Chances are, if you’ve had a bad bout of diarrhea or vomiting due to a virus, parasite, or bacteria, you’ve experienced gastroenteritis. Doctors usually diagnose the condition based on your symptoms or the results of a stool test. That said, gastroenteritis can look like other medical conditions, and other illnesses may be mistaken for gastroenteritis. (2) Gastroenteritis typically isn’t misdiagnosed as the flu by doctors, but people often label it incorrectly and get the two confused. True flu causes these symptoms:
FeverBody achesChills and sweatsSore throat and coughStuffy noseWeaknessFatigue
Meanwhile, the symptoms of gastroenteritis include the following:
Abdominal pain or crampingDiarrheaNausea and vomitingLow-grade feverHeadachesBody aches (2)
Because they are two separate diseases, it’s important to note that the flu vaccine won’t protect you against gastroenteritis. (3) It’s not uncommon: Appendicitis is one of the leading causes of sudden severe abdominal pain requiring surgery in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health (4), and about 80,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with it each year. (5) Although certain symptoms, like diarrhea, stomach pain, and vomiting, may occur in both appendicitis and gastroenteritis, there are distinctions between the two conditions. It’s important to recognize these characteristics because the treatments for each illness are very different. With appendicitis, the pain gets worse and more intense as time goes on. Generally, symptoms of gastroenteritis improve after 24 hours. The location of the pain is also distinct with appendicitis. It usually causes discomfort between the belly button and the right hip bone. Additionally, kids and adults with appendicitis may have these symptoms:
Green, liquid vomitA distended abdomenSevere painPain when the abdomen is pressed on (6)
Usually, doctors don’t recommend a specific therapy for gastroenteritis. But if you have appendicitis, you’ll likely need surgery. If you or your child experiences severe pain or pain that lasts more than 24 hours, see a medical professional right away. Delaying treatment for appendicitis can be dangerous and even lead to death if your appendix bursts. (7) IBS is different from gastroenteritis in that it’s a chronic condition that often persists throughout someone’s life. On the other hand, gastroenteritis usually goes away after you recover from the viral or bacterial infection that caused your symptoms. Most of the time, the cause of IBS is unknown. That said, there’s a small percentage of people with IBS whose symptoms begin suddenly after an episode of gastroenteritis. If IBS happens after having gastroenteritis, it’s called post-infectious IBS (PI-IBS). This condition is more common after a case of bacterial gastroenteritis. Studies show that about half of people with PI-IBS will recover without any specific treatment, although this might take many years. (9) Gastroenteritis, or a stomach bug, is most commonly caused by a virus, such as the norovirus, rotavirus, or adenovirus. Symptoms of viral gastroenteritis can begin 4 to 48 hours after exposure. (2) Gastroenteritis is contagious and can be contracted through close contact with an infected person, such as by sharing food and utensils, or by touching contaminated objects or surfaces. Washing your hands with soap and water and using disinfectant on contaminated surfaces is the best way to prevent the spread of viral gastroenteritis. (10) Food poisoning develops when a person eats food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Symptoms, which can appear within hours of consuming the contaminated food, are similar to gastroenteritis but can be more severe. Signs that someone with food poisoning should seek medical attention include bloody stools, high fever of over 102 degrees F, diarrhea that lasts more than three days, and frequent vomiting that prevents liquids from staying down. (11) Most cases of food poisoning typically aren’t contagious, but some forms can spread through contact with bodily fluid. For example, a person can become infected after touching contaminated feces and then their mouth. Frequent hand-washing is important to keep you and your family healthy.
Stomach painDiarrheaVomitingFeverIrritability
But UTIs also cause other problems, like a burning sensation when urinating, frequent urination, and urine that’s cloudy, dark, smelly, or bloody. A UTI can be successfully treated with antibiotics, so it’s important to see a doctor and get a correct diagnosis. (12) Some research has suggested a link between UTIs and gastroenteritis in kids. In one study, 35 percent of pediatric UTI patients also had gastroenteritis. (13) Sometimes pneumonia can trigger these symptoms that mimic gastroenteritis:
VomitingFeverAbdominal painLoss of appetiteDehydration
If the pneumonia is in the lower part of your lungs, near your abdomen, you might only have abdominal pain and vomiting, not breathing problems. This can make it tricky for doctors to come up with a diagnosis, but a simple X-ray or blood test should reveal pneumonia. (14) If you have viral meningitis, you might have symptoms that overlap with gastroenteritis, like fever, vomiting, or loss of appetite. Other hallmark signs of viral meningitis include:
HeadacheStiff neckJoint painDrowsinessConfusionDiscomfort when looking at bright lightsSkin rash (15)
It might help to know the key traits of gastroenteritis:
Gastroenteritis is caused by a virus, bacteria, or parasite.Symptoms include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea, and sometimes a fever.Most cases of gastroenteritis are contagious, but some are passed on by contaminated food or water.There’s no specific treatment for viral gastroenteritis, but the illness usually gets better on its own within a week.
If you think you’ve been given an incorrect diagnosis, talk to your doctor about your concerns. (3) Additional reporting by Ashley Welch.
