Food poisoning vs. stomach flu: Which is it?
When it comes to food poisoning vs. stomach flu, how do you know which it is? Unfortunately, the symptoms of the two conditions doesn't always provide the answer since they can be quite similar including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chills, and, in some cases, lightheadedness and dizziness due to dehydration. Food poisoning can occasionally have a more sinister side producing complications that can lead to hospitalization or even death, particularly in children. The stomach flu or viral gastroenteritis rarely leads to serious complications other than, possibly, dehydration.
Since symptoms are the same when it comes to food poisoning vs. stomach flu, the biggest clue you may have in determining the cause is whether other people who ate the same food as you became ill. If so, the cause is most likely to be food poisoning. If the food was eaten in a restaurant, it may be more difficult to clinch the diagnosis, although you can call the health department and restaurant to see if there were other reports of illness.
Since symptoms are the same when it comes to food poisoning vs. stomach flu, the biggest clue you may have in determining the cause is whether other people who ate the same food as you became ill. If so, the cause is most likely to be food poisoning. If the food was eaten in a restaurant, it may be more difficult to clinch the diagnosis, although you can call the health department and restaurant to see if there were other reports of illness.
Can your doctor tell which it is?
In some cases, you can distinguish between food poisoning vs. stomach flu by having your doctor take cultures of your stool and send them to the lab. The stool can be tested for bacteria, as would be seen with food poisoning, or viruses, characteristic of viral gastroenteritis. In most cases, unless you're seriously ill or food poisoning is strongly suspected based on history, this won't be done unless you request it.
In most cases of uncomplicated food poisoning vs. stomach flu, the treatment will be the same. Lots of fluids and bed rest. Although it may be tempting to take medication to stop the diarrhea, this isn't usually a good idea since the bad bacteria or virus is eliminated in this way. Although you might think you'd be given antibiotics for food poisoning cause by a bacteria, this usually isn't done in uncomplicated cases since it doesn't shorten the duration of the illness and may actually cause you to shed the virus in your stool longer, increasing the risk of transmitting it to others.
The good news when it comes to food poisoning vs. stomach flu? You'll probably recover from either, although, rarely, food poisoning can cause more serious problems. The bad news? You may never know which you had unless you shared the food with someone else and they became ill.
In most cases of uncomplicated food poisoning vs. stomach flu, the treatment will be the same. Lots of fluids and bed rest. Although it may be tempting to take medication to stop the diarrhea, this isn't usually a good idea since the bad bacteria or virus is eliminated in this way. Although you might think you'd be given antibiotics for food poisoning cause by a bacteria, this usually isn't done in uncomplicated cases since it doesn't shorten the duration of the illness and may actually cause you to shed the virus in your stool longer, increasing the risk of transmitting it to others.
The good news when it comes to food poisoning vs. stomach flu? You'll probably recover from either, although, rarely, food poisoning can cause more serious problems. The bad news? You may never know which you had unless you shared the food with someone else and they became ill.
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