Food Poisoning vs Stomach Flu: How To Tell the Difference

Food poisoning is an illness caused when you eat food that’s contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, or toxins. Stomach flu — more appropriately, a stomach virus — is a viral infection; it’s not really the same as the flu since influenza attacks the respiratory system.

The only way you can get food poisoning is by ingesting contaminated food.

“Food poisoning is an infection caused by viruses or bacteria, who trigger an unbalance in the microbiome of the intestine,” Christophe Merville, director of Education & Pharmacy Development at Boiron, told Mom.com. “This, in turn, triggers the body to secrete more sodium and water, increase peristalsis to flush out the gut content.”

The stomach flu on the other hand, is highly contagious and is contracted when you come in contact — direct or indirect — with a person who has the flu.

How to tell the difference?
It’s hard to tell the difference between food poisoning and stomach flu at first glance. Both may have nausea and vomiting, stomach cramping and pain, lightheadedness, diarrhea (potentially with bloody stool), and a fever accompanied by chills.

Duration is one way to tell the difference between the two. However, even this can be misleading. Food poisoning has an onset within hours of consuming contaminated food and will last anywhere from several hours to several days. The stomach flu may take longer to show up and can last anywhere from 3 to 14 days.

Based on symptoms alone, there is no singular way to tell the difference. The only way to tell is through a rapid stool test where the stomach virus, bacteria, or parasite would be present. Unfortunately, most doctors do not have access to this test. This means you’ll have to treat the symptoms to avoid dehydration and keep as comfortable as possible until it passes.

Without knowing what you have, you’ll need to perform supportive therapy. Supportive therapy includes drinking fluids to stay hydrated and allow electrolytes to be restored in your body, as well as rest and over-the-counter medication for the fever. Try not to eat solid foods until your stomach feels better and your appetite returns. When you do start to eat again, stick with bland foods to see if your nausea returns. Bland foods can include crackers, toast, and rice.

Lynee Port, a Southern California mom of two, recently had a household full of flu patients. “My comfort go-to foods after being sick include things that are light and easy on the stomach,” she told Mom.com. “I use bone broth to make soup or cook rice with it.”

If your doctor suspects food poisoning as the result of something such as salmonella, they will order the appropriate antibiotic to treat you. If you’re trying to self-treat at home, you will want to go to the doctor to be tested if you don’t see improvement within a few days.

It’s definitely time to go to the doctor if you have the following symptoms:

• A fever over 104 degrees Fahrenheit
• Unrelenting abdominal pain
• Blood in your stool or vomit
• The inability to keep liquids down for 12 to 24 hours
• Dizziness or lightheadedness

Good hygiene and cooking practices are the best way to prevent getting either the stomach flu or food poisoning. This means proper hand-washing when cooking, after using the bathroom, or changing a diaper. If someone in the family has stomach flu, it’s important to wash laundry thoroughly including bedding and bath towels. Make sure to wash dishes and laundry in hot water to kill any bacteria or germs.

Make sure your food is fresh. Wash fruits and vegetables before consuming them. Make sure foods such as chicken and pork are cooked thoroughly and completely.

If you suspect if someone has the flu, it’s best to keep your distance. If someone in the family is sick, do your best to isolate them in their bedroom. Continually disinfect areas of the home such as bathrooms, kitchen counters, and doorknobs.

Getting the flu vaccine can help fight normal strains of the flu, but remember that the stomach flu is a stomach virus and not influenza.