2018-01-02 18:00:00
Stomach cramps, diarrheastomach pain, nausea, vomiting… Have you been contaminated by a virus or have you eaten food that is not fresh enough? It is often difficult to know if you have gastroenteritis or if you have contracted food poisoning.
What is gastroenteritis?
Gastroenteritis is a violent digestive disorder. It is inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestine. This infection of the digestive tract most often affects the intestine. The infection can be of viral origin, of bacterial or parasitic origin. Gastroenteritis is in most cases a mild infection. It heals spontaneously and more or less quickly. In general, it takes 24 to 48 hours before symptoms disappear.
What is the difference between gastro and stomach flu?
There is no difference between gastroenteritis and stomach flu. The term stomach flu, which we come across from time to time, is simply another way of designating gastroenteritis. Moreover, she actually has nothing to do with the flu, of which she only shares some of her symptoms like temperature and body aches.
How does gastroenteritis start? What symptoms?
The symptoms of gastroenteritis vary according to its cause: viral, bacterial or parasitic origin. Symptoms of a bacterial or parasitic infection are:
- Diarrhea ;
- stomach aches;
- Vomiting;
- Fever.
If the gastro is of viral origin, other symptoms appear:
- Cramps ;
- Muscle pain;
- Headaches. These are common with the flu, which is why it can also be called a stomach flu.
What is food poisoning?
food poisoning is a digestive infection. Food poisoning is usually a mild infection. However, in some cases, they can be dangerous and responsible for cardiac and kidney complications and even lead to death.
How does food poisoning start? What symptoms?
The main symptoms are:
- Nausea;
- Vomiting;
- Cramps;
- Diarrhea ;
- Fever ;
- Fatigue ;
- Dehydration.
Symptoms can occur either only a few hours after ingesting a food containing pathogens, either a few days later.
How do you know if it’s gastro or food poisoning?
Gastroenteritis and food poisoning have many symptoms in common such as stomach aches, vomiting, fever and diarrhoea. Because of the similarity of their symptoms, it is often complicated to identify which pathology we are suffering from. However, there are many factors that distinguish them.
Mainly viral gastro, usually bacterial food poisoning
Among the ways to differentiate between food poisoning and gastro, the origin of the infection is a good indicator. In most cases, gastroenteritis is of viral origin. This represents two thirds of cases of gastroenteritis. Unlike food poisoning which is most often of bacterial origin. In fact, it is more common to contract food poisoning after eating food containing bacteria or after drinking dirty water.
Several people sick after a meal, a sign of food poisoning
There’s a quick and often reliable way to tell if it’s food poisoning. If after a meal you feel bad, the first thing to do is to ask the people with whom you shared the last meals if they also have symptoms. If so, chances are it’s food poisoning.
Time to onset of symptoms, a differentiating factor
The factor that will be decisive in identifying whether you have food poisoning or gastroenteritis, it is the rapidity of the onset of the first symptoms. Si symptoms appear between an hour and a few hours after eating the responsible food, it is very likely an intoxication. In much less frequent cases, the symptoms of food poisoning can appear a few days after contamination. On the other hand, the symptoms of gastroenteritis appear after an incubation period of 24 to 72 hours.
The different types of diarrhea specific to each pathology
Diarrhea is a common symptom of gastroenteritis and food poisoning. On the other hand, there are different types of diarrhea that are specific to each of the two pathologies.
Food poisoning causes the appearance of several symptoms including diarrhoea. It exists two types of diarrhea linked to food poisoning:
- The first type of diarrhea occurs a few hours after a meal and is not accompanied by fever. This type of diarrhea is usually caused by staphylococcus or salmonella ;
- The second type of diarrhea can occur later and is characterized by presence of mucus and blood. It can then be infectious, with medical signs suggesting an invasive phenomenon linked to a germ present in the digestive tract.
Regarding thethe gastro-enteritisa acute diarrhea sudden occurs after the incubation period of pathogens. According to L’assurance maladie (source 1), this diarrhea is characterized by:
- An increase in stool frequency with more than three stools in 24 hours;
- A change in their consistency, the stools become soft or watery.
Gastro or food poisoning: different modes of contamination
The modes of contamination of gastroenteritis and food poisoning are different and also help to differentiate them.
Regarding the gastroenteritiscontamination occurs in several ways (source 2):
- Consumption of contaminated water or food.
- Direct contact with an infected person, for example by kissing them or shaking their hands. Indeed, his hands can be contaminated by microbes contained in the stool.
- Indirect contact with contaminated people or objects.
Gastroenteritis is a disease highly contagious. “An infected person can transmit the disease as long as they show symptoms, even up to 2 weeks after their disappearance. It can remain contagious for a few weeks after the disappearance of symptoms” can be read on the Quebec government website (source 2).
Regarding food poisoning, contamination occurs through the ingestion of food or water containing pathogens. It is an infection that one or more people present following recent ingestion of food or water containing:
- Bacteria ;
- The virus;
- Parasites;
- Bacterial toxins;
- Chemical products.
How to treat food poisoning or gastro?
In most cases, people with a food poisoning recover on their own, without any treatment.
If you do not have a fever and you suspect a viral illness such as gastroenteritisthe treatment is the same: drink plenty of water and eat small portions of fruits and vegetables. In case of gastroenteritis of viral origin, antibiotics (which only act against bacteria) will be useless to relieve the symptoms. Your doctor may recommend an upset stomach medicine or an over-the-counter product.
What to do in case of food poisoning?
When food poisoning has been diagnosed, it is important to stay at home in order to heal as quickly as possible and to avoid spreading the disease to others. It’s important to stay in isolation until symptoms resolve. Moreover, stay hydrated and eat well are the two main ways to treat food poisoning and avoid complications. It is advisable to avoid raw fruits and vegetables, to favor rice, pasta and bananas, advises the Institut Pasteur de Lille (source 3).
How long does food poisoning last?
Typically, food poisoning goes away on its own within hours or days. It is in most cases a mild infection. But if certain symptoms persist, it is important to consult. Here are the cases in which you should consult a doctor.
When to consult?
- If you come back froma trip abroad and that you have diarrhea that lasts for more than 72 hours;
- If you have diarrhea that lasts for more than 5 dayswithout improvement;
- If you have diarrhea and fever over 38 ºC;
- If you have some vomiting for more than 24 hourswithout improvement.
If you have any of the following symptoms (source 4), it is important to consult immediately :
- If you have blood in your stools or your stools are black;
- If you have diarrhea with severe abdominal pain;
- If you have diarrhoea, strong thirst, or if you have not urinated for more than 12 hours and are unable to drink or keep down liquids you have drunk;
- If you have you sang (red in color or having the appearance of ground coffee) in your vomiting;
- If you are sleepy, irritable, confused.
How to prevent food poisoning?
To avoid food poisoning, good hygiene is essential.
- Before preparing meals, think about yourself wash your hands before handling food and after touching raw food.
- Regularly clean kitchen utensils, dishes, and countertops.
- Protect your injuries from bandage to prevent wounds from coming into contact with food when cooking.
- Follow the instructions for cooking meats and fish.
- See to never break the cold chain. When a perishable food stagnates at a temperature above 4°C, bacteria can multiply very easily. A precaution which applies particularly in summer. in case of high heatbe careful when shopping (frozen products to be carried in a freezer bag) and when cooking.
- Never refreeze a thawed product.
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