Stomach flu is an illness with causes which are considered to be illnesses itself. This sounds terrifying, and yes it is, everyone who had the opportunity to suffer from symptoms of this disease, knows how hard is to deal with them. Whether you experience severe diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, nausea or fever for several days, it would be a grueling experience for you, but imagine how it would be if you experience several of these conditions at the same time. Well this must be exhausting to death, and this is exactly what happens when you suffer from stomach flu.
Causes of stomach flu are divided into three groups and can be viral, bacterial or parasitical. The most common causes are viral and among them, certainly, norovirus is one of the most dangerous.
Norovirus causes more than 20 million cases of stomach flu each year only in United States, which actually means that each year about 8 out of 100 Americans get this virus. How dangerous it is, confirms the fact that nearly a thousand patients with this virus ending in death every year in States. With no particular vaccine to prevent it and no particular drug to treat it, norovirus represents a real threat to your health, and attacks not only stomach, but intestines too. The only prevention against this disease is to maintain personal hygiene, and especially often wash your hands.
The most common norovirus symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach cramping, but it also may include low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. This infection is present in all age groups, and usually there is no serious health consequences, unless symptoms which are exhausting. However, in two to three days, you should get better. Norovirus may still have adverse outcomes such are severe dehydration and hospitalization in older people, those with frequent or other diseases, people with very low level of immune system, pregnant women and in children. If you suffered once from norovirus, it doesn't mean that you'll never have it again, it can easily happen to get sick from norovirus even more than once.
Potentially dangerous situations in which you may get norovirus are usually related to the contact with person who is already infected with it. This contact may be direct or indirect.
Sharing foods or utensils, when you are in situation to take care about someone infected with virus, will bring you virus certainly. The same situation but another case, is that particular person is already infected, but period of incubation is little longer due to a strong immune system, and you catch virus without knowing it. Virus can easily incubate faster on you then on your transmitter, so you can think that you brought it upon him/her.
You can get norovirus from contaminated food or drinks, served or prepared by people who are infected. This explanation can be a little disgusting so if you are sensitive you might want to skip to the next sentence before reading it. Infected person vomit on hands and without washing them come in contact with foods or drinks intended for you. The same could happen with getting stool.
Norovirus may not necessarily be transmitted through food or by an infected person, it can easily pass through objects and surfaces that are contaminated. You can get it after contact with contaminated things and you put your hands in your mouth.
Closed places such are schools, hotels and cruise ships; crowds such are seen on stadiums and mass parties; public transport as well as restaurants, are all potentially dangerous places where norovirus can be spread with easy.
As I already mention, norovirus could not be prevented by vaccine, nor healed by medicine, but there are several simple rules that everyone should follow and decrease the chances of getting infected with norovirus. Proper washing hand is on the top of this list, especially when you are in contact with food, whether you are preparing it for you or anyone else. Wash your hands each time you use toilet, and don't hesitate to admonish friends or family members who don't do it. Thoroughly wash and clean all vegetables and fruits before serving it. Never prepare food or come in contact with food intended for anyone else if you are infected. If you are infected, always clean surfaces you come in contact with especially after having stool or vomit.
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