Is Food Poisoning Contagious What About The Stomach Flu
Pathogens like salmonella, norovirus, and E.coli can spread from person to person. In fact, if you have a norovirus illness in particular, you could be shedding billions of microscopic particlesand only a few are needed to cause illness, according to the CDC.
A person can eat food that leads to food poisoning or the stomach flu, for example, and then spread these germs around their immediate environment, says Dr. Gowara. You can get sick by having direct contact with the infected person, like through caring for them or sharing eating utensils. In an unpleasant-to-think-about scenario, you may also get sick by touching a surface that is contaminated with the pathogen and then putting your unwashed fingers in your mouth.
A person is most contagious when theyre experiencing their symptoms at full throttle, especially vomiting, as well as during the first few days when theyre starting to feel a bit better, per the CDC.
Why You May Still Get Sick After A Flu Shot
Michael Menna, DO, is a board-certified, active attending emergency medicine physician at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York.
An annual flu shot offers you the best protection against the influenza virus and is recommended for most individuals 6 months and older. It is still possible for you to get sick after a flu shot, but this isn’t because of what’s in the shot. The flu vaccine is made from killed, or inactivated, viruses that can’t give you the flu.
This article explores the reasons why you may get sick after the flu shot. It will also explain how the vaccine may help reduce symptoms and complications if you do end up getting the flu.
Verywell / Joshua Seong
Flu Shot Side Effects : What’s Normal And What’s Cause For Concern
All vaccines have the potential to cause side effects, and that includes your yearly flu shot. But most are totally normal.
The coronavirus is still a very real concern this fall, but so is the influenza virus, aka the flu. The good news is we have very safe and effective tools for fighting and preventing both potentially deadly viruses, thanks to the COVID-19 vaccines and the flu vaccine.
According to the CDC, flu shots are safe and one of the best ways to keep from getting and spreading the flu to others. And people who get vaccinated and get sick anyway often experience less severe symptoms. If you’re thinking of getting vaccinated for both COVID-19 and the flu, the CDC says it is safe to get both vaccines together .
The simple fact is, flu vaccines can save lives. There are plenty of myths out there about the flu vaccine, such as the idea that it can give you the flu. While that’s not true, you can experience some side effects from the flu shot. The side effects are usually mild and nothing to worry about, but it’s important to know about them so you’re not worried when you get your vaccine.
Below, Dr. Carmen Teague, specialty medical director at Atrium Health‘s Mecklenburg Medical Group shares what you need to know about common flu shot side effects that are normal, and which side effects may be a sign of something more serious.
Our Health & Wellness newsletter puts the best products, updates and advice in your inbox.
Don’t Miss: Where To Get Flu Shot Kaiser
If You Received A Booster Shot
So far, reactions reported after getting a booster shot were similar to those after the two-dose or single-dose primary series. Fever, headache, fatigue and pain at the injection site were the most commonly reported side effects, and overall, most side effects were mild to moderate. However, as with the two-dose or single-dose primary series, serious side effects are rare, but may occur.
What Are The Stages Of The Flu
Flu symptoms usually start within one to four days after infection. Unlike a common cold, the effects of an influenza virus infection can come on very suddenly.
The first signs of the flu are often a fever or chills, accompanied by headache, sore throat, dry cough, runny nose, muscle aches, and fatigue.
As the illness progresses, a person may have warm, flushed skin, watery or bloodshot eyes, a severe cough that produces phlegm, and nasal congestion. Nausea and vomiting may also occur, especially among children, according to the Merck Manual.
A bout of the flu typically lasts for several days or occasionally weeks, with severe symptoms subsiding in two to three days. However, weakness, fatigue, dry cough, and a reduced ability to exercise can linger for six to eight weeks.
Don’t Miss: Cvs Flu Shot Cost With Insurance
Can The Flu Be Prevented
There’s no guaranteed way to avoid the flu. But getting the flu vaccine every year can help. Everyone 6 months of age and older should get it each year.
Most doctor’s offices, clinics, and drugstores offer the flu vaccine from September to mid-November. It’s best to get it before the end of October. But even if you don’t get it at the start of the flu season, it’s not too late to get one while the flu is still going around.
If your child is sick, has a fever, or is wheezing, talk to your doctor to see if you need to reschedule the flu vaccine.
Are You Too Sick To Work
First and foremost, consider whether you are putting yourself or others at risk if you go to work. You’re putting others at risk if you or your children have a contagious illness . You’re putting yourself at risk if the symptoms of your condition, or the side effects of medication, could cause you to have an accident on the job, injure others, or produce devastating mistakes in your work product. Putting anyone in harm’s way is a clear reason to stay home.
For both the cold and the flu, early symptoms may be similar. Symptoms and signs include a cough, runny nose, and feeling tired. If you know you have had contact with someone with a cold or the flu in the past few days, you should suspect you may have become infected. However, flu symptoms generally are more intense than cold symptoms. People with flu can develop fever, body aches, chills, and headaches, and some develop nausea and vomiting. Cold symptoms are much milder and usually do not require medical care. However, if you suspect you have the flu, you should seek medical care. The flu often can be diagnosed with rapid tests available to most physicians.
Recommended Reading: Does Orange Juice Help With The Flu
How Can You Prevent Influenza
You can reduce the risk of getting influenza or spreading it to others by:
- Washing your hands regularly
- Cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces that people touch
- Promptly disposing of used tissues in the waste basket or garbage
- Coughing and sneezing into your shirt sleeve rather than your hands
- Staying home when you are ill
- Getting an influenza vaccine
Getting an influenza vaccine can help prevent you from getting sick with influenza and from spreading it to others.
Is It Normal To Feel Sick After The Flu Shot
On average, about 20,000 people die from the flu every year.
FDA approves new flu medication in the form of a single-dose pill
Mrs. Jones, would you like the flu vaccine today?
No, doc. When I was younger I would get it and always get sick, so now — at my age — I think I will pass on it this year and take my chances.
This a very common exchange across all primary care providers offices at this time of the year — and a great opportunity to really try to understand why Mrs. Jones feels that the vaccines made her sick, and an opportunity for educational awareness about the flu vaccine.
The influenza, or flu, is responsible for approximately 20,000 deaths per year on average in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The American Academy of Family Physicians states that every year about 130,000 people go to a hospital with the flu.
An effective, important way to protect yourself is by getting a flu shot — which cannot actually give you the flu. There are many reasons why people dont get the flu vaccine, but I hope that you will find facts and clarifications on common misconceptions about the vaccine below.
1. What is the flu?
Influenza is an infection in the nose, throat and lungs caused by a virus. This may be the worst cold of your life.
2. What are some of the symptoms of the flu?
3. How does the vaccine work?
4. Can I take medications instead of the flu shot?
5. What are side effects of the flu vaccine?
Read Also: Over The Counter Flu Drugs
What Problems Can Happen
Some children are more likely to have problems when they get the flu, including:
- kids up to age 5, especially babies
- people with a weak immune system from medicines or illnesses or illnesses
- people with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma or diabetes
- kids or teens who take aspirin regularly
- people who are very obese
- women who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, just had a baby, or are breastfeeding
- people who live in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes
- people 65 years and older
If they get the flu, their illness can be more serious. They can develop pneumonia or get even sicker from other kinds of infections . If this happens, many will need medical care in the hospital. So it’s important for them not to be near anyone who has the flu or flu-like symptoms.
People who have flu symptoms should keep their distance from anyone who might get very sick if they catch the flu.
People At Higher Risk From Flu
Anyone can get sick with flu, even healthy people, and serious problems related to flu can happen to anyone at any age, but some people are at higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications if they get sick. This includes people 65 years and older, people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions , pregnant people and children younger than 5 years, but especially those younger than 2 years old.
You May Like: Flu Shots Fort Collins Co
Conditions That Have Flu
Estimated Reading Time: 6 minsMost people recover from the flu within a few days to less than 2 weeks, No feverThe symptoms came and went for many days, This represents a symptom that the body prepares itself for the future baby to be able to develop.Before I started abx, headache, chills, and loss of short-term memory, mild symptoms sounds like a stroll in the park, sometimes more severe, I was regularly experiencing flu-like symptoms every 3-5 weeks, mild symptoms sounds like a stroll in the park, probably weeks, vomiting, and loss of taste or smell, it first vanished and stayed absent for 10 weeks (I took cefuroxim, you will also have other signs such as fatigue, it got a lot worse, cough or swollen lymph nodes, sometimes more severe, it first vanished and stayed absent for 10 weeks (I took cefuroxim,The truth is that having Covid feels mightily similar to having the flu, cough or swollen lymph nodes, cough, and if we wait 2 weeks, but mainly just feeling sick, shortness of breath, which I believe forced
Is It Flu Or A Cold
It can sometimes be difficult to tell if you have flu or just a cold, as the symptoms can be quite similar. The main differences are:
Flu symptoms:
- usually include fever and aching muscles
- make you feel too unwell to continue your usual activities
Cold symptoms:
- come on gradually
- mainly affect your nose and throat
- are fairly mild, so you can still get around and are usually well enough to go to work
Also Check: Walgreens High Dose Flu Shot Cost
Prescription Antiviral Drugs For Influenza
- Antiviral drugs are sometimes used to treat influenza. They must be started within 48 hours when the flu symptoms start. After 48 hours of fever, starting the drug is not helpful.
- The AAP recommends they be used for any patient with severe symptoms.
- The AAP recommends the drugs for most High-Risk children with underlying health problems. See that list.
- The AAP doesn’t recommend antiviral drugs for Low-Risk children with mild flu symptoms.
- Their benefits are limited. They usually reduce the time your child is sick by 1 to 1.5 days. They reduce the symptoms, but do not make them go away.
- Side effects: Vomiting in 10% of children on Tamiflu.
- Most healthy children with flu do not need an antiviral drug.
Diagnosis: How To Know Your Child Has Influenza
- Influenza occurs every year in the fall and winter months. During this time, if flu symptoms occur, your child probably has the flu.
- Your child doesn’t need any special tests.
- For Low-Risk children, usually you don’t need to see your child’s doctor. If your child develops a possible complication of the flu, then call your doctor. See the “What to Do” section.
You May Like: Can You Take The Flu Shot Twice
So How Can You Tell The Difference Between Covid
You cant, unless you get tested.
At the beginning, a lot of the early symptoms can overlap very frequently, Barron said. So runny nose, sore throat, headache, that could be a cold, or it could be COVID-19, or could even be early signs of the flu for that matter.
Unlike last year, the flu is circulating widely in Colorado this year, and so are a lot of other common colds.
When To Visit Your Gp
If you are otherwise fit and healthy, there’s usually no need to visit your GP if you have flu-like symptoms.
You should just rest at home until you feel better, while keeping warm, drinking plenty of water and taking painkillers if necessary.
In these cases, your GP may suggest taking antiviral medication.
Recommended Reading: What Cold And Flu Medicine Is Safe For Breastfeeding
How To Prevent Catching A Cold
A person with a cold can start spreading it from a few days before their symptoms begin until the symptoms have finished.
The best ways to avoid catching a cold are:
- washing your hands with warm water and soap
- not sharing towels or household items with someone who has a cold
- not touching your eyes or nose in case you have come into contact with the virus â it can infect the body this way
- staying fit and healthy
The flu vaccine helps prevent flu but not colds.
How Do I Know If I Have Food Poisoning Or A Stomach Bug
Theres a lot of overlap between the symptoms of food poisoning and stomach flu, so youand your doctormay need to do a little detective work to try to suss this out. Its extremely hard to tell the difference between the two, Dr. Gorwana says. Mostly, it comes down to the symptoms youre dealing with. Here are a few key areas to consider:
When did your symptoms start and how long are they lasting?
Remember, the stomach flu typically shows up within one to three days after youve been exposed. So, after that, you should start to feel like yourself again, Dr. Adalja says.
If youre dealing with symptoms for a shorter or longer time than a day or two, you may have food poisoning. While norovirus is a common cause of both food poisoning and the stomach flu, so many pathogens can potentially cause food poisoning that it can have a wider time frame than the stomach flu. Symptoms of food poisoning can crop up just a few hours after contamination, or even days or weeks later, and they can typically last from a few hours to several days, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Whats the diarrhea situation looking like?
If you have diarrhea and are brave enough to look into the toilet bowl, take a peek. Its like the poop version of reading tea leaves: If you see blood in your diarrhea, it could be a sign of food poisoning.
Also Check: Cvs Pharmacy Schedule Flu Shot
A Pharmacist Can Help With Cold Medicines
You can buy cough and cold medicines from pharmacies or supermarkets. A pharmacist can advise you on the best medicine.
You can:
- ease aches or lower a temperature with painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen
- relieve a blocked nose with sprays or tablets
Be careful not to use cough and cold medicines if you’re taking paracetamol and ibuprofen tablets. Cough and cold medicines often also contain paracetamol and ibuprofen so it can be easy to take more than the recommended dose.
Some are not suitable for children, babies and pregnant women.
There’s little evidence that supplements prevent colds or speed up recovery.
Helpful Tips To Relieve Side Effects
Talk to a doctor about taking over-the-counter medicine, such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin , or antihistamines for any pain and discomfort experienced after getting vaccinated.
People can take these medications to relieve side effects after vaccination if they have no other medical reasons that prevent them from taking these medications normally. Ask your childs healthcare provider for advice on using a non-aspirin pain reliever and other steps you can take at home to comfort your child after vaccination.
It is not recommended to take these medicines before vaccination for the purpose of trying to prevent side effects.
You May Like: Can You Get A Flu Shot While Sick
Get Medical Help Immediately For These Symptoms
Infants and Children
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish skin color
- Not urinating or no tears when crying
- Severe or repeated vomiting
- Not waking up or not interacting
- Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
- Pain or pressure in chest or belly
- Sudden dizziness
- Flu-like symptoms that get better but then return with fever and worse cough
- Fever with a rash
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or belly
- Sudden dizziness
- Flu-like symptoms that get better but then return with fever and worse cough
- Severe dehydration