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Originally Posted by Ramseymom  I got a bad case of the stomach flu a couple of months ago (lost 11 pounds in 4 days). I went to the doctor afterward, only because DH was concerned. The flu was so bad that there was no way I could have gone during it. Anyway, he said that from now on I should get a yearly flu shot so I wouldn't get this again. That didn't make sense to me since my mother always gets the flu shot and she got the stomach flu just as badly as I had had it. |
Stomach flu isn't really covered with most flu shots. It's a little confusing, but the flu shot covers something that cause what seems to be an extreme cold, with muscle aches, head aches, fever, sore throats and coughing. It can lead to other things, such as pneumonia or bronchitis. The stomach flu, however, is called gastroenteritis, it is not caused by the influenza virus.
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The flu shot protects against influenza, which isn't the same thing as the stomach flu (gastroenteritis). Gastroenteritis is an infection caused by a variety of viruses, including rotaviruses and noroviruses. Although it is often called the stomach flu, it is not caused by influenza viruses.
Real flu (influenza) attacks your respiratory system — your nose, throat and lungs — causing fever, muscle aches, coughing and congestion. Gastroenteritis, on the other hand, attacks your intestines, causing symptoms such as watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps.
No vaccine is available for gastroenteritis with the exception of a newly released rotavirus vaccine called RotaTeq, an oral vaccine for infants. However, you can reduce your risk of gastroenteritis by frequent and thorough hand washing.
The flu vaccine is the most effective way to reduce your risk of getting influenza. Flu shot: Will it prevent the stomach flu? - MayoClinic.com |
The swine flu has symptoms of the regular flu, although some people have reported nausea with it as well.