Symptoms
Stomach flu can cause signs and symptoms like:
- Watery, usually nonbloody diarrhea. If you have bloody diarrhea, it usually means you have a different, more severe infection.
- Abdominal cramps and pain.
- Nausea, vomiting or both.
- Occasional muscle aches or headache.
- Low-grade fever.
Symptoms usually last just
a day or two, but occasionally they may persist
as long as 10 days.
Risk factors
Stomach flu occurs all over the world, affecting people of
every age, race and background. There are certain people who may be more susceptible to it:
- Young children due to unmature immune systems.
- Older adults due to weaken immune systems.
- Schoolchildren, churchgoers or dormitory residents since they stay in an environment for an intestinal infection to get passed.
- Anyone with a weakened immune system.
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, for instance, you're more likely to have rotavirus or norovirus infections between October and April
when the stomach flu viruses are most active.
