Doctors Share How to Treat a Stomach Bug Fast

What’s Happening

Here’s the thing: These tips will help you feel better, stat.

Cases of the uber-contagious stomach bug, norovirus, surge every winter. The highly-contagious (and serious) illness is notoriously unpleasant, so figuring out how to treat a stomach bug fast can go a long way in speeding up your recovery. (it feels like chaos)

Norovirus symptoms are no joke, says William Schaffner, M.

The Details

, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “Many people report having diarrhea on the toilet and leaning over to vomit in the sink simultaneously.

” It doesn’t take much to catch it, either. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it takes fewer than 100 norovirus particles to make someone sick, and people with the virus can shed billions of viral particles alone in their vomit and feces.

Why This Matters

Meet the the experts : Thomas Russo, M. , professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, William Schaffner, M. , a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Unfortunately, there is no cure.

Health experts are weighing in on what this means for people.

Key Takeaways

• Here’s what doctors want you to know about how to treat a stomach bug.
• How to treat a stomach bug quickly There is no specific medication to treat stomach bugs or norovirus, nor are there vaccines to prevent them.
• But, doctors say there are a few things you can do at home to stay as comfortable as possible (and hopefully so speed up your recovery!

The Bottom Line

“Take small sips of fluids,” he says. “You don’t want to put too much in your stomach at once because it may come up right away.

We want to hear your thoughts on this.