When to Go to an ER for: Stomach Flu

When to Go to an ER for: Stomach Flu

It is safe to say that a majority of us, if not all of us, have experienced a stomach ache at one point or the other. The problem is, most people usually find it difficult to differentiate between a normal stomachache and a stomach flu, and more still, they are usually hard pressed to explain how they got it in cases of stomach flu. The two are not the same; stomach flu, also referred to as gastroenteritis, is the inflammation of the various parts of the gastrointestinal tract which includes the stomach as well as the large intestines and small intestine. This inflammation is caused by a virus infection and given that the virus causing it spreads very quickly, it makes the stomach flu very contagious. The stomach flu is not to be confused with food poisoning which is caused by one ingesting contaminated food. It should be noted that there are cases of bacterial gastroenteritis, which can be treated by antibiotics; these antibiotics however won’t work against stomach flu viruses. In most cases, the stomach flu goes away on their own but there are instances when they become a medical emergency and as such need one to go to an ER, with the excellent FrontlineER.com being the best choice out there. It is important to know which signs mean that you should go to an ER for stomach flu and this article will look to help with that by highlighting these very signs.

If you are experiencing severe stomach pain, that persists for more than three days, then you should consider this an emergency and should head over to an ER as soon as possible for stomach flu, as per the instructions of the subject matter experts over at FrontlineER.com. If you are also experiencing high fever, one that is also persistent and severe and lasts for more than 2 or 3 days, then you should also take no chances and you should head over to an ER as soon as possible to be assessed and attended to for stomach flu. If you start experiencing persistent diarrhea that lasts for more than 2 days and is getting worse and worse, you should head over to an ER as soon as possible for stomach flu. Diarrhea is also how you will be able to know if you have viral or bacterial stomach flu. If you have bacterial stomach flu, you will have bloody diarrhea due to hemorrhagic gastroenteritis while in cases of viral stomach flu, the diarrhea is non-bloody. What’s for certain however, is that you should head over to an ER as soon as possible if you are suffering from severe and persistent diarrhea, bloody or not.

If you start to experience sickening nausea that is persistent, followed by occasional vomiting that won’t go away after 2 or 3 days, then you should also take this as an emergency and head over to an ER as soon as possible, keeping in mind that FrontlineER.com is the best place to visit out there. It is important to note the occasional vomiting, as this is how you will be able to find out whether you have stomach flu or food poisoning since in cases of the latter, the vomiting is usually consistent and not occasional as is the case in the former. Due to the throwing up and diarrhea, one may begin to suffer from dehydration, which is an emergency and one should always head over to an ER as soon as possible if they begin to present with symptoms of severe dehydration. These include sunken eyes, fewer tears when crying especially in children, one begins to pee less, one becomes more and more thirsty, severe lightheadedness, a dry or sticky mouth as well as the loss of or lack or normal elasticity when it comes to one’s skin. Severe dehydration, as we all know is potentially life-threatening and should be taken seriously.

If you also begin to show all the classic signs of a stomach flu and in addition you develop a rapid heartbeat, then you should ensure you head over to an ER as soon as possible. This, as the subject matter experts over at FrontlineER.com explain, is important as problems with the heart and heartbeat, which is a vital sign, should always be taken seriously. The same applies if you start to develop rapid breathing, since issues with breathing should always be taken seriously, for obvious reasons. If you pass out or lose consciousness due to stomach flu, then someone should be in hand to call 911 and have you taken to an ER as soon as possible to be attended to. This is why it is important to ensure that if your symptoms of stomach flu are getting serious, you have someone on standby looking after you so that if you pass out, they can be able to call 911. For children with stomach flu, if they begin to present with symptoms such as sunken cheeks, eyes or soft spots, they should be taken to an ER as soon as possible as this is indicative that they may be suffering from dehydration from the stomach flu.

Hopefully, this article will help you know when you should go to an ER as far as stomach flu is concerned, always keeping in mind that FrontlineER.com is the best place out there to visit.

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