10 Stomach Virus Symptoms
Stomach virus and stomach flu are common names that describe the medical condition known as viral gastroenteritis. It is a widespread condition that affects many people (especially children) over the world.
It should not be dangerous to us, though, provided we take precautions such as taking on plenty of fluids. Remember that while a stomach virus should not be dangerous, there are some diseases that can pose more of a risk. If you are not sure which, then you should speak with your doctor to be on the safe side.
Below are just a few of the symptoms that you are likely to experience should you pick up a stomach virus.
Symptom #1: Nausea
Nausea is that horrible feeling that you don’t feel well and that you might be about to throw up. It can be the result of a wide range of causes and might even be caused by something as innocuous as walking past an unpleasant odor in the street. It can also be caused by illnesses, and this gives more cause for concern.
The severity of the nausea that comes with a stomach virus can range from person to person. If you are feeling nauseous, it is a good idea to sit or lie down until the feeling passes. This symptom in itself is often enough to encourage people to not go to work and/or see a doctor.
Symptom #2: Vomiting
Where there is nausea, there is also often vomiting. Vomiting may be crude and unpleasant but it is also very effective. It helps the body to get rid of unwelcome pathogens, chemicals, and anything else that might be harmful to the body. It is a fairly common symptom of a stomach virus.
Vomiting is not necessarily dangerous in itself, but it can pose a risk to the particularly vulnerable. Excess vomiting can lead to malnutrition, dehydration, and can even cause physical damage because of intense contractions of the stomach muscles. The symptom should hopefully pass within a couple of days or so.
Symptom #3: Diarrhea
A stomach virus is also likely to cause diarrhea. This is a result of food passing through the digestive system faster than it usually would. The speed at which it passes means that there is not sufficient time for enough water to be absorbed, and this leads to stools that are very watery.
Diarrhea is unpleasant and it can also be embarrassing, but it should hopefully pass quickly with no damage done. Regardless, people that are particularly vulnerable should still be monitored. Diarrhea can cause dehydration and other complications in some cases and the patient should be getting plenty of fluids.
Symptom #4: Abdominal Cramps
A stomach virus may well leave the patient curled up in pain. It has a tendency to cause stomach cramps that cause a pain that goes beyond that of a standard upset stomach. It is a symptom that is likely to make the patient realize that they really do have a problem.
As with other symptoms of a stomach virus, however, stomach cramps should hopefully pass before too long. A severe pain in the stomach can be a sign of something more serious, though, so you should never take it too lightly. If you are not sure, get yourself to an emergency room to be on the safe side.
Symptom #5: Headache
There are so many potential causes of a headache that pretty much everybody would have experienced one at some point. They can even be caused by something as innocuous as sitting too close to the TV, so most people will just try to shrug them off as part of life. They can still be a sign that you are not well, however.
Patients with a stomach virus will often find that they develop a headache. They will usually be quite mild but they can become very painful in some cases. It is helpful to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration as it is one of the possible causes of the headache in this particular case.
Symptom #6: Rapid Heartbeat
Patients suffering from viral gastroenteritis, tend to lose fluids very fast. This is due to watery diarrhea, vomiting, and fever that is associated with the condition. If the fluid intake is not compensating for this loss, dehydration appears.
One of the early signs of dehydration is an increased heart rate as the heart tries harder to pump blood into the tissues.
Symptom #7: Fever
Whenever an unwelcome virus is detected in the body, our immune system springs into action to deal with the problem. Our immune systems have various weapons with which to fight off disease, and one that many of us will know well is a fever.
Most pathogens cannot thrive, or even survive, in a body that is too hot. Therefore, the body increases its own body temperature to make things difficult for unwelcome invaders. The fever that comes with a stomach virus should be quite mild, but you should still keep a close eye on it in people that are particularly vulnerable.
Symptom #8: Chills
Chills are a symptom that makes you feel cold even when there is no reason to be cold. The symptom will often have people wrapped up under their bedsheets to try and keep as warm as possible, even when it is not cold outside. As with some other symptoms, it is deliberately caused by the body as a defense mechanism.
Chills are actually part of the same mechanism as a fever. Feeling cold makes you shiver, which is contractions of the muscles that help to heat up the body. Chills present no danger in themselves, although you should monitor any associated fever in people that are vulnerable.
Symptom #9: Appetite Loss
A healthy appetite is important if we are to remain healthy and well. Not only does it give us the energy that we need and the building blocks for growth and repair, but it also helps to fight off disease. If you were to catch a stomach virus, though, there’s a good chance you may begin to lose your appetite.
Even if you don’t feel like eating, you should still try and make sure you get the nutrients that you need. This will help you to fight off the disease while also helping to make sure you don’t start losing weight. In the case of a stomach virus, the patient is likely to make a full recovery in a few days or so anyway.
Symptom #10: Muscle Pain
Aches and pains are common symptoms when we are sick. It might not make sense that a stomach virus can cause pain in the muscles elsewhere in the body, but it does when you realize it’s another defense mechanism.
The muscle pain we feel is a result of chemical warfare going on in the body. Basically, white blood cells release chemicals to attack intruders with and these chemicals cause our muscles to become irritated. This irritation causes the aches and pains we often feel when we are sick.
