Are you vomiting and have diarrhea? The pathogen most commonly responsible for causing both of these symptoms at once is the norovirus, aka Norwalk virus. Although many refer to this health condition as a 24 hour stomach flu, it’s actually a type of viral gastroenteritis. Influenza indicates you are suffering from a respiratory infection. Norovirus infects the digestive tract and not the respiratory system.
Norovirus is highly contagious. It’s often spread via food, water or surfaces contaminated with virus tainted fecal matter or vomit. Once exposed, you could have an onset of infection symptoms in as little as 12 hours. The full range of Norwalk virus symptoms are:
- nausea
- diarrhea
- vomiting
- headache
- muscle aches
- abdominal pain
- stomach cramps
You may or may not experience a low fever. And symptoms caused by this virus typically only last a day or two.
There’s really no specific treatment for norovirus. However, you should try to drink plenty of fluids and replace electrolytes because they are lost through vomiting and diarrhea. The good news is suffering with symptoms doesn’t last long.
A couple of things you can do to help prevent being infected with the virus sometimes referenced after Norwalk, Ohio, is to wash your hands frequently, keep your hands out of your mouth and wash raw foods thoroughly. Unfortunately, transmission frequently happens because an infected individual handles the food you are about to eat without washing up after previously using the restroom. Of course, this uncontrollable risk can always be avoided by preparing your own meals.