separate personal items around your home. Avoid sharing eating utensils, drinking glasses and plates. Use separate towels in the bathroom.
• Prepare food safely. Wash all your fruits and vegetables before eating them. Clean kitchen surfaces before preparing food on them. Avoid preparing food if you’re sick.
• Keep your distance. Avoid close contact with anyone who has the virus, if possible.
• Disinfect hard surfaces. If someone in your home has viral gastroenteritis, disinfect hard surfaces, such as counters, faucets and doorknobs, with a mixture of 5-25 tablespoons (73 to 369 milliliters) of household bleach to 1 gallon (3. 8 liters) of water.
• Avoid touching laundry that may have been exposed to a virus. If someone in your home has viral gastroenteritis, wear gloves while touching laundry. Wash clothing and bedding in hot water and dry them on the hottest setting. Wash your hands well after touching laundry.
• Check out your child care center. Make sure the center has separate rooms for changing diapers and preparing or serving food. The room with the diaper-changing table should have a sink as well as a sanitary way to dispose of diapers.

Take precautions when traveling

When you’re traveling in other countries, you can become sick from contaminated food or water. You may be able to reduce your risk by following these tips:

• Drink only well-sealed bottled or carbonated water.
• Avoid ice cubes because they may be made from contaminated water.
• Use bottled water to brush your teeth.
• Avoid raw food — including peeled fruits, raw vegetables and salads — that has been touched by human hands.
• Avoid undercooked meat and fish.

More Information

why pain occurs with colds, flu and SARS

06/01/2022

3 minutes

111 489

Contents

• Body aches: when it appears and why
• Muscle pain associated with influenza and SARS
• Other causes of muscle pain
• How to remove pain in the joints and muscles with a cold?
• Additional tips

During illness, many feel overwhelmed, there is weakness, pain in the muscles, joints and back. Unpleasant sensations can be disturbing during the flu and the common cold. Next, we will talk in detail about the causes of discomfort and how to remove the symptoms.

Body aches: when it appears and why

Body aches are pain in the muscles, back and joints. It often appears along with general weakness and a feeling of malaise.

Muscle pain with flu and SARS

Soreness in the body is a common symptom of viral and bacterial infections¹. Aches in the body are often accompanied by a high temperature with SARS and influenza. But it can be expressed in different ways (it all depends on the “culprit” of the disease):

• With ARVI , pain occurs less frequently. The sick person is more concerned about discomfort in the throat, runny nose, a slight increase in temperature (usually within 37–38 ° C)⁴.

• With influenza , muscle pain is much more common and is considered one of the key symptoms. It is joined by: weakness, headache, unpleasant sore throat, cough³. At the same time, the temperature can be quite high: more than 38 ° C.

Muscle pain in ARVI and influenza is a symptom of body intoxication. It is provoked by toxic substances that are formed during the infectious process in the body. They enter the blood and quickly spread throughout all body systems, accumulate in the muscles². That is why you could notice: the higher the temperature, the more the whole body hurts⁶.

With influenza, such a reaction can last about 5 days, and during SARS – up to 12 days⁴. Then the temperature gradually decreases, and with it the discomfort disappears.

Other causes of muscle pain

Sometimes muscle discomfort is a normal reaction of the body to unusual physical activity. For example, if you decide to go jogging or return to the gym after a long break. Sometimes muscle pain can disturb absolutely healthy people after a long stay in the cold or in an uncomfortable position due to stressful situations.

Other causes of body aches to be aware of:

allergies;

diabetes;

neuroses;

blood diseases;

neoplasms;

chronic bowel disease;

impaired metabolism.

To get rid of pain, you need to remove its cause. That is why it is important to consult a doctor at the first symptoms of malaise.

How to remove pain in joints and muscles with a cold?

For mild or moderate muscle and joint pain, doctors recommend the use of drugs with paracetamol. They have a double effect: they anesthetize and lower the temperature. Paracetamol is considered safe for the treatment of fever in children and adults⁵.

Coldrex is a complex remedy with paracetamol that can be used to combat common symptoms of SARS and flu.

The warming drink is suitable for adults and children from 6 years old⁷. It helps to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of a cold and maintain the natural fluid balance in the body. An additional plus – Coldrex does not provoke drowsiness.

Active ingredients:

• Paracetamol reduces fever and helps with headache, joint and muscle pain.

• Phenylephrine reduces swelling of the nasal mucosa and facilitates nasal breathing.

• Vitamin C fills the increased need for it in case of “colds” and flu.

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Additional tips

To eliminate unpleasant symptoms, such as pain in the joints and muscles, and improve well-being during illness, you can use simple recommendations:

Drink plenty of water. The greater the intoxication of the body, the worse the state of health. Therefore, a sufficient amount of liquid is needed to quickly remove toxins from the body. The best option is water without gas and drinks that do not contain sugar (unsweetened compotes, herbal tea).

Fresh air. In the room where a person is during an illness, the level of carbon dioxide in the air gradually increases. This can result in headache, increased drowsiness and irritability. As a result, the body needs to expend extra energy to get the oxygen it needs. For this reason, you need to regularly ventilate the room, regardless of the season.

Proper nutrition. During the period of illness, our body spends a lot of energy fighting bacteria or a virus. That is why you should not overload the digestive system – before recovery, it is better to exclude rich meat broths, strong coffee, chocolate, spicy, fried and canned foods, fast food. Choose foods that are easy and quick to digest: fresh vegetables and fruits, yogurt, kefir, eggs, lean meats.

Important! To help the immune system during colds and flu, it is useful to consume foods high in vitamin C: rose hips, cranberries, lemons and other citrus fruits.

SARS and influenza are often named among the main causes of body aches. But do not rush to make a diagnosis yourself. To quickly eliminate symptoms, it is important to consult a doctor and accurately determine the cause of the pain. Only a specialist will prescribe appropriate tests and effective treatment.

Tags

Symptoms

Treatment for adults

References

1. Shikh E.V./Vitamins with antioxidant properties in the prevention and treatment of acute respiratory infections in children/ Issues of modern pediatrics. 2013;12(4):142-147/
2. Instructions for Coldrex preparations – official website of Coldrex

Useful information

Coldrex against colds

No one expects a cold “to visit”: it always comes unexpectedly and can easily disrupt your plans.

Learn more

Colds: signs, symptoms and treatment

The unpleasant symptoms of a cold are familiar to everyone: nasal congestion, “itchy” throat and a feeling of weakness. They can easily spoil the mood and change important plans.

Learn more

Prevention of colds, flu and ARVI

Acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) or the common cold, as we used to call them, are the most common diseases in our country.

Learn more

What to do at the first sign of a cold

Traditionally, a cold is an acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI), which has a mild course, often associated with the general hypothermia of the body.

Learn more

Colds without fever

The onset of the cold season means the arrival of the season of colds.

Learn more

Influenza: signs, symptoms and treatment

Influenza is an acute respiratory illness that can affect the upper and lower respiratory tract.

Learn more

If you have questions

You can ask them via the feedback form

Prevention of indigestion and disorders

Dyspepsia is a condition associated with indigestion due to malnutrition and a sedentary lifestyle.

The feeling of heaviness in the stomach after eating is familiar to almost every modern person, and many people often also feel pain and other unpleasant symptoms: bloating, “grunting” and increased gas formation, frequent and frothy stools, diarrhea with a putrid odor. Often such conditions are fixed, and the person loses his appetite, he feels weak and cannot work. In the old days, this was called “indigestion.”

Dyspepsia is classified according to the cause of the indigestion. In case of malfunctions in the work of certain “links” of the digestive system, hepatic, gastric, intestinal, etc. dyspepsia may occur, and in case of serious violations of the principles of normal nutrition, fatty, putrefactive or fermentative dyspepsia occurs. All of these symptoms are serious, self-medication should be excluded. In order to avoid deterioration in health, it is necessary to consult a doctor for a correct diagnosis.

High-risk groups also include schoolchildren and students of secondary specialized educational institutions, medical personnel of medical institutions, workers in transport, educational institutions and the service sector. This should also include military units, barracks, where optimal conditions are created for the transmission of the pathogen. Temporary contraindications to influenza vaccination include a state of acute illness or an exacerbation of a chronic illness. After normalization of the condition (decrease in temperature and recovery) or the transition of a chronic disease to the stage of remission, a vaccine can be administered.

A permanent contraindication to influenza vaccination is extremely rare, in case of an immediate allergic reaction in the form of anaphylactic shock, urticaria, Quincke’s edema to chicken egg protein (because the vaccine virus is grown precisely on chicken embryos). Such reactions occur in persons who, when trying to eat a chicken egg in any form (boiled egg, scrambled eggs, etc.), immediately develop swelling of the lower lip, throat, and other reactions. If there is no allergy, then the flu vaccination is safe for such a person.

To prevent influenza, the following conditions must be observed:

1. Eat more foods containing vitamin C
2. Wash hands frequently with soap
3. Regularly wet the room
4. Get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet

The Youth Policy Department, together with the City Polyclinic No. 21 (Student) organizes and conducts vaccination against influenza on the basis of the order of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tatarstan and the decision of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor dated July 13, 2020 No. 20 “On measures to prevent influenza and acute respiratory viral infections in the epidemic season of 2020-21”.

Help with dyspepsia is aimed at eliminating the disturbing symptoms of this condition. Help also implies the correction of factors that contribute to the development of this disorder. It is not recommended to regularly take independent measures to improve the patient’s well-being. If signs of dyspepsia appear frequently, a medical consultation is required. The doctor will establish the causes of the disease and prescribe adequate therapy.

Helps for dyspepsia are:

– diet correction;

– taking medicine prescribed by a doctor;

– use of folk remedies;

– therapeutic exercise.

Diet modification is the main treatment for dyspepsia. At the first symptoms of this disorder, the patient is advised to stop eating for 1 to 2 days. If fasting is not possible, suppers should be excluded, and all food should be consumed pureed. At the same time, you should drink at least 2.5 liters of fluid per day in order to prevent intoxication and dehydration, which can happen due to frequent loose stools. After 1 – 2 days, a patient with dyspepsia should switch to a therapeutic diet. The type of diet depends on the form of the disorder. So, abundant loose stools without a pronounced odor and strong gas formation can be signs of fermentative dyspepsia. In this case, a diet with a limited amount of carbohydrates is indicated. If the stool has a fetid odor, and there is no flatulence or it is not pronounced, it may be putrefactive dyspepsia. With this disorder, you should limit the amount of protein foods and focus on carbohydrates.

Dyspepsia has many forms, drug therapy is prescribed only after a medical examination. Self-treatment can aggravate the course of the disease and contribute to its transition to a chronic form. In some cases, the patient may take medications containing enzymes to make them feel better. It is impossible to take such drugs regularly, since as a result of their long-term use, the synthesis of enzymes in the body decreases.

In order to prevent diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, it is necessary to eat properly and fully, to exclude fatty, smoked and salty foods from the diet as much as possible.