What are the common causes of vomiting, body aches, and chills. How can you differentiate between gastroenteritis, food poisoning, and viral infections. What are the typical symptoms and treatment options for these conditions.

Understanding Gastroenteritis: The Common Culprit Behind Vomiting and Body Aches

Gastroenteritis is often the root cause of a constellation of symptoms including vomiting, body aches, chills, and fever. This intestinal infection can wreak havoc on the digestive system, leading to a miserable combination of symptoms that can leave you feeling drained and uncomfortable.

Gastroenteritis is typically caused by viral infections, but can also result from bacterial or parasitic sources. The most common way to contract viral gastroenteritis is through contact with an infected person or by consuming contaminated food or water.

Key Symptoms of Gastroenteritis

• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal cramps
• Watery diarrhea
• Fever
• Body aches
• Chills

Can gastroenteritis be confused with other conditions? Yes, the symptoms of gastroenteritis can often be mistaken for other illnesses such as food poisoning or the flu. However, understanding the specific characteristics of each condition can help in differentiating between them.

Norovirus: A Leading Cause of Viral Gastroenteritis

Norovirus is one of the most prevalent causes of viral gastroenteritis, often referred to as the “stomach flu.” This highly contagious virus can spread rapidly, especially in closed environments like cruise ships, schools, and nursing homes.

Norovirus Symptoms

• Stomach pain
• Vomiting
• Body aches
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Headache

How quickly do norovirus symptoms appear? Symptoms of norovirus typically manifest within 12 to 48 hours after exposure to the virus. The illness usually lasts for 1 to 3 days, but can be particularly severe in young children, older adults, and those with compromised immune systems.

Food Poisoning: When Contaminated Food Leads to Illness

Food poisoning is another common cause of vomiting, body aches, and chills. It occurs when you consume food or water contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, or toxins. While some symptoms may overlap with viral gastroenteritis, food poisoning can have specific characteristics depending on the contaminant involved.

Common Types of Bacterial Food Poisoning

1. Botulism
2. E. coli infection
3. Listeriosis
4. Salmonellosis

How does food poisoning differ from viral gastroenteritis? While both conditions can cause similar symptoms, food poisoning often has a more rapid onset of symptoms, typically within a few hours of consuming contaminated food. Additionally, the type of contamination can lead to specific symptoms that may help identify the cause.

Rotavirus: A Significant Threat to Young Children

Rotavirus is a highly contagious virus that primarily affects infants and young children. It is a leading cause of severe diarrhea and dehydration in children worldwide, though the introduction of rotavirus vaccines has significantly reduced its incidence in many countries.

Rotavirus Symptoms

• Fever
• Vomiting
• Severe watery diarrhea
• Abdominal pain

When do rotavirus symptoms typically appear? Symptoms of rotavirus usually manifest within 2 days of exposure to the virus. The illness can last for 3 to 8 days, with the most severe symptoms occurring in the first few days.

Differentiating Between Gastroenteritis, Food Poisoning, and Flu

Given the overlap in symptoms, it can be challenging to distinguish between gastroenteritis, food poisoning, and the flu. However, certain characteristics can help in identifying the likely culprit:

Gastroenteritis

• Typically lasts 1-3 days
• Often includes both vomiting and diarrhea
• May have a gradual onset of symptoms

Food Poisoning

• Often has a rapid onset of symptoms (within hours of eating contaminated food)
• May include more severe abdominal cramps
• Can sometimes be traced back to a specific meal or food item

Flu (Influenza)

• Typically includes respiratory symptoms (cough, sore throat)
• Often causes more severe body aches and fatigue
• Usually lasts longer (5-7 days) than gastroenteritis

Is it possible to have a combination of these conditions? Yes, it’s possible to have multiple conditions simultaneously, which can complicate diagnosis and treatment. For example, you could have both a viral gastroenteritis and food poisoning at the same time.

Treatment Options for Vomiting, Body Aches, and Chills

Regardless of the specific cause, the treatment for vomiting, body aches, and chills often focuses on managing symptoms and preventing complications, particularly dehydration.

General Treatment Approaches

• Rest and hydration
• Oral rehydration solutions
• Gradual reintroduction of bland foods
• Over-the-counter pain relievers for body aches and fever
• Anti-nausea medications (if prescribed by a healthcare provider)

When should you seek medical attention for vomiting and body aches? If symptoms persist for more than a few days, if you’re unable to keep fluids down, or if you show signs of severe dehydration (dark urine, dizziness, rapid heartbeat), it’s crucial to seek medical care promptly.

Preventing Gastroenteritis and Food Poisoning

While it’s not always possible to prevent these illnesses, certain measures can significantly reduce your risk of contracting or spreading gastroenteritis and food poisoning:

• Frequent and thorough handwashing
• Proper food handling and storage
• Avoiding close contact with infected individuals
• Getting vaccinated against rotavirus (for infants)
• Drinking clean, safe water

How effective is hand hygiene in preventing these illnesses? Proper hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria that cause gastroenteritis and food poisoning. Regular handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds can significantly reduce your risk of infection.

When to Seek Urgent Care for Vomiting and Body Aches

While many cases of gastroenteritis and food poisoning can be managed at home, certain symptoms warrant immediate medical attention. FastMed Urgent Care centers are equipped to handle a variety of acute illnesses, including severe cases of vomiting, body aches, and related symptoms.

Signs You Should Seek Urgent Care

• Persistent vomiting (unable to keep any fluids down)
• Signs of severe dehydration
• High fever (over 103°F or 39.4°C)
• Severe abdominal pain
• Bloody stools

How can urgent care facilities help with these symptoms? Urgent care centers can provide rapid assessment, diagnostic tests if needed, and treatment options such as IV fluids for dehydration or prescription medications for severe symptoms. They offer a faster alternative to emergency rooms for non-life-threatening conditions.

Understanding the nuances of vomiting, body aches, and chills can help you navigate these uncomfortable symptoms more effectively. While many cases resolve on their own with proper home care, it’s essential to recognize when professional medical attention is necessary. By staying informed and taking preventive measures, you can reduce your risk of these illnesses and manage them more effectively when they do occur.

Vomiting, Diarrhea, and Body Aches, OH MY!

November 9, 2015

There is nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night with vomiting, body aches, diarrhea, and fever. Is it the flu? Food poisoning? Norovirus? The only way to know for sure is to see a physician. However, this article can help you better understand your symptoms and offer more information about some common illnesses that are characterized by body aches, vomiting, fever, and diarrhea.

Illnesses That Cause Vomiting, Fever, and Diarrhea

Vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and body aches are often caused by gastroenteritis.

Gastroenteritis is an intestinal infection marked by nausea or vomiting, abdominal cramps, watery diarrhea, and sometimes fever. According to the Mayo Clinic, “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. ”

There are several conditions that can lead to gastroenteritis, including food poisoning, norovirus, and rotavirus.

Some common bacterial food poisonings include:

• Botulism. Symptoms begin within 18-36 hours of eating contaminated food and can consist of drooping eyelids, double vision, difficulty swallowing, labored breathing, vomiting, and diarrhea.

• E. coli. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, headache and aching muscles. In children, E. coli could cause kidney failure.

• Listeriosis. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, cramping, and back pain. If left untreated, listeriosis can lead to meningitis.

• Salmonellosis. Symptoms can include cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, headache, chills, and bloody stool. Salmonellosis can be fatal in individuals with weakened immune systems and in infants.

Norovirus is one of the most common causes of viral gastroenteritis. Common symptoms include:

• Stomach pain

• Vomiting

• Body aches

• Diarrhea

• Fever

• Headache

Rotavirus is most common in young children and infants. Symptoms usually appear within 2 days of exposure to rotavirus and include:

• Fever

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Abdominal pain

If you are experiencing vomiting, body aches, fever, and diarrhea, a FastMed Urgent Care medical professional can see you any day of the week. Our clinics are even open late, so finding the time to come in is a breeze. Check in now!

About FastMed

FastMed Urgent Care owns and operates nearly 200 centers in North Carolina, Arizona and Texas that provide a broad range of acute/episodic and preventive healthcare services 365 days a year. FastMed also provides workers’ compensation and other occupational health services at all its centers, and family and sports medicine services at select locations. FastMed has successfully treated more than six million patients and is the only independent urgent care operator in North Carolina, Arizona and Texas to be awarded The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for quality, safety and infection control in ambulatory healthcare. For more information about locations, services, hours of operation, insurance and prices, visit www.fastmed.com.

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Is It Stomach Bug, Stomach Flu, or Food Poisoning?

Your stomach is in knots as another wave of nausea strikes, sending you to the bathroom for the third time in an hour. But what’s the cause? Two likely culprits are stomach bug (also called stomach flu) and food poisoning. But how does stomach flu differ from food poisoning? Understanding the difference may lead to feeling better sooner and even prevent the illness from occurring in the first place.

Stomach Flu and Food Poisoning Defined

Stomach flu and stomach bug are informal terms for viral gastroenteritis, a sickness in which a viral infection causes inflammation in the stomach and intestines. “The term ‘stomach flu’ can be misleading,” says UH internal medicine specialist Christopher Thomas, DO, “because the illness in not caused by influenza, which attacks the respiratory system.”

Though it shares a number of symptoms with viral gastroenteritis, food poisoning is a condition caused by the consumption of contaminated food or water. In fact, food poisoning is an umbrella term for any of the more than 250 foodborne/waterborne illnesses researchers have identified to date.

Comparison of Symptoms

Common symptoms of viral gastroenteritis include:

• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Stomach cramps, muscle aches or weakness
• Loss of appetite
• Low-grade fever
• Headaches
• Light-headedness or dizziness

Common symptoms of food poisoning include:

• Stomach or intestinal cramping
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Chills and muscle aches
• Headaches
• Sweating
• Thirst

Most people develop viral gastroenteritis symptoms within 24 to 72 hours of exposure to a virus, while food poisoning symptoms can appear anytime within a few hours to weeks following exposure to a foodborne or waterborne pathogen.

Different Causes

Several viruses are the cause of viral gastroenteritis, among them norovirus, rotavirus, adenovirus and astroviruses.

“The most common way to contract stomach flu is through direct contact with someone who is already sick,” Dr. Thomas says. “You can also get a stomach bug by touching any surface that has been in contact with the stool, saliva or vomit of someone infected with the virus.”

By contrast, the cause of food poisoning is consumption of food or water contaminated by bacteria, certain viruses, and less commonly, parasites.

Diagnosis

“In the case of viral gastroenteritis,” Dr. Thomas says, “we usually can make a diagnosis based on the presenting symptoms alone.” Also, although not readily available in all clinical settings, a rapid stool test is available for the detection of rotavirus and norovirus.

If food poisoning is suspected, your doctor can often make a diagnosis based on your symptoms, how long you’ve been sick and the specific foods you’ve eaten recently. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may order certain diagnostic tests.

Treatment

If the cause of your stomach illness is viral, the treatment is to increase fluids, replenish electrolytes, get rest, and take over-the-counter medicines to reduce fever while the virus runs its course. Most cases of the stomach flu resolve within a few days, though people can feel sick for as many as 10 days or more.

Treatment for food poisoning typically depends on the specific pathogen involved and the severity of symptoms. In most cases, food poisoning resolves without treatment after just a few days, though it can persist longer. Treatment can include replacement of lost fluids and electrolytes and taking doctor-prescribed antibiotics. Also, anti-parasitic medications are available to treat certain foodborne parasites.

A few simple things that you can do at home to speed your recovery from both viral gastroenteritis and food poisoning are:

• Eat a bland diet to allow your stomach to settle by avoiding solid foods until you feel better
• Drink plenty of liquids
• Gradually ease back into eating solid foods, starting with bland, easy-to-digest foods
• If your illness was severe, avoid dairy products, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, and fatty or highly seasoned foods for a few days to a week following the resolution of your symptoms

When to Call Your Doctor

Food poisoning and viral gastroenteritis can become severe enough to require medical attention. “However,” Dr. Thomas says, “in most cases, people can effectively manage either condition with proper rest, hydration and at-home medical treatment. But call your doctor if you’re unsure what’s causing your symptoms or if you’re having high or persistent fevers.”

Also keep in mind that other health issues can mimic the symptoms of viral gastroenteritis or food poisoning. Call your doctor if your symptoms worsen or if you experience any of the following:

• Bloody stool or bloody vomit
• Inability to keep any fluids down
• Diarrhea lasting more than three days
• Fever above 104 degrees 
• Severe abdominal pain

Related Links

Looking for a primary care physician? UH offers online appointment scheduling for select UH physicians and specialties, including primary care. Or find a doctor with our online tool, which allows you to search by location.

symptoms and treatment (reminder for parents)

Enteroviral infections – is a group of diseases caused by several types of viruses. The disease is caused by Coxsackieviruses, polioviruses and ECHO (ECHO).

After an enterovirus infection, persistent lifelong immunity is formed, however, it is serospecific. This means that immunity is formed only to the serological type of virus that the child has had and does not protect him from other varieties of these viruses. Therefore, a child can get sick with an enterovirus infection several times in his life. Also, this feature does not allow the development of a vaccine to protect our children from this disease. The disease has a seasonality: outbreaks of the disease are most often observed in the summer-autumn period.

Causes of infection with enterovirus infection.

Infection occurs in several ways. Viruses can enter the environment from a sick child or from a child who is a carrier of the virus. Virus carriers do not have any manifestations of the disease, but the viruses are in the intestines and are excreted into the environment with feces. This condition can be observed in children who have been ill after a clinical recovery, or in children in whom the virus has entered the body, but could not cause the disease due to the strong immunity of the child. The virus carrier can persist for 5 months.

Once in the environment, viruses can persist for quite a long time, as they tolerate adverse effects well. Viruses are well preserved in water and soil; when frozen, they can survive for several years; heated to 45ºС die in 45-60 seconds).

How enterovirus infection is transmitted.

The transmission mechanism can be airborne (when sneezing and coughing with droplets of saliva from a sick child to a healthy one) and fecal-oral if personal hygiene is not followed. Most often, infection occurs through water, when drinking raw (not boiled) water. It is also possible to infect children through toys if children take them in their mouths. Most often, children aged 3 to 10 years are ill. In children who are breastfed, there is immunity in the body received from the mother through breast milk, however, this immunity is not stable and quickly disappears after the cessation of breastfeeding.

Symptoms of enterovirus infection.

Viruses enter the body through the mouth or upper respiratory tract. Once in the child’s body, the viruses migrate to the lymph nodes, where they settle and begin to multiply. The further development of the disease is associated with many factors, such as virulence (the ability of the virus to resist the protective properties of the body), tropism (the tendency to infect individual tissues and organs) of the virus, and the state of the child’s immunity.

Enteroviral infections have both similar manifestations and different ones, depending on the species and serotype. The incubation period (the period from the virus entering the child’s body until the first clinical signs appear) is the same for all enterovirus infections – from 1 to 10 days (usually 2-5 days).

The disease begins acutely – with an increase in body temperature to 38-39º C. The temperature most often lasts 3-5 days, after which it drops to normal numbers. Very often, the temperature has a wave-like course: the temperature stays for 2-3 days, after which it decreases and stays at normal levels for 2-3 days, then rises again for 1-2 days and finally returns to normal. When the temperature rises, the child feels weakness, drowsiness, headache, nausea, and vomiting may occur. With a decrease in body temperature, all these symptoms disappear, but with a repeated increase, they may return. The cervical and submandibular lymph nodes also increase, as viruses multiply in them.

Depending on which organs are most affected, there are several forms of enterovirus infection. Enteroviruses can affect: the central and peripheral nervous systems, oropharyngeal mucosa, eye mucosa, skin, muscles, heart, intestinal mucosa, liver, testicles may be affected in boys.

When the mucous membrane of the oropharynx is affected, enterovirus angina develops. It is manifested by an increase in body temperature, general intoxication (weakness, headache, drowsiness) and the presence of a vesicular rash in the form of fluid-filled vesicles on the mucous membrane of the oropharynx and tonsils. These bubbles burst, in their place ulcers are formed, filled with white bloom. After recovery, no traces remain at the site of the sores.

When the eyes are affected, conjunctivitis develops. It can be one- or two-sided. It manifests itself in the form of photophobia, lacrimation, redness and swelling of the eyes. There may be hemorrhages in the conjunctiva of the eye.

With muscle damage, myositis develops – muscle pain. Pain appears on the background of an increase in temperature. Soreness is observed in the chest, arms and legs. The appearance of pain in the muscles, as well as temperature, can be undulating. When the body temperature decreases, the pain decreases or disappears completely.

With damage to the intestinal mucosa (enteritis), there is a liquid stool. Stools of normal color (yellow or brown), liquid, without pathological (mucus, blood) impurities. The appearance of loose stools can be both against the background of an increase in temperature, and isolated (without an increase in body temperature).

Enteroviral infections can affect various parts of the heart. So, if the muscle layer is damaged, myocarditis develops, if the inner layer is damaged with capture of the heart valves, endocarditis develops, if the outer shell of the heart is damaged, pericarditis develops. The child may experience: increased fatigue, weakness, palpitations, drop in blood pressure, rhythm disturbances (blockade, extrasystoles), pain behind the sternum.

With damage to the nervous system, encephalitis, meningitis can develop. The child has: severe headache, nausea, vomiting, fever, convulsions, paresis and paralysis, loss of consciousness.

With liver damage, acute hepatitis develops. It is characterized by an increase in the liver, a feeling of heaviness in the right hypochondrium, pain in this place. Perhaps the appearance of nausea, heartburn, weakness, fever.

When the skin is damaged, exanthema may appear – hyperemia (red coloration) of the skin, most often on the upper half of the body (head, chest, arms), does not rise above the level of the skin, appears simultaneously.

Boys may have inflammation in the testicles with the development of morchitis. Most often, this condition develops 2-3 weeks after the onset of the disease with other manifestations (tonsillitis, loose stools, and others). The disease passes quite quickly and does not bear any consequences, however, in rare cases, the development of aspermia (lack of sperm) in adulthood is possible.

There are also congenital forms of enterovirus infection, when viruses enter the child’s body through the placenta from the mother. Usually, this condition has a benign course and is cured on its own, however, in some cases, an enterovirus infection can cause an abortion (miscarriage) and the development of a sudden death syndrome in a child (the death of a child occurs against the background of complete health).

Very rarely, damage to the kidneys, pancreas, lungs is possible. The defeat of various organs and systems can be observed both isolated and combined.

Treatment of enterovirus infection

There is no specific treatment for enterovirus infection. Treatment is carried out at home, hospitalization is indicated in the presence of damage to the nervous system, heart, high temperature, which cannot be reduced for a long time when using antipyretics. The child is shown bed rest for the entire period of fever.

Meals should be light, rich in proteins. A sufficient amount of liquid is needed: boiled water, mineral water without gases, compotes, juices, fruit drinks.

Treatment is carried out symptomatically, depending on the manifestations of the infection – tonsillitis, conjunctivitis, myositis, loose stools, heart damage, encephalitis, meningitis, hepatitis, exanthema, orchitis. In some cases (tonsillitis, diarrhea, conjunctivitis …) bacterial complications are prevented.

Children are isolated for the entire period of the disease. In the children’s team may be after the disappearance of all symptoms of the disease.

Prevention of enterovirus infection.

For prevention, it is necessary to observe the rules of personal hygiene: wash hands after going to the toilet, walking on the street, drinking only boiled water or water from a factory bottle, it is unacceptable to use water from an open source (river, lake) for drinking a child.

There is no specific vaccine against enterovirus infection, since a large number of serotypes of these viruses are present in the environment.

Temperature, vomiting, abdominal pain…

Publication date: August 07, 2018 . Category: News.

Summer is the time for holidays and vacations. The desire of parents to pamper their children with fresh vegetables, fruits and berries from the garden is understandable, to take them to swim in the nearest body of water. But the joy of communicating with nature can be overshadowed by an enterovirus infection.

The beginning of the epidemic rise of this disease, as a rule, occurs in June, and the peak is in August-September. Last year, 14 cases of enterovirus infection were registered in the district (4 cases of gastroenteritis, 10 cases of herpangina). In the region, 481 such cases were registered, of which 459 cases were in children.

– A common symptom for all types of this infection is fever and a sharp increase in temperature, which usually lasts for 3-5 days, – says the infectious disease doctor of the district hospital E.V. Vasilyeva. – If the infection has an intestinal form, the child will have abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. If the mucous membranes are attacked, there will be signs of a respiratory disease – runny nose, cough, sore throat.

Well, if a child has a headache at a high temperature, vomiting does not stop, there is photophobia, the doctor already has reason to suspect serous-viral meningitis.

– Enterovirus infection is a “disease of dirty hands,” continues Elena Viktorovna. – The name is one, but there are a great many diseases that can be attributed to this type. It affects not only the gastrointestinal tract. It can affect the mouth and eyes. Becoming the cause of herpetic sore throat or conjunctivitis, it can cause fever with or without a rash, and can also cause very serious diseases – serous viral meningitis or encephalitis.

The exact same answer to the question of whether the child has an enterovirus infection, and what kind of virus struck him, only laboratory tests will help.

Enterovirus most often affects children under the age of 10 years. The most likely mode of infection is waterborne. The virus can enter the body when children splash in ponds and swallow water. Or if they drink unboiled water.

Airborne and household contact are also options for the widespread spread of infection, primarily among organized preschool children and younger schoolchildren. Food products, in particular, fresh vegetables, fruits, berries, can also be a source of infection.

How to protect yourself from infection? First of all, observe the rules of personal hygiene. Use boiled or bottled water for drinking. Be sure to wash your hands with soap before eating and after each visit to the toilet. Ventilate the rooms more often and carry out wet cleaning in the apartment.