Nausea and vomiting can be caused by a variety of illnesses, such as stomach flu and food poisoning, among many others. In some cases, they can be brought about by more serious underlying diseases, but most of the time, they have explainable causes, such as motion sickness or ear infections. They can also be brought about by certain treatments such as chemotherapy.
In this article, we will be discussing stomach flu, which is among the most common causes of vomiting in adults that can last one to two days.
What is Stomach Flu?
Stomach flu, also called viral gastroenteritis, is an intestinal infection that is caused by coming in contact with an infected person or by ingesting contaminated food or water.
What are the Causes of Stomach Flu?
Viruses such as adenovirus, rotavirus, and calicivirus are among the leading causes of stomach illnesses. In cases of viral infection, nausea and vomiting are self-limited and are not serious, but you may need intervention to get relief from the dehydration and discomfort. However, if you see any signs of blood in your vomit, it’s best to visit a walk-in clinic right away to get the attention you need.
Bacteria can also cause stomach flu, but these illnesses are not as common as viral ones. Your attending physician will have to first diagnose what caused your stomach illness in order to determine whether or not to include antibiotics to your medication.
Like viral infections, bacterial infections also cause nausea and dehydration. These also require the same treatment, except for the addition of antibiotic therapy. In both cases, however, antiemetic medications may also be used to help you stop vomiting.
When is it Necessary to Seek Urgent Care for Nausea and Vomiting?
Most of the time, you will be able to go through a quick bout of stomach flu—despite it being very uncomfortable—and you won’t need to see your regular doctor for it. Dehydration is common when you have the stomach bug, however, which is why it’s best to take small sips of water from time to time to replace the lost water.
However, if you cannot keep your fluids down and are experiencing dryness in the mouth, you must seek urgent care right away. Other symptoms that you should be watching out for are dizziness, weakness, and diarrhea. Diarrhea can be present in both viral and bacterial-induced stomach flu and it can make you dehydrated much faster. If you are experiencing these symptoms, ask your family or friends to bring you to your local walk-in clinic to manage your dehydration and prevent other complications.
For serious nausea and vomiting that is not caused by stomach flu, it is best to seek urgent care as well. It can be hard to determine whether this is a true emergency, but if you are having pain in the abdomen or blood in your stool, you should be seen by a medical professional right away.
Sometimes, vomiting can be a sign of an underlying health issue such as bowel obstruction, appendicitis, or gallbladder infection, among many others, which all need interventions and medical procedures.
Conclusion
Seeking urgent care is your best choice when suffering from vomiting brought about by stomach illnesses. This may happen at any hour of the day, and your doctor may not always be available to give you the prompt medical attention that you need to get your much-needed relief.
Walk-in clinics offer a 24-hour service, which means that you can visit them for illnesses and injuries that can’t wait for your regular doctor but aren’t serious enough for a costly emergency room visit.
If you are looking for a reliable urgent care center in Secaucus, New Jersey, we’re the ones for you! Our team of expert physicians will be happy to give you state-of-the-art and affordable services 365 days a year. Get in touch with us to know more.
