How to Diagnose Viral Gastroenteritis

Viral gastroenteritis is a stomach flu caused by several different viruses. It can affect anyone, is usually not a serious condition and goes away in a fairly short time. It is, however, highly contagious and is the second most common illness in the United States.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Look for symptoms including watery diarrhea, frequent vomiting, headache, chills, fever and abdominal pain. The symptoms usually appear within a rather short amount of time (4 to 48 hours) after the virus has been acquired.

2. Wait for a few hours to see if symptoms continue or if they pass quickly. If they pass within a few hours, then it is probably not viral gastroenteritis. The symptoms of viral gastroenteritis are usually fairly constant.

3. Consult a doctor for a proper diagnosis. Tell the doctor as much as possible about the symptoms you have been experiencing.

4. Utilize whatever treatment your doctor prescribes. Treatments are usually rather simple.

Tips & Warnings

• Drink plenty of water if diagnosed with viral gastroenteritis. Though generally, this illness isn't serious and is easy to treat once diagnosed, it can become so if you become dehydrated.
• There are four types of viruses which cause the contraction of viral gastroenteritis. The four viruses include: Rotavirus (the most frequent impetus of diarrhea for children under 5), Adenovirus, Caliciviruses and Astrovirus.
• Once diagnosed, wait until the stomach has settled and drink small amounts of water or juice. Once the stomach has settled, eat only small amounts of easily digestible foods like apples, white rice, bananas and toast.

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