When you think of the flu, symptoms like fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and a persistent cough likely come to mind. However, if you’ve experienced diarrhea along with your flu-like symptoms, you may be wondering whether the flu is responsible for your stomach upset or if you’ve contracted another illness altogether. While the flu is primarily a respiratory infection, diarrhea can sometimes be a symptom—especially in children. Understanding why this happens and how to manage flu-related diarrhea can help you recover more comfortably.

Influenza is a viral infection that primarily affects the respiratory system, but in some cases, it can also impact the digestive tract. This is more common in children, particularly those infected with influenza B. Studies suggest that 10% to 15% of children with influenza B experience gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea and vomiting. While diarrhea is less common in adults, it can still occur, especially during flu seasons dominated by certain influenza strains, such as H1N1 and H3N2.

The exact reason why some people experience flu-related diarrhea is not well understood. Researchers believe it may be due to the virus affecting different parts of the body beyond the lungs, triggering an immune response that causes digestive symptoms. Additionally, fever and inflammation can disrupt gut function, leading to temporary digestive distress.

Is It the Flu or the Stomach Flu?

Many people mistakenly refer to viral gastroenteritis as the “stomach flu,” but it is not caused by the influenza virus. Instead, stomach flu is typically the result of infections from other viruses, such as:

Norovirus – The most contagious cause of viral gastroenteritis

Rotavirus – Common among children, peaking between April and December

Adenovirus – Affects individuals with weakened immune systems

Astrovirus – Causes mild gastrointestinal symptoms

Unlike influenza, which primarily affects the respiratory system, stomach flu attacks the digestive tract, leading to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If your primary symptoms are digestive-related and you don’t have respiratory symptoms like cough or congestion, you may be dealing with viral gastroenteritis rather than influenza.

How Long Does Flu-Related Diarrhea Last?

Most flu symptoms, including fever, chills, and congestion, last between 2 and 5 days, though some can persist for up to 10 days. If diarrhea is a symptom of your flu, it usually follows the same timeline as other symptoms. However, in some cases, diarrhea may resolve earlier or linger slightly longer, particularly in children or individuals with weakened immune systems.

Managing Flu-Related Diarrhea at Home

While flu-related diarrhea can be uncomfortable, there are several steps you can take to manage symptoms and prevent complications like dehydration. Here’s how:

1. Stay Hydrated

Diarrhea can quickly lead to dehydration, especially when combined with fever. To maintain proper hydration, consider the following:

• Drink plenty of fluids such as water, clear broth, and electrolyte solutions like Pedialyte or Gatorade.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine, as they can increase dehydration.
• Skip sugary drinks and milk until you recover, as these can sometimes worsen diarrhea.

2. Eat Easy-to-Digest Foods

Although no strict diet is necessary, choosing light, bland foods can be gentler on your stomach. The BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast) is often recommended for temporary digestive distress. Other good options include:

• Plain crackers
• Cooked cereals
• White bread
• Simple broth-based soups

Avoid fried, fatty, or spicy foods, which may aggravate symptoms. Once you start feeling better, reintroduce a balanced diet with fiber-rich foods and proteins to restore gut health.

3. Consider Probiotics or OTC Medications

Over-the-counter probiotic supplements contain beneficial bacteria that may help restore gut balance. While they won’t necessarily stop diarrhea immediately, they can aid in recovery. Some people also find relief using anti-diarrheal medications like loperamide (Imodium), but these should be used with caution, particularly in children.

When Should You Consult a Doctor?

Most flu-related diarrhea resolves on its own, but medical attention may be necessary if:

• Symptoms persist longer than a week
• You experience severe dehydration (dry mouth, dark urine, dizziness)
• Diarrhea is accompanied by high fever (over 102°F) or bloody stools
• A child refuses to drink fluids or shows signs of lethargy

In these cases, a healthcare provider can assess whether additional treatment, such as IV fluids or antiviral medications, is necessary.

While diarrhea is not a hallmark flu symptom, it can occasionally occur, especially in children and during certain flu seasons. Understanding the difference between influenza and viral gastroenteritis can help you determine the best course of action. Managing flu-related diarrhea with hydration, light foods, and probiotics can ease symptoms and prevent complications. If symptoms worsen or persist, seeking medical attention is always the best approach.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider for medical concerns.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), globally, over 1.2 billion people ages 30 to 79 have hypertension. The number has increased from 650 million in 1990 to 1.2 billion in 2021. This increase is attributed to many factors, including lifestyle factors, which include salty indulgence, stress, and screen time which has been increased. These three impact your blood pressure levels, know how.

What Are The Three S Worsening Your Blood Pressure?

Salt

As per the Harvard Heart Publishing, an average American consumes the equivalent of about 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt per day, which is 50% more than the recommended amount.

About a third of healthy people and about 60% of people with high blood pressure are salt sensitive.

How does salt affects blood pressure?

When you consume too much sodium, your body holds on to extra water to balance the sodium levels. This added fluid increases the volume of blood in your vessels, which in turn raises your blood pressure and forces your heart to work harder. High sodium intake can also reduce the effectiveness of certain blood pressure medications. For example, diuretics help eliminate excess sodium and water, while vasodilators work by relaxing the blood vessels. However, a high-sodium diet makes your body retain fluid again, refilling those relaxed vessels and undoing the medication's effects.

Stress

As per the official publication of State Medical Society of Wisconsin, stress can cause hypertension through repeated blood pressure elevations as well as by stimulation of the nervous system to produce large amounts of vasoconstricting hormones that increase blood pressure. Factors affecting blood pressure through stress include white coat hypertension, job strain, race, social environment, and emotional distress.

As per National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, around 50 million American adults live with hypertension, defined as a systolic blood pressure over 139 mm Hg or diastolic pressure over 89 mm Hg. In about 95% of these cases, the condition is classified as "essential" hypertension, meaning there’s no single identifiable cause. However, experts agree that multiple factors—including stress—can contribute to rising blood pressure in these individuals.

Screentime

As per a 2024 study published in Cureus, hypertension is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease. The study links the increased accessibility of smartphones with the increasing hypertension.

This study explored the relationship between screen time and blood pressure (BP) among young adults.

The study also noted that higher screen time was more common among individuals using multiple devices. The prevalence of elevated BP in the sample was 35.8%, aligning with national data and raising concerns about the cardiovascular health of young adults.

Previous studies support these concerns. For instance, Nang et al. and Martinez-Gomez et al. linked prolonged TV viewing to higher BP and an adverse cardiovascular risk profile in adolescents. However, these relied on self-reported data. Other risk factors, such as age, gender, obesity, inactivity, and substance use, have also been linked to hypertension.

Women’s reproductive health is a sensitive subject. Even though there have been many advancements in women’s healthcare, large gaps in research and medical well-being of women have been observed. The general lack of information regarding women’s healthcare and education have also been highlighted in the recent years.

While you may think it is not a matter of urgency, a new report found a very concerning toxin in tampons, levels of which were higher than what is even allowed in drinking water.

A new report from two groups, the Women's Environmental Network (WEN) and Pesticide Action Network UK, has raised serious concerns. They found harmful chemicals in many of the menstrual products sold in regular stores across Britain. The study was particularly worried about finding pesticides, especially glyphosate, which is the most common weed killer used worldwide, in these products that women use in a very sensitive part of their bodies.

Disturbing Levels of Pesticides Detected

The findings are quite shocking. Tampons are a largely used menstruation product, which soaks the menstrual blood by insertion in the vaginal canal. The World Health Organization, a global health authority, has said that glyphosate probably causes cancer. Even more alarmingly, one box of tampons had levels of glyphosate that were 40 times higher than what's legally allowed in drinking water!

It's thought this happens because the pesticide might be sprayed on the cotton crops that are used to make tampons. The report also found another dangerous chemical called chlorpyrifos in some tampons. This is an insecticide that's actually banned in the UK because it can harm the brain and nervous system.

The report was very clear about how serious this is: they said that for some chemicals, there's no safe amount, so any trace found in period products should be less than what can even be detected.

Direct Threat to Health

There's worry about how these chemicals might affect health. This is because a part of the body that absorbs things very easily, the vagina, lets chemicals skip the body's natural cleaning systems and go straight into the blood. People are saying this isn't just careless, it's actually dangerous. They also feel it's wrong that these kinds of chemicals are still in period products today.

Lack of Regulation and Impact on Farmers

The report pointed out a major problem: there are no specific rules in the UK for these products. Manufacturers don't have to tell you what's in their products, and there are no laws to stop pesticide residue from ending up in the final product you buy.

The issue also affects cotton farmers. The report highlighted that "cotton farmers are being exposed to toxic pesticides at concerning levels." Many of these farmers are women, and they face health risks every day from working with these dangerous pesticides both on their farms and even in their homes.

Demands for Clearer Information and Change

People are strongly demanding that the industry be more open. It's simply not okay that users don't know what's in products they use on such private parts of their bodies. There's an urgent need for companies to be transparent (show all ingredients), take accountability (be responsible for their products), and make real changes in how things are done. This is because everyone who has a period deserves better and safer products.

The report asks the government to act quickly:

• Test period products very strictly.
• Make it a legal rule for companies to list every ingredient and extra chemical.
• Include organic, disposable period products in free school programs.

Concern regarding pollution and how it affects our health is a worry that affects many of us worldwide. As years pass on by, the pollution levels are also increasing, and so is our mortality risk. The World Health Organization (WHO) explains that exposure to air pollution is strongly linked with stroke, ischaemic heart disease, lung diseases etc. However, these are not the only things you must worry about when it comes to air pollution exposure. A new study shows that it could also affect the way our brain functions.

A study from Italy, published in a science journal called iScience, found a really important clue in our genes. It seems that when we breathe in polluted air, it can actually change how our genes work in the brain. Think of it like flipping a switch that creates the perfect conditions for diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's to start growing.

Early Warning Signs and High-Risk Groups

The researchers saw some worrying changes even in young adults. Their brain tissue showed signs of DNA damage that looked a lot like what you'd see in someone with Alzheimer's – but decades before they would normally be diagnosed. This is a huge red flag.

Certain jobs also put people at a higher risk. If you're a miner, factory worker, or driver, you're exposed to more polluted air. Even people who work with plastics face a hidden danger from tiny particles called nanoparticles that can get into their brains.

But here's some good news: this discovery could mean doctors can check for these changes without needing to do anything invasive, like surgery. They might be able to test for something called extracellular vesicles. These are like tiny packages that carry material from damaged brain cells. So, if we can test for these packages, it could give us an early warning sign from the brain itself.

Understanding the Complexities and Taking Precautions

It's clear that being generally unhealthy and breathing polluted air from a young age can increase your risk of these brain conditions. However, we still need a lot more research to fully understand how everything is connected. Experts from News Medical have pointed out that studying air pollution is tricky because the air we breathe in the real world is a mix of many different pollutants.

To help protect yourself on days when pollution levels are high, organizations like Asthma + Lung UK suggest some simple steps:

• Stay indoors as much as possible.
• Avoid exercising outside, especially vigorous activity.
• If you're walking, try to stay away from busy roads with heavy traffic.
• Keep your car windows closed when driving in traffic.
• If you do want to be active outdoors, try to do it earlier in the day, as the air tends to be cleaner then.

Looking Ahead: Prevention and Policy

There's a big call for more research to understand how air pollution affects younger people and other parts of our brain's thinking abilities. The results of this research could lead to exciting new ways to prevent these diseases. It could also push for better safety rules in workplaces, stricter environmental standards to clean up our air, and even new laws to protect public health from air pollution.