Gastroenteritis develops when the gastrointestinal tract or the stomach and the intestines get inflamed and irritated. Gastroenteritis is generally caused by bacterial or parasitic infections or food-borne illnesses. Infectious gastroenteritis then develops depending on how strong your body's immune system is and how well it fights off the infection.
In some cases, people recover in no time from short bouts of vomiting and diarrhea symptomatic of gastroenteritis, In some case however patients start getting dehydrated as a result of the constant vomiting and a host of other complications and side effects develop as a result.
Symptoms of Gastroenteritis
The most common symptoms of gastroenteritis include:
- Stomach pain and cramps
- Diarrhea (non bloody)
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Muscle ache or body pain
- Low-grade fever
Symptoms occur within two to three days of contracting the infection and can last for as long as ten days. Stomach flu symptoms are often confused with the symptoms of common flu or influenza. While they may share certain commonalities in terms of symptoms such as body pain and vomiting, influenza affects the respiratory system whereas gastroenteritis only affects you digestive system.