When talking about the differences between food poisoning and the flu, one needs to understand that both are probably related to some kind of stomach irritation. The flu is most commonly caused by a virus whereas food poisoning is related to something that was injested and either not properly cooked or was already bad from being old or expired. In both cases, the child or the adult will experience feelings of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and chills. The most important thing in both cases is to stay well hydrated. If a person starts to feel dizzy or lightheaded, this may indicate dehydration.
-Be cautious with children because they may want to drink a lot of fluid at once, but this may cause them to vomit. Encourage children to drink small amounts of fluids frequently. Avoid solid foods and milk products until vomiting and diarrhea has passed.
-It is not usually a good idea to take medication for diarrhea during this time as this is your body's natural way of trying to expel the bacteria if it is food poisoning.
-Antibiotics usually don't shorten the length of sickness related to food poisoning, so unless you or your child is experiencing complications, your doctor may not prescribe you one.
Since symptoms are similar, the easiest way to tell the difference may be if other people who ate the food become sick as well.
If your child's vomiting lasts more than 2 days or has diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days, notify your pediatrician.
For more information, please visit http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/food-poisoning
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