Still, its understandable to get confused, as they can both make your life hell for 48-ish hours.
What is the stomach flu?
First, its important to know that the stomach flu has no relation to the regular flu.
Stomach flu vs. food poisoning symptoms can be tough to tell apart.
Influenza is a highly contagious viral infection that causes fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and respiratory issues.
In severe cases, influenza can be life-threatening (seriously,get your flu shotevery year).
National Library of Medicine.
What causes the stomach flu vs. food poisoning?
It typically hangs out in items like raw, ready-to-eat produce; shellfish; and contaminated water.
coli, among others, according to theMayo Clinic.
So, yes, the stomach flu can be a pop in of food poisoning.
Lets say you pick up a case of viral gastroenteritis after a dinner of norovirus-contaminated scallops.
That basically means you got the stomach flu from a food-based source.
Is it food poisoning or the stomach flu?
Food poisoning symptoms
So, what does food poisoning feel like?
Lets just say its not a great time.
No matter the cause, food poisoning can cause intense symptoms.
Some cause illness quickly after the consumption of poisoned food, such as reheated fried rice.
But some can take hours to develop, Dr. Calello says.
How long does the stomach flu last compared to food poisoning?
Is food poisoning contagious?
What about the stomach flu?
Pathogens like salmonella, norovirus, and E. coli can spread from person to person.
How do I know if I have food poisoning or a stomach bug?
Its extremely hard to tell the difference between the two, Dr. Gorwana says.
Mostly, it comes down to the symptoms youre dealing with.
So, after that, you should start to feel like yourself again, Dr. Adalja says.
If you have diarrhea and are brave enough to look into the toilet bowl, take a peek.
(If you do seeblood in your poop, you should let your doctor know.)
What else can be mistaken for the stomach flu or food poisoning?
How are food poisoning and stomach flu treated?
Its also smart to take it easy on the food front.
Be gentle to your stomach, Dr. Calello says.
Eat bland foodnothing fried, sweet, or spicy.
You should also check in with your doctor before you self-treat with over-the-counter drugs.
Again, these illnesses typically pass with a lot of suffering but minimal complications.
(Important to note: Antibiotics help some bacterial G.I.
infections, but wont do anything to kill a stomach virus, per the NIDDK.)
But getting food poisoning or the stomach flu hurts a whole lot more.
Its usually over within 48 hours.
