Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsViral InfectionsBacterial InfectionsParasitic InfectionsTreatmentWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Viral Infections
Bacterial Infections
Parasitic Infections
Treatment
When to See a Provider
Mild stomach infections usually resolve on their own and only require self-care to help ease symptoms. In rare cases,antibioticsmay be prescribed to treat severe bacterial gastroenteritis.
This article describes the symptoms and causes of different types of stomach infections. It also explains how each is treated and when it is time to see a healthcare provider.
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Viral Stomach Infections
Viruses are the most common cause of gastroenteritis and what most refer to when talking about “stomach flu.” Several types can cause stomach infections, the most common of which include:
Noroviruses are more common in adults, while adenoviruses and rotaviruses are more common in infants and young children
Does COVID Cause Stomach Flu?COVID-19can cause stomach flu symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, and vomiting, either on their own or alongside respiratory symptoms like shortness of breath.
Does COVID Cause Stomach Flu?
COVID-19can cause stomach flu symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, and vomiting, either on their own or alongside respiratory symptoms like shortness of breath.
Symptoms
Symptoms of viral gastroenteritis can vary based on the severity of the infection and may include:
Symptoms tend to develop suddenly, usually within four to 48 hours of exposure to the virus. For most people, the symptoms go away after a few days without treatment.
Causes
The route of infection is thefecal-oral route, meaning that stool from someone with the virus gets onto food or objects that enter the mouth. Unsanitary kitchens can increase the risk. Not washing your hands after using the toilet can do the same.
Bacterial Stomach Infections
Symptoms of bacterial gastroenteritis are largely the same as viral gastroenteritis but tend to be more severe. Acute symptoms that for more than three days or cause dehydration are most likely due to bacteria. Bloody diarrhea is also a common sign of bacterial gastroenteritis.
Symptoms tend to start within 12 hours of eating contaminated food and can last up to seven days in severe cases.
Bacterial gastroenteritis typically occurs when food contaminated with feces (stool) remains at room temperature for several hours, allowing the transmitted bacteria to multiply to toxic levels.
The foods most associated with food poisoning include:
As with viral gastroenteritis, the fecal-oral route is the source of transmission. Some transmissions occur from human to human, such as when unwashed hands touch food or when engaging in oral-anal sex (a.k.a. “rimming”). Other transmissions occur when farm produce is contaminated with animal manure.
Parasitic Stomach Infections
Parasites are less common causes of stomach infections but they can cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms. They are especially common in the developing world where access to clean water is often limited.
Parasitic stomach infections tend to take longer to develop than viral or bacterial gastroenteritis, causing symptoms within seven to 14 days of exposure.
Symptoms include:
Symptoms also take longer to resolve, often between two and six weeks. Severe cases can lead toreactive arthritis, causing the swelling and stiffness of joints.
Parasitic stomach infections are often passed through contaminated water. Travel to developing countries and drinking public water after a natural disaster are common scenarios for these infections.
Parasitic gastroenteritis can also be spread through the fecal-oral route among small children in daycare centers and through sexual practices like “rimming” (anal-oral sex).
Treatments
Gastroenteritis is usually a self-limiting disease that does not require medication. The treatment is largely the same whether the cause is viral, bacterial, or parasitic. The primary aim is to manage the acute symptoms and prevent dehydration.
Self-Care
If you start to develop the signs of gastroenteritis, stop eating solid foods for at least a few hours to avoid excessive vomiting. You can chew on a sliver offresh ginger, sip ginger tea or a flat ginger ale, or suck on a ginger candy to help stem nausea symptoms.
Getting plenty of sleepis also important when dealing with a stomach infection. Studies have shown that quality sleep can support the immune system and shorten recovery times from stomach flu.
Let Yourself Vomit
Vomiting is the body’s way of purging toxins or foreign invaders from thedigestive tract. As unpleasant as it may seem, if you have the urge to vomit, don’t try to stop it.
That said, it may be best to hold off on taking any anti-nausea and/or anti-diarrhea mediations until after the initial bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. This can allow your gut to get rid of these toxins.
Because vomiting can lead to the excess loss of fluids, it is important to replenish those fluids as much as you can to avoiddehydration.
Stay Hydrated
When you have a stomach infection, the excess loss of fluids through vomiting and/or diarrhea can cause dehydration. Unless you make an effort to replenish those fluids, you could end up in hospital with symptoms ranging from dizziness and fainting tokidney failureandshock.
Arguably, the best option for rehydration is plain water, but you may need anoral rehydration solutionif vomiting and diarrhea are severe and you’ve lost a lot ofelectrolytes.
If you can’t keep fluids down, try taking tiny sips or sucking on ice chips or a popsicle. Doing so may also help ease nausea.
OTC Medications
Sometimes, over-the-counter (OTC) medications may be needed to ease gastroenteritis symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, and body aches.
Options include:
Antibiotics and Other Antimicrobials
Most stomach infections do not need prescription medications. However, if the infection is particularly severe and causes massive diarrhea or bloody stools, your healthcare provider may prescribe certain antimicrobial drugs to help clear the infection.
These may include:
Do I Need Antibiotics?Antibiotics are only used when bacterial gastroenteritis is causing extremely high fever, severe diarrhea, or other severe symptoms. They may also be prescribed to people with acompromised immune systemwho are at risk of serious complications.
Do I Need Antibiotics?
Antibiotics are only used when bacterial gastroenteritis is causing extremely high fever, severe diarrhea, or other severe symptoms. They may also be prescribed to people with acompromised immune systemwho are at risk of serious complications.
Change Your Diet
As symptoms begin to ease and your stomach starts to settle, try eatingbland foodsthat are easy to digest and help bind loose stools.
Good foods to eat include:
Avoid foods that promote nausea or diarrhea, such as:
Foods for Diarrhea: Foods and Drinks to Help Ease Symptoms
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Severe stomach infections should never be ignored, particularly if symptoms persist or are getting worse.
See your healthcare provider right away if you have:
How Stomach Flu Is Treated
Summary
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Viral gastroenteritis.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition & facts for viral gastroenteritis (“stomach flu”).National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of viral gastroenteritis (“stomach flu”).MedlinePlus.Bacterial gastroenteritis.Bintsis T.Foodborne pathogens.AIMS Microbiol.2017;3(3):529–563. doi:10.3934/microbiol.2017.3.529Zhang T, Liu D, Tian D, Xia L.The roles of nausea and vomiting in COVID-19: did we miss something?Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection. 2021;54(4):541-546.Besedovsky L, Lange T, Haack M.The sleep-immune crosstalk in health and disease.Physiol Rev. 2019;99(3):1325-1380. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00010.2018.Malik OAA.Role of antimicrobials in the treatment of adult patients presenting to the emergency department with acute gastroenteritis - A mini review.Pak J Med Sci. 2017;33(2):488-492. doi:10.12669/pjms.332.11851National Center for Biotechnology Information.Antiparasitic drugs.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Viral gastroenteritis.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition & facts for viral gastroenteritis (“stomach flu”).National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of viral gastroenteritis (“stomach flu”).MedlinePlus.Bacterial gastroenteritis.Bintsis T.Foodborne pathogens.AIMS Microbiol.2017;3(3):529–563. doi:10.3934/microbiol.2017.3.529Zhang T, Liu D, Tian D, Xia L.The roles of nausea and vomiting in COVID-19: did we miss something?Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection. 2021;54(4):541-546.Besedovsky L, Lange T, Haack M.The sleep-immune crosstalk in health and disease.Physiol Rev. 2019;99(3):1325-1380. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00010.2018.Malik OAA.Role of antimicrobials in the treatment of adult patients presenting to the emergency department with acute gastroenteritis - A mini review.Pak J Med Sci. 2017;33(2):488-492. doi:10.12669/pjms.332.11851National Center for Biotechnology Information.Antiparasitic drugs.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Viral gastroenteritis.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition & facts for viral gastroenteritis (“stomach flu”).National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of viral gastroenteritis (“stomach flu”).MedlinePlus.Bacterial gastroenteritis.Bintsis T.Foodborne pathogens.AIMS Microbiol.2017;3(3):529–563. doi:10.3934/microbiol.2017.3.529Zhang T, Liu D, Tian D, Xia L.The roles of nausea and vomiting in COVID-19: did we miss something?Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection. 2021;54(4):541-546.Besedovsky L, Lange T, Haack M.The sleep-immune crosstalk in health and disease.Physiol Rev. 2019;99(3):1325-1380. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00010.2018.Malik OAA.Role of antimicrobials in the treatment of adult patients presenting to the emergency department with acute gastroenteritis - A mini review.Pak J Med Sci. 2017;33(2):488-492. doi:10.12669/pjms.332.11851National Center for Biotechnology Information.Antiparasitic drugs.
MedlinePlus.Viral gastroenteritis.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition & facts for viral gastroenteritis (“stomach flu”).
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of viral gastroenteritis (“stomach flu”).
MedlinePlus.Bacterial gastroenteritis.
Bintsis T.Foodborne pathogens.AIMS Microbiol.2017;3(3):529–563. doi:10.3934/microbiol.2017.3.529
Zhang T, Liu D, Tian D, Xia L.The roles of nausea and vomiting in COVID-19: did we miss something?Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection. 2021;54(4):541-546.
Besedovsky L, Lange T, Haack M.The sleep-immune crosstalk in health and disease.Physiol Rev. 2019;99(3):1325-1380. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00010.2018.
Malik OAA.Role of antimicrobials in the treatment of adult patients presenting to the emergency department with acute gastroenteritis - A mini review.Pak J Med Sci. 2017;33(2):488-492. doi:10.12669/pjms.332.11851
National Center for Biotechnology Information.Antiparasitic drugs.
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