Although nobody appreciates being sick, the stomach flu has a particularly unpleasant set of symptoms. When it occurs, it can swiftly make you completely unpleasant and unable to function.
Headache, fever, and nausea are its first symptoms, progressing into vomiting, diarrhea, and severe aches and pains. To recover from such a stomach bug, below are the treatments and suggestions to help you get beyond the worst symptoms and get back on your feet after they pass.
Best Treatments For Getting Over A Stomach Bug
Below are some of the best treatments and suggestions for you to recover or cure your stomach bug with any pain.
- Follow a BRAT Diet
If you have the stomach flu, food may not sound delicious, but it is vital to refuel your body with nutrients. Certain meals can help ease the symptoms of the stomach flu. Bland foods, such as those in the BRAT diet, are easy on the stomach and can help reduce diarrhea by helping to consolidate loose stools.
- Avoid Certain Foods
Certain meals may make symptoms of the stomach flu worse. For instance, a bland diet inhibits raw, spicy, high-fiber, fried foods. Tea, coffee, and soft drinks are examples of alcoholic and caffeine-containing beverages that can make your symptoms worse.
Other foods you may want to keep away from until your symptoms go away are:
- Cured or smoked tough meats
- Dairy products containing lactose, a sugar
- Dried fruits
- Fermented foods
- High-fat foods
- High-fiber vegetables
- Nuts and seeds
- Raw vegetables
- Try Medications
Over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals like Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate) and Imodium (loperamide) may provide relief from diarrhea. If you have blood diarrhea or a fever, avoid using those medications on children.
- Take Probiotics
To treat the stomach flu, a medical professional could prescribe taking probiotics. Live bacteria in your gut and some meals are called probiotics. Certain probiotic supplements lessen symptoms such as diarrhea associated with the stomach flu.
Probiotic supplements may help lessen the length of diarrhea. Probiotics such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium infantis can help treat the stomach flu.
- Experiment with Acupressure
Applying pressure to various body locations to ease symptoms is known as acupressure, a complementary and alternative medicine. Acupuncture is supposed to assist in modulating the pain signals conveyed from your nerve cells to your brain by ancient Chinese medicine.
- Drink Fluids
If you have the stomach flu, concentrate on drinking lots of fluids to prevent dehydration. Dehydration may become a concern if you cannot replenish fluids and electrolytes, such as potassium and salt.
The most prevalent groups of folks who develop severe dehydration from the stomach flu are young children, older people, and immune system-compromised adults.
Rehydration solutions with electrolytes and glucose (sugar) may be important for youngsters, older adults with compromised immune systems, and those with severe diarrhea and vomiting. Rehydration solutions include Pedialyte and CeraLyte.
- Get Adequate Rest
With plenty of rest, stomach flu symptoms normally go away independently. Sleep lowers inflammation and aids in the clearance of bacteria, strengthening your immune system. Conversely, poor sleep can worsen viral diseases like the stomach flu and promote inflammation.
Some More Remedies to Take On
Here are a few remedies that would work for stomach bugs:
- Rest: People who receive rest may recover from stomach flu symptoms more rapidly, especially since fatigue is prevalent. Sleep also keeps people at home, which minimizes the possibility of transmission of sickness. Limiting the spread can be managed by avoiding people and washing your hands often.
- Antibiotics: Lactobacillus casei GG and S. boulardii may be useful in certain viral gastroenteritis circumstances. They can also ease watery diarrhea. Many times, yogurt has these probiotics. If you can manage dairy products, go for fat-free or low-fat yogurt.
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol): Use this for fever or pain. This is encouraged compared to aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which could induce stomach upset. This medicine could help minimize the length and intensity of the stomach flu.
Conclusion
The term “stomach flu” represents a collection of bacterial and viral illnesses. People can normally handle it with over-the-counter drugs and home therapies; it usually goes away independently. Symptom alleviation and dehydration avoidance are available with at-home care.
Nonetheless, you should seek medical assistance if they get noticeably worse, exhibit signs of dehydration, or show no improvement.
