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13 Things You Should Know About The Stomach Flu

Posted: 02/19/2012 10:26 am

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By Anne Harding

Ugh, what could be worse than a stomach bug? The vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and more.

Despite the fact that it's so common -- there are at least 20 million stomach-flu cases in the U.S each year -- many people don't know much about it. For one, it's not really the flu!

Here are 13 things you need to know about viral gastroenteritis (its true medical name), starting with the fact that it's caused by viruses that attack the stomach and intestines.

A Flu Shot Won't Help
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When people say "the flu" they mean influenza, a virus that circulates the globe each year attacking the nose and throat as it spreads though communities in waves. Flu shots protect against this virus -- not ones that cause viral gastroenteritis.

The confusion may be due to some symptom overlap, such as body aches, nausea, and low-grade fever, says Gary Rogg, M.D., an internist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

But a flu shot won't protect against stomach bugs. There's no such thing as a stomach-flu shot (at least for grown-ups).

More from Health.com:
What Ails You: Cold, Flu, or Something Else?
How You Put Yourself at Risk for Flu (Without Realizing It!)
4 Secrets to Never Getting Sick


Flickr photo by Paul Swansen
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By Anne Harding Ugh, what could be worse than a stomach bug? The vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and more. Despite the fact that it's so common -- there are at least 20 million stomach-flu ...
By Anne Harding Ugh, what could be worse than a stomach bug? The vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and more. Despite the fact that it's so common -- there are at least 20 million stomach-flu ...
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shi
1 Fans
05:38 PM on 05/02/2012
my way of dealing with it is plums, apples, and chamomile tea. i hate that i have this stupid sickness on my birthday. no cake, no party, and no happiness.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
gin11153
276 Fans
09:58 PM on 02/21/2012
Gastroenteritis is not always viral. It can be bacterial also.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Bipitybopityboop
84 Fans
02:40 PM on 02/19/2012
WHY DON'T WE HAVE A VACCINE AGAINST NORO?!!!!! It hits every single year, shutting down schools, nursing homes, cruise ships and churches. My family gets it at least one time a year. Many of my elderly patients require admission to the hospital then a rehab stay to regain strength. Some suffer falls and fractures as a result of the loss of fluids and electrolytes. This line of viruses presents itself every year and costs Medicare and Medicaid millions.
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wrobbins
63 Fans
04:34 AM on 02/21/2012
1. Noroviruses are genetically diverse and have a high mutation rate, which makes vaccine development extremely difficult. And not really worth the effort: over 90% of the people who get it don't even bother seeing a doctor, and fewer than one percent are hospitalized.
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Raglimidechi
standing on fishes
256 Fans
01:52 PM on 02/19/2012
If you have a stomach bug, take sips of 7Up and weak tea. If they come back up, it's not so bad.
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billbb
633 Fans
12:39 PM on 02/19/2012
The flu has taught us some other things, like why President Obama has been so interested in reforming health care. Why, just the other day, radical Republican Governor Scott Walker greeted the president at the Milwaukee Airport, and they shook hands. Walker begged off of going to visit the inner city and union shop of Master Lock, though, saying he had the stomach flu. The president had a fine time alone. Meanwhile, Scott Walker went back to his office and prepared for a major speech to his rightie supporters at Wisconsin Manufacturing and Commerce, which he delivered the very next day, showing no sign of illness.

Apparently, just the touch of President Obama can make the flu fly away in wimpy Republican governors. It's a miracle, I tell ya!
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