How can you tell the difference between the stomach flu and food poisoning?
by 
glamorgirli
ANSWERS: 8
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I've had food poisoning once and it was way worse than the flu. I had non-stop vomiting and diarreah for 24 hours. I couldn't even have a sip of water without brining it back up. I learned I had eaten expired creamy salad dressing which no one else had eaten that night and everyone else was fine. If I'd had the flu, probably at least one other person in the house out of 6 would have come down with it.
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The only sure way to tell would be to get a blood test from the doctor. There are many kinds of food poisoning casued by a variety of different bacteria & virus. Food poisoning can range from vomit/diahorrea to being fatal (mostly for infants & the elderly/immune compromised). If you are concerned, try to see a doctor.
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I would watch the symtoms...generally the stomach flu comes with other things, such as: . fatigue . chills . loss of appetite . nausea . vomiting . stomach cramps . diarrhea . low-grade fever . muscle aches Wheras, food poisoning, as stated here: "Symptoms of food poisoning depend on the type of contaminant and the amount eaten. The symptoms can develop rapidly, within 30 minutes, or slowly, worsening over days to weeks. Most of the common contaminants cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping. Usually food poisoning is not serious, and the illness runs its course in 24-48 hours." I would contact a doctor if it gets really bad or if you think you had eaten something that could really harm you. Most food poisoning is caused by bacteria, and rarely by parasites or other toxic agents. Although, I am no doctor. :)
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Usually food poisoning hits within 2 hours after you eat something bad, and the symptoms are horrible and many times one needs to be hospitalized. The stomach flu is nasty, but nothing as bad as food poisoning.
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A lay person cannot always tell, in fact can rarely tell. Besides there being no such thing as 'stomach flu' (an archaic name for what is really gastroenteritis), there are many other things that can cause the same symptoms. The only way to be sure is to have a medical care professional see the patient and conduct whatever tests they deem necessary. You cannot tell by how sudden the onset is and you cannot tell by the presence of blood or mucus in the stool. If you suspect food poisoning, contact medical help ASAP.
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Food poison would start between 4 and 6 hours later and you will be getting sick and having diarrhea at the same time and it is continuous and you will be very sick - Flu is more with chills and is a little more gradual as the day passes and you feel worse at night
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I had food poisoning once and the pain that I had in my stomach was EXCRUCIATING! (I had eaten a hamburger that I thought tasted funny-I was only 17 and already married) I hurt severely for hours until my father-in-law gave me some Black Draught natural laxative-you can't find anywhere now. I finally began using the bathroom repeatedly and began feeling better. I never threw up even once. I have had the stomach virus with diarrhea coming out one end and vomiting at the same time. It was not the excruciating pain that the food poisoning was although not fun at all!
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It is extremely difficult to tell the difference between the stomach flu and food poisoning. Both cause vomiting and diarrhea. If you have been around someone sick with vomiting or diarrhea within the past week, then you most likely have the stomach flu. However, if you ate something suspicious (such as a turkey sandwich that had been sitting out at room temperature for hours) then you may have food poisoning. It can be even more confusing because the viruses that cause the stomach flu are often spread through food or water. For more information about distinguishing between the stomach flu and food poisoning, go to http://www.stopthestomachflu.com
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