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You’ve probably been hearing about the flu for a while now — especially how important it is to get your flu shot. But maybe you’ve also known friends or co-workers who recently became sick to their stomachs, saying they had a “stomach flu.”

Do you know what a “stomach flu” actually is? Is it really a type of flu at all? Today we’ll briefly explain what each illness is and what the symptoms of each are so you can get a better idea of what you might be suffering from.

What is the Flu?

The flu is the common name for influenza viruses. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the flu is a contagious respiratory illness that affects anywhere from 5 – 20% of the U.S. population each year and hospitalizes more than 200,000 patients yearly due to complications.

A “Stomach Flu” is Actually Not the Flu

Sometimes when people have stomach problems, from serious cramping and nausea to vomiting, they say they have the “stomach flu.” But technically, there is no such condition. The flu is a respiratory illness and usually doesn’t affect the digestive system. What people refer to as a “stomach flu” is actually called gastroenteritis. According to WebMD.com, that means there’s an “irritation and inflammation of the stomach and intestines… caused by a virus, bacteria, parasites in spoiled food or unclean water, or another trigger.”

A true flu will actually seem more like a serious and hard-hitting cold than a stomach or other digestive issue. Here are some of the symptoms of each to help you better determine what you really might have so you can treat your illness accordingly until you’re able to visit your doctor for a proper diagnosis.

Symptoms of the Flu

• Fever
• Headache
• Extreme tiredness
• Dry cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle aches

The CDC also notes that while stomach symptoms may appear, those symptoms are more common among children, and they are “rarely the main symptoms of influenza.” [source]

Symptoms of Gastroenteritis (or the “Stomach Flu”)

Because gastroenteritis can be caused by both viruses and bacteria (among other triggers), symptoms can vary. But according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) of the National Institutes of Health, here are some symptoms of viral gastroenteritis. [source]

• Watery diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Fever
• Chills
• Abdominal pain

According the New York Times, bacterial gastroenteritis has similar symptoms but also potential bloody stools and loss of appetite. Bacterial gastroenteritis is also a common result of food poisoning from bacteria in spoiled or undercooked foods. [source]

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As you can see, some symptoms of gastroenteritis are shared with influenza viruses like headaches and fevers. The abdominal pain might also seem similar to the muscle aches of a flu, and since being ill in general can make someone feel worn out, it’s possible some people confuse that with the serious exhaustion common to the flu.

If you’re ill for a prolonged period of time, are concerned that you may become seriously dehydrated or that you may be suffering from other complications of either disorder, please seek medical attention right away. It’s never a good idea to simply guess as to what’s wrong with you. Your healthcare professional may be able to prescribe an antiviral or antibiotic medication that can help, or alert you to any further treatment needed.

* Disclaimer. The author is not a medical professional and information is not designed to serve as medical advice. Facts provided in this article are strictly for informational purposes. Please seek the assistance of a qualified healthcare professional if you become ill.

Imagine being able to detect a virus before it can affect you!

STMicroelectronics has developed and recently launched, an amazing ‘portable chip’ that detects influenza virus, including bird flu in human beings.

We are talking about a tiny chip that acts as a mini laboratory, that not only screens but identifies various genes and pathogens, giving genetic information about an infection, all with a single diagnostic test, within a couple of hours. It is also portable, allowing the diagnostic process to take place at the “point of need” and not in some remote laboratory.

Currently, there is nothing similar to this or as advanced as this existing. All other tests that are available in the market can only detect one strain at a time and it takes days or even weeks to obtain results.

According to the World Health Organization, this chip has the capability to differentiate between the human strains of Influenza A virus and B virus, mutated variants and drug resistant strains, including Avian Flu or H5N1 strain, although it is mainly a bird virus detector.

STMicro’s Asia Pacific chief executive says, “ST sees new high growth opportunities in the health care market, especially in areas like patient care.”

The whole process of obtaining patient samples such as human blood, serum or respiratory swabs and analyzing them, is all done on a single thumbnail-sized disposable chip.

This chip is named VereFlu and has been under Research and Development for more than a year, undergoing clinical trials at the National University Hospital in Singapore last year and is the world’s first “lab-on-chip” portable device. This is a joint venture between a medical diagnostics company, Veredus laboratories of Singapore and a microelectronics company, STMicroelectronics of Switzerland.

VereFlu is being described as a “breakthrough molecular diagnostic test that can detect infection with high accuracy and sensitivity.”

The advantages of saving on time and cost are obvious with this chip. But that is not all, this also reduces the risk of contamination which can occur in a traditional laboratory setting.

According to Associate Professor Raymond Lin, Head of Microbiology, National University Hospital in Singapore, this device is a “powerful weapon against future influenza pandemics.”

There could be many uses of this amazing minilab, one of which is at airports. It could prove to be extremely helpful due to the rapid identification process and is certain to control the spread of disease and help in getting quick treatment.

Researchers say that VereFlu will be most helpful to health care professionals and can assist them in monitoring mutations of various flu viruses and in identifying the main strain of the season quickly.

The success of this amazing chip has prompted both the companies involved to set up a joint laboratory in order to develop other new biomedical applications using the new technology for other infectious diseases, heart disease and oncology too.

With such a great development in the medical arena, the next step can only be chips that people can carry around and be warned when they are being attacked (by viruses of course.)