Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor
Medically Reviewed on 9/23/2022
Doctor's Notes on Norovirus Infection
Norovirus is a common virus that infects humans. It is the most common cause of gastroenteritis (often referred to erroneously as stomach flu) in the U.S. People get the virus by ingesting food or drink that has been contaminated with small amounts of feces or fluids from infected people, such as occurs with poor handwashing. Foods and water may become contaminated during processing, preparation, or handling.
Characteristic signs and symptoms of norovirus infection are vomiting, nausea, and a watery diarrhea. The symptoms usually last 2-3 days and they go away on their own. Fluid lost through diarrhea and vomiting can lead to associated symptoms of dehydration, and young children and the elderly are most at risk for these complications. Other possible associated symptoms are fever, abdominal cramping, muscle aches, tiredness, and headache.
What Is the Treatment for Norovirus?
There is no specific treatment that will cure nor virus infection. Management of nor virus infection involves maintaining hydration by consuming adequate fluids and electrolytes. Oral rehydration solutions may be used. In severe cases, hydration can be provided through an intravenous line in a hospital. Management might also include medications to control nausea and vomiting.
Stomach Pain : Nausea & Other Causes Quiz
QuestionBowel regularity means a bowel movement every day.
See AnswerMust Read Articles:
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Diarrhea
Diarrhea is common and can be treated at home with natural remedies and over-the-counter medication. Learn about common causes, associated symptoms, and how to get rid of diarrhea. -
Diarrhea vs. Loose Stools
Diarrhea is an increase in the frequency of bowel movements, an increase in the looseness of stool, or both. Symptoms associated with diarrhea include abdominal pain, especially cramping. Other symptoms depend on the cause of the diarrhea. Loose stools describes stool consistency of your bowel movement like soft, runny, explosive, or hard. Stool color changes may vary from green, yellow, black, and tarry. Treatment for diarrhea and loose stools depend on the causes. -
Diarrhea: Is It Food Poisoning or Infection?
Food poisoning is a general term that refers to gastrointestinal illnesses (usually diarrhea and/or vomiting) caused by food that is contaminated with bacteria, parasites, viruses, or toxic substances. -
Food Poisoning vs. Stomach Flu
Food poisoning and a "stomach bug" or "stomach flu" (gastroenteritis) are digestive illness. Causes of food poisoning include drinking or eating food contaminated with fecal matter, and/or other bacteria, viruses, toxins, and fungi. Gastroenteritis or "stomach bug," "stomach flu" can be contagious, and is spread from person-to-person when an individual does not use proper hand washing techniques after having a bowel movement or after handling soiled diapers. Generally, neither food poisoning or a stomach bug need to be treated with antibiotics. Natural home remedies may help food poisoning and a stomach bug symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. -
Gastroenteritis (Stomach Flu)
Gastroenteritis or stomach flu is an infection of the GI tract caused by viruses (Norovirus), bacteria, and fungi. Learn about causes, symptoms, diet, and treatment. -
How Can You Tell If You Have Norovirus?
You may not be able to be 100% certain you have norovirus, but some common symptoms that may indicate you could be infected include vomiting (often many times per day), diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Symptoms come on suddenly and can occur as soon as 12 hours after ingesting contaminated food, but they usually start one to two days after exposure. Less common symptoms of norovirus infection can include low-grade fever, chills, headache, and muscle aches. -
How Do I Know If My Stomach Pain Is Serious?
Stomach pain, or abdominal pain, can range from bloating and indigestion to severe and sharp, stabbing pain. Severe pain that lasts more than an hour, bloody bowel movements, abdominal lumps and other symptoms mean your stomach pain needs medical attention. -
How Do I Make My Stomach Stop Hurting?
Stomach pain treatments and home remedies often include drinking plenty of fluids, consuming clear liquids, the BRAT diet, and OTC medications. -
Is the Stomach Flu Contagious?
Stomach flu (viral gastroenteritis) is caused by a number of different viruses. It is contagious, spreading from person to person through contact with an infected person’s stool or vomit. -
Stomach Pain in Children
Abdominal pain in children can range from trivial to life-threatening. Symptoms of abdominal pain range from vomiting, diarrhea, fever, groin pain, urinary problems, or skin rash. The location of the abdominal pain may be around the belly button, occurs only at night, while eating. The pain pain also may be intermittent. Treatment of abdominal pain in children is depends on the cause. Possible causes of abdominal pain in children include infections, food related (food allergy or food poisoning), poisoning from medication, food, household products, appendicitis, diabetes, or spider bites. -
Traveler's Diarrhea
Causes of traveler's diarrhea include bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Traveler's diarrhea is contagious, with symptoms including loose or watery stools, abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, vomiting, fever, headache, and bloody stools. Treatment for traveler's diarrhea is generally with OTC medication. -
Vomiting and Nausea
The many causes of vomiting and nausea include food poisoning, viruses, vertigo, head injuries, gallbladder disease, appendicitis, migraine, brain tumors, and infections. Learn about home remedies and treatment. -
What Are the Side Effects of Dehydration?
Dehydration can range from mild to severe and life-threatening. Mild dehydration might not always cause side effects or symptoms. Side effects and symptoms of dehydration include headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, tiredness, decreased urination, dark yellow/amber/brown-colored urine, decreased skin elasticity, dry mouth and mucous membranes (lips, gums, nostrils), low blood pressure (hypotension), thirst, confusion, lack of tears when crying, eyes that look sunken in the face, “sunken fontanel” in babies, abnormal breathing (severe cases), and coma (severe cases). -
What Causes Diarrhea?
Diarrhea is defined as loose stools occurring three or more times in a day. Chronic diarrhea is diarrhea that is persistent or lasts from two to four weeks. There are many possible causes of diarrhea, such as eating certain foods, viral infections (norovirus, rotavirus, viral gastroenteritis, COVID-19), bacterial infections, parasitic infections, digestive problems and diseases, some medications, long-term use of medications, laxative use, caffeine intake, alcohol use, food allergies and intolerances, and complications due to past abdominal surgeries. -
What Causes Stomach Pains?
There are many possible causes of stomach pains. Causes of stomach pains include acute cholangitis, acute cholecystitis, gallstones, gastritis/gastropathy, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastroparesis, hepatitis, pancreatitis, peptic ulcer disease, ruptured spleen, acute appendicitis, diverticulitis, kidney stones, cystitis, cancer, celiac disease, constipation, food poisoning, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis (UC), lactose intolerance, and others. -
What Foods Help Stop Diarrhea?
Easy-to-digest foods that are binding can help stop diarrhea, including pasta, rice, potatoes, crackers, oatmeal, and bananas. -
What Is the Best Way to Cure Dehydration?
The fastest way to cure dehydration is fluid intake. Mild dehydration can be treated at home by drinking fluids such as water (the best fluid choice), sports drinks, oral rehydration solutions such as Pedialyte, juices diluted with water, decaffeinated tea, milk, breast milk for babies, soups, Jell-O, and ice cream. -
What Is the Quickest Way to Get Rid of a Stomach Bug?
Viral gastroenteritis, sometimes called a “stomach bug” or the “stomach flu” is a viral infection of the stomach and intestines that can cause diarrhea and vomiting. While medical treatment is often not needed, there may be ways you can help relieve symptoms more quickly. -
Why Do I Have Diarrhea When I’m Not Sick?
Causes of diarrhea that are not due to acute illness include eating certain foods, food allergies and intolerances, some medications, caffeine intake, laxative use, alcohol use, digestive problems and diseases (celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome [IBS], Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth [SIBO]), and complications from past abdominal surgeries. -
Why Do I Keep Getting Waves of Pain in My Stomach?
There are many possible causes of waves of pain in your stomach. Common conditions that can cause stomach pain include appendicitis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, bowel blockage or obstruction, cancer of the stomach, colon, pancreas, and other organs; celiac disease, cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) with or without gallstones, constipation, decreased blood supply to the intestines (ischemic bowel), diverticulitis/diverticulosis, endometriosis, fibroids (leiomyomas), food allergies or food intolerance, food poisoning, gallstones, gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), heartburn, hepatitis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, intestinal obstruction, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), kidney stones, and others.
REFERENCE:
Kasper, D.L., et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th Ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.