Gastro diseases and illnesses are any ailments linked to the digestive system, including the throat, stomach and intestines. Diagnoses may include acute, short-term illnesses — sometimes referred to as “stomach bugs.” They can give you unpleasant symptoms while they work their way through your system.
GI diseases may also include more chronic diagnoses, such as Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and may require long-term, speciality treatment.
There are several different types of GI illnesses, including viral gastroenteritis, food poisoning and even constipation. On this page, you’ll learn more about some of the most common short-term GI illnesses we see at MedExpress.
Most GI ailment symptoms are easily recognizable. GI disorders often begin with abdominal discomfort and nausea and then symptoms may differ depending on your specific ailment.
Viral gastroenteritis is a digestive illness commonly referred to as “stomach flu” − but it isn’t actually flu at all. True flu only refers to influenza, a virus affecting your respiratory system. Rather, viral gastroenteritis is an infection that affects your intestines. You can contract it by coming in contact with someone who already has the ailment or by ingesting food or water that’s been contaminated with a virus, like norovirus.
Gastroenteritis symptoms may take several days to appear, though they normally don’t linger for more than a day or two. Exceptions may be those with rotavirus, whose symptoms can last up to nine days, and norovirus, which can last one to three days.
Food poisoning is an illness which occurs when you’ve eaten food contaminated by an infectious organism, such as salmonella, listeria or E. coli. This can occur with undercooked or improperly handled food. Symptoms typically appear eight to 12 hours after eating and can last for one to two days. Food poisoning begins with abdominal cramping.
Gastrointestinal infections can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites that settle in your GI tract. Viral and bacterial infections normally resolve in a few days, whereas parasitic infections typically will require medical treatment to resolve. A common, usually temporary disorder, often the result of inactivity, eating or drinking a lot of dairy products, and/or not having enough fiber or water in your diet.
