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Aaaaaand I've come down with gastroenteritis. Completely miserable day. There is literally nothing left inside my digestive tract. I can't even keep down water effectively. Take care, people.
I'm feeling a little bit better now, and I've been able to keep some water down finally. Maybe the worst has passed. I had a bad feeling early this morning when I started feeling queasy. My fever peaked at 101, but it's come down since then to 99.5 with a dose of Tylenol. Hopefully I'll continue to improve, 'cause this sucks.
I'm feeling a little bit better now, and I've been able to keep some water down finally. Maybe the worst has passed. I had a bad feeling early this morning when I started feeling queasy. My fever peaked at 101, but it's come down since then to 99.5 with a dose of Tylenol. Hopefully I'll continue to improve, 'cause this sucks.
Reading through this thread, I'm shocked at how many people don't know the difference between norovirus and flu, or even norovirus and a basic 24-48 hour stomach virus or "bug" as we call it in our house (which can have various causes itself). This lack of education/knowledge is IMO why outbreaks can get so bad and why these things spread like crazy.
I know a woman who went to a family member's house on Christmas a couple years ago to find that one member of the family had a stomach virus of some sort. Vomiting, diarrhea, aches - and one bathroom in the house to use. With the whole family over for a holiday! No one had been informed that there was a sick person using that only bathroom, and while the sick person stayed in their bedroom most of the time and did not venture out to where the family was, he still used that one bathroom every guest also had to use. If this isn't shocking enough (maybe it's not shocking to you but I can't fathom not telling your family who is coming to your house for Christmas that someone in your house has a stomach bug), the woman I know who went to this house said to me, "he probably just got sick from the cold," as if the cold air of winter can give someone a stomach virus. Unreal how little some people know about different illnesses and how they spread.
Yes, people really need to be educated. I think there may be squeamishness in talking about it because no one likes to talk about vomiting and diarrhea, but people need to understand what illness they might have so they don't infect others. I wish the term "stomach flu" was not in use, it confuses people. As other posters have stated, the Flu is a respiratory infection, some people feel sick in the stomach from the fever, but that's not a main or common symptom of flu. The norovirus, rotavirus, and food poisoning from bacteria are gastrointestinal infections. I've had both food poisoning and the Norovirus. Food poisoning from eating something contaminated with bacteria is miserable, but usually resolves pretty quickly. Catching the norovirus is a nightmare. I was sick for days and felt weak and achy for a couple of weeks afterward.
It can be difficult to tell if one is suffering from food poisoning, or a virus, so anyone with uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhea should stay away from others, and not share their bathroom with anyone else of possible. Food poisoning usually resolves within 6-24 hours, and isn't contagious. The norovirus is highly contagious, the symptoms can last 4-5 days and many people still feel poorly for a week or two after ward. When I got sick my boss knew the norovirus was going around, so she had me take the whole week off. It's hard to tell the difference when you first get sick, but you can look at what you ate and if anyone else who ate with you got sick at the same time. The norovirus spreads, when I had it, My BF got sick first and I felt fine until a day and a half later. I believe he caught it from somewhere and then I caught it from him.
Yes, people really need to be educated. I think there may be squeamishness in talking about it because no one likes to talk about vomiting and diarrhea, but people need to understand what illness they might have so they don't infect others. I wish the term "stomach flu" was not in use, it confuses people. As other posters have stated, the Flu is a respiratory infection, some people feel sick in the stomach from the fever, but that's not a main or common symptom of flu. The norovirus, rotavirus, and food poisoning from bacteria are gastrointestinal infections. I've had both food poisoning and the Norovirus. Food poisoning from eating something contaminated with bacteria is miserable, but usually resolves pretty quickly. Catching the norovirus is a nightmare. I was sick for days and felt weak and achy for a couple of weeks afterward.
It can be difficult to tell if one is suffering from food poisoning, or a virus, so anyone with uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhea should stay away from others, and not share their bathroom with anyone else of possible. Food poisoning usually resolves within 6-24 hours, and isn't contagious. The norovirus is highly contagious, the symptoms can last 4-5 days and many people still feel poorly for a week or two after ward. When I got sick my boss knew the norovirus was going around, so she had me take the whole week off. It's hard to tell the difference when you first get sick, but you can look at what you ate and if anyone else who ate with you got sick at the same time. The norovirus spreads, when I had it, My BF got sick first and I felt fine until a day and a half later. I believe he caught it from somewhere and then I caught it from him.
Food poisoning IS contagious. Something in the food, a bacteria or a virus, made you sick. Spoiled food is spoiled from bacteria or virus. http://answers.webmd.com/answers/120...ing-contagious "Many types of food poisoning are contagious. You usually get food poisoning from eating food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, or parasites. However, if you have food poisoning it is possible to pass those germs to someone else. Some of the most common types that are contagious are salmonella, E. coli, and norovirus. When you have food poisoning, your vomit and feces is full of these germs. "
I worry about this kinda of stuff quite a bit. I travel full time for work, and consequently a majority of the food I eat is from eating out or meals prepared by others. I've noticed I tend to get sick more often than my friends/family with 'normal' jobs. I've had many a case of food poisoning over the years. Specifically, I think it's that food preparers/cooks etc aren't given the necessary leeway to stay home from work until they are 100‰ better, and thus come to work while sick, putting the entire general population at risk.
The good thing about norovirus is that it runs its course rapidly. From initial symptom onset to full recovery can take as little as 36 hours. Bacterial cases of food poisoning last much longer, especially without quick antibiotic treatment.
I've had norovirus twice. The vomiting is the most unpleasant of all - it comes from the intestines and not the stomach, so it's very hard on the abdominal muscles.
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Feel better!
This lack of education/knowledge is IMO why outbreaks can get so bad and why these things spread like crazy. 
Unreal how little some people know about different illnesses and how they spread.
