This illness has the word “flu” in it, but let’s be clear – it’s not the same thing as influenza, and is not caused by the same virus as flu. In fact, in many cases, there’s no virus at all.
The confusion is that stomach flu can mimic symptoms of influenza, and in some cases, make people even sicker to their stomach – which is why some people dread stomach flu even more. Let’s take a look at 12 facts about gastroenteritis…
1. Defining Stomach Flu
WebMD explains that stomach flu is when your stomach and intestines, also known as your gastrointestinal tract, become inflamed or irritated. This in turn affects your body’s ability to absorb water.
The cause is often viral, but it’s a completely different virus from influenza (so the flu shot won’t likely help you at all in this case). However, there is a vaccine that may stave off some cases of stomach flu, which we’ll get to…
