How to Prevent Stomach Flu

In spite of its name, stomach flu is not actually a flu or influenza that appears seasonally. While seasonal flu is followed by exhaustion, muscle pain, and runny nose, stomach flu has nothing in common with the real flu. It is known as viral gastroenteritis, a type of gastroenteritis caused by viral infection. These viruses attack digestive tract and intestines, and bring a completely different set of symptoms, such as: stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. Very often, it has been followed by sharp pain in the abdominal area. Stomach flu does not last too long; it usually lasts from one to three days. Because the stomach flu spread by contact with someone who is already infected by viral gastroenteritis, or through infected food, there is some preventive measure that could be undertaken. The article “Stomach Flu” offers some steps that can help to prevent stomach flu.

• Practice proper hand hygiene. Wash your hands carefully with soap and water, especially after using the toilet and always before eating or preparing food.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers may be somewhat helpful in addition to hand washing, but they are not a substitute for washing thoroughly with soap and
water.

• Avoid preparing food while infected. People who are infected with the virus should not prepare food for others while they have symptoms and for 3 days
after they recover from their illness.

• Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces. After an episode of illness, such as vomiting or diarrhea, immediately clean and disinfect contaminated
surfaces by using a bleach-based household cleaner as directed on the product label or a solution made by adding 5–25 tablespoons of household bleach to 1
gallon of water.

• Wash laundry thoroughly. Immediately remove and wash clothing or linens that may be contaminated with vomit or fecal matter. Handle soiled items carefully
—without agitating them—to avoid spreading virus. They should be laundered with detergent at the maximum available cycle length and then machine dried.

• Wash your hands with soap and water after you use the bathroom and before you eat and avoid direct (it is not spread through the air) contact with a sick
person.

• Avoid sharing eating utensils or towels and face cloths with others.

Stomach flu is rarely a serious illness, but vomiting and diarrhea can lead to dehydration, which is the biggest threat of gastroenteritis to our body. Thus, increasing the amounts of liquids, which rich in electrolytes, and sport drinks can help our body to recover from the loss of fluid. Some soups abound in salt and minerals and sport drinks can be that right kind of liquid. Together with a proper diet and refraining from fried and spicy food can help us to recover faster. Although, antibiotics have shown as ineffective in fighting viral gastroenteritis, prevention, good hygiene, and hydration can reduce and even stop stomach flu and its complications.