Questions needing answers...

[woodsy]

I was wondering if anyone could give me the correct answers to these questions because i've heard so many different answers and it confuses the hell out of me!


How long does it take for someone who's had a stomach virus not to be contagious anymore?


What ways can u catch the stomach virus?


Can u do anything to prevent it? i.e. eating/drinkin certain foods!

[gumdropper1]

WARNING - I DISCUSS THE VOMITING ACT IN SOME DETAIL


Hi Aimee! I talk about those things in my Vomiting FAQ http://faq.emetophobia.net/vomiting.html


A person with Norwalk virus is contagious for 2 days after symptoms end. The usual way to catch it is by being around an infected person who is sneezing or vomiting. When that happens, millions of virus particles become aerosolized, and inhaling as few as 100 can infect someone. There have even been cases where someone with Norwalk vomited at a crowded function and the likelihood of others catching it was proportional to how close they were to the person. When someone with Norwalk vomits in the rest room on a bus, the people closest to the restroom are most likely to catch it themselves.


The best way to prevent it is to stay away from vomiting people and to wash hands often. It's also good to avoid smoke since exposure to smoke reduces resistance to Norwalk.


However, even if you catch Norwalk (or some other illness causing vomiting), it is not certain that you will vomit. In my FAQ, I also tell how emets can keep from vomiting even when they are severely nauseated by refusing to perform the breathing steps needed to initiate vomiting.


I encourage emets to not only read my Emetophobia and Vomiting FAQs but to study them, because they contain a lot of information that can help one control vomiting, thereby lessening their fear of it, and this makes emetophobia easier to deal with.


Doug

[gubba]

that is interesting...my best friend is a gastro Dr. and he said that Norwalk is transmitted in feces. If you don;t wash your hands after using a restroom or changing diapers etc. I did a bit of research and I found that same info on the internet about Norwalk Virus. I did not realize it was as airborne as you suggest.

[gubba]

http://www.astdhpphe.org/infect/norwalk.html


This site is about the Norwalk Virus.

[mommyof3]

This is sheer layman's, mommy experience LOL.


I find there is usually a five day window between when the first person comes down with it and thenwhoever else is going to get it does. I had one bout in our family where the 3/5 of us that got it came down with it within 24 hours and one time where I had it and the other two in our family who caught it came down with it literally one week to the day. There are so many different variants in v* that I think incubation periods vary. I always feel like I'm "safe" if it's been 7-8 days.


Like I said, this is totally just my experience.


Oh, and to prevent it, my brother-in-law swears by eating blueberry yogurt. He's rarely sick. Anyone hear of this?Edited by: mommyof3

[gumdropper1]

The trouble with that for an emet is, when you eat yogurt, your mouth tastes like vomit. lol

Oh, and to prevent it, my brother-in-law swears by eating blueberry yogurt. He's rarely sick. Anyone hear of this?

[kellybean]

Yogurt has good bacteria in it, that helps kill any kind of bad bacteria that could be in your intestines.

[mommyof3]

LOL gumdropper!


I did read something about the blueberries having anti-viral qualities, maybe due to the antioxidants?


Now curious me will have to go look it up...


EDIT--Ok I did look it up, it's the anthocyanins (pigment) in blueberries and cranberries that is thought to be antiviral:


http://www.uscranberries.com/eng/adm...ts/document_12 0504102940.pdf#search='blueberries%20antiviral'


and I found this "Blueberries contain compounds that curb diarrhea, have shown antiviral activity and may help prevent cancer." from http://www.news-star.com/stories/040..._berries.shtml


Hmm...blueberry season is over here, but I did freeze some. I'm off to make muffins!! LOLEdited by: mommyof3