Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Essential care
• Part 2 of 3: Alternative home remedies
• Part 3 of 3: Medical treatments
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

A stomach virus is usually not serious, but it can make you very sick for a few days. You will get rid of the virus on its own, but there are a few things you can do to help your body fight the virus and feel a little better. Read on to find out more.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Essential care

1. Hydrate yourself with ice cubes and clear drinks. The biggest risk with a stomach virus is dehydration. That's why you need to stay hydrated as much as possible while your body is fighting the virus.
   • As an adult, try to drink 250 ml of water every hour. Children need 30 ml every 30 to 60 minutes.
   • Drink slowly and take small sips. The moisture will stay in your stomach better if you take it in gradually.
   • Drinking too much water flushes all electrolytes out of your body, so have a drink containing electrolytes, such as ORS, from time to time. You not only lose water, but also salt, potassium and other electrolytes. A drink with electrolytes can replenish these and other lost minerals.
   • Other good drinks include diluted fruit juice, diluted sports drinks, broth, and herbal tea.
   • Avoid drinks with sugar. If you consume sugar without supplementing with salts, the diarrhea can get worse. You should also avoid fizzy drinks, caffeine and alcoholic drinks.
   • If you can't keep anything down from what you drink, try sucking on ice cubes.
2. Eat mild foods. If you think your stomach can handle some solid food again, you should start eating something to replenish the lost nutrients. Although there is little scientific evidence for this, most people find that they can tolerate mild foods better than things with stronger flavors, especially if they are still very nauseous.
   • A traditional diet for stomach flu is the BRAT diet, in which only Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast are eaten. Other good choices include boiled potatoes, crackers, or rusks.
   • You can do this for a few days. These foods are better than nothing, but your body needs more nutrients to recover.
3. Get back to normal eating as soon as possible. After surviving on mild foods for a while, you should get back to your normal diet as soon as possible. You may be able to keep the mild products inside, but they do not give you all the nutrients to fight the virus.
   • Gradually add more and more normal foods to your diet so as not to upset your stomach.
   • Low-sugar carbohydrates are a good choice at this point, such as whole grains. Other good options include peeled fruits, lean proteins such as eggs, chicken and fish, and cooked vegetables such as green beans and carrots.
   • Eat a little yogurt without sugar. Fermented dairy products seem to shorten the duration of a stomach virus. In addition, yogurt contains "good" bacteria that can restore the balance in your stomach and intestines, so that you get rid of the virus earlier.
4. Keep yourself clean. A stomach virus can be very strong and survive outside the body for a long time. You can even get the same virus from someone else again if you've had it before. To avoid endless contamination, make sure you and your environment are as clean as possible.
   • Even though a stomach virus is different from food poisoning, you can transmit it through food. Do not touch other people's food when you are sick and wash your hands well with soap and water before eating.
5. Keep calm. As with any other illness, rest is a valuable medicine. By resting, your body can put all its energy into fighting the virus.
   • You have to completely shut down your normal routine if you have a stomach virus. Your body normally needs 6 to 8 hours of sleep, but if you are sick you should try to double this number of hours.
   • As hard as it is, you shouldn't try to worry about the things you can't do. If you are worried, your body becomes tense, so that you are less likely to get rid of the virus.
6. Let the virus run its course. All you can do to get rid of the virus is let it run its course. As long as you don't have a condition that suppresses your immune system, your body will be able to control the virus on its own.
   • That said, proper grooming is very important for recovery. If you do not take good care of your body, it is more difficult to get rid of the virus.
   • If your immune system is not working properly, you should call your doctor right away at the first symptoms of the virus.

Part 2 of 3: Alternative home remedies

1. Take ginger. Ginger has been used for centuries to treat nausea and stomach cramps. Ginger and ginger tea are often drunk with a stomach virus.
   • You can make fresh ginger tea by boiling a few pieces of ginger about 1 cm thick in 250 ml of water for five to seven minutes. Let it cool to drinking temperature and drink it in small sips.
   • You can buy ginger tea and bags of ginger tea at the supermarket or health food store.
   • In addition to ginger drinks, you can also find ginger capsules or oil, usually at a health food store or drugstore.
2. Relieve symptoms with peppermint. Peppermint has many properties that can soothe nausea and intestinal cramps. You can use peppermint both internally and externally.
   • You can ingest peppermint by drinking peppermint tea, chewing a piece of peppermint leaf, or by taking a peppermint capsule. You can find peppermint tea at the store, or you can make your own by boiling some leaves in 250 ml of water for five to seven minutes.
   • To benefit externally from peppermint, you can soak a washcloth in cold peppermint tea, or you can drizzle a few drops of peppermint oil on a wet washcloth.
3. Try activated charcoal. At the drugstore you will find activated charcoal (eg Norit). Activated charcoal appears to absorb and dispose of toxins.
   • Follow the instructions on the activated charcoal packaging to avoid overdosing. However, you can take a few capsules at a time, several times a day.
4. Take a mustard bath. It may sound crazy, but mustard can remove impurities from the body and improve blood flow.
   • You can use warm water if you don't have a fever, but if you do have a fever, put lukewarm water in the bath.
   • Add 30ml mustard powder and 60ml baking soda to a full bathtub. Stir it with your hands to dissolve it properly before soaking in the bath for 10 to 20 minutes.
5. Place a warm towel on your stomach. If your stomach muscles hurt, a warm towel or a water bottle can help ease the pain.
   • Do not do this if you have a high fever, as the temperature can rise even further.
   • Relaxing your cramped stomach muscles relieves the symptoms of the stomach virus, and less pain helps your whole body to relax. Your immune system can then put all its energy into fighting the virus, making you better faster.
6. Use acupressure to relieve nausea. Certain pressure points in the hands and feet can be stimulated to reduce pain and discomfort in your stomach and intestines.
   • You can try foot massage. A gentle foot massage can relieve your nausea and reduce the frequency of running to the toilet.
   • If the stomach bug also gives you a headache, use acupressure on your hand.With your index finger and thumb of one hand, squeeze the piece of skin between the thumb and index finger of the other hand. This technique can be very helpful for headaches.

Part 3 of 3: Medical treatments

1. Don't ask for antibiotics. Antibiotics only help against bacteria, unfortunately not against a virus. A stomach virus cannot be cured with antibiotics.
   • The same goes for antifungal medications.
2. Ask about anti-nausea medications. If the nausea persists for a long time, you can ask your doctor to prescribe something for nausea so that your stomach can tolerate some moisture and food again.
   • However, be aware that these drugs only relieve symptoms. They don't get rid of the virus. But because these drugs allow you to eat and drink something again, your body can recover better because it gets some nutrients again.
3. Do not take diarrhea inhibitors. Unless your doctor has prescribed them for you. Diarrhea inhibitors that you can buy at the drug store are very effective, and that is precisely the problem. For the first 24 hours, your body has to do everything it can to get rid of the virus. And that unfortunately includes vomiting and diarrhea.
   • Once the virus is out of your body, your doctor may recommend that you take anti-diarrheal drugs to reduce symptoms.

Tips

• If you know that a stomach virus is prevalent, take precautions so you don't get it. Wash your hands thoroughly and regularly and use an antiseptic gel if soap and water are not available. Clean your house well, especially the toilet if one of your roommates already has the virus.
• If you have children, talk to your doctor about whether they can be vaccinated against certain stomach viruses.

Warnings

• The most common complication with stomach viruses is dehydration. If you are very dehydrated you can even end up in hospital, where the lack of fluids is supplemented by an IV.
• If you still vomit badly and have diarrhea after 48 hours, call your doctor.
• Also see the doctor if you have a high fever or if you have blood in your stool.
• As annoying as it may be, don't try to fight the symptoms. That does more harm than good. Let it out and you'll feel better afterward.
• See a doctor if a baby under 3 months old has contracted a stomach virus, or if a child older than 3 months vomits for more than 12 hours at a time, or has diarrhea for more than two days.

Necessities

• Fluid with electrolytes
• Ice cubes
• Mild food
• Yogurt
• Soap
• Disinfectant gel
• Ginger
• Peppermint
• Activated charcoal
• Mustard powder and baking soda
• Warm towel
• Medicines for nausea