Kids With The Stomach Flu

By Dorothy Brown

Was your latest bout of the stomach flu really the stomach flu? Or was it some other virus that found its way into your intestines? Kid get sick and throw up all the time -- is it always the stomach flu? Actually, it is probably not. It turns out that what most of us think of as the stomach flu is really something else, a gastrointestinal virus. The flu is actually a respiratory illness, everyone just thinks that the stomach flu is that horrible sickly diarrhea. Even some doctors have started calling it the flu, just so people know what they are talking about.

If you have children, then you probably know how much the stomach flu can affect them. In most cases the name of the virus that they actually have is the Rotavirus. This is especially common in small children. This is not the only thing that can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Your child could be sick due to some nasty bacteria that found its way in, or even parasites. If your child is ill for more than a couple of days or is running a fever, it is always better to be safe than sorry, and take your child to the doctor.

A lot of times parents don't want to call the doctor about the stomach flu, but it is okay to if you are worried. That is what doctors are for, to support you and let you know what is going on, so that you don't have to worry about it any more.

The notion that the stomach flu is only supposed to last a day or so is completely off the mark. Most people stay sick with the stomach flu for days -- even a week. It all depends on which kind of stomach flu you or your child gets, because some are just stronger and nastier than others.

Whatever you do when your child has the stomach flu, you need to keep him or her well-hydrated. Lots and lots of water is going to make the stomach flu go away that much sooner, and it is going to keep your child feeling better than they would without the fluids. This is even more important if your child has diarrhea. In this case, it can be downright dangerous if your son or daughter is not getting enough water. You may want to look into getting some Pediasure, as it has the electrolytes your child's body needs when it is dehydrated.

Dorothy Brown is a writer for several popular Internet magazines, on family tips and home advice topics.