How to Avoid a Stomach Bug

A stomach bug or viral gastroenteritis, affects your intestines, resulting in diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and other flu-like symptoms. Common viruses that result in gastroenteritis include the rotavirus and novovirus. Rotavirus routinely affects children, while the novovirus affects both children and adults. Intestinal viruses can enter your system when you touch contaminated surfaces, share contaminated objects such as drinking cups and when you ingest contaminated food or drinks. However, the most common way to become infected with a stomach bug involves contact with someone who is infected. Because antibiotics won't effectively treat viral infections, prevention is essential to avoid becoming sick.

Things You'll Need

• Soap
• Water
• Hand sanitizer
• Disinfectant wipes
• 2 cups bleach
• 1 gallon water
• Vaccinations

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Instructions

• 1

  Wash your hands and nails completely.

  Wash your hands with soap and water after using the restroom, after touching many public surfaces and before eating. When soap and water aren't available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol content.

• 2

  Bleach effectively kills viruses on surfaces.

  Use disinfectant wipes to wipe down surfaces after sick individuals come into contact with them. Alternatively, combine two cups of bleach with one gallon of water to clean contaminated surfaces. Allow the bleach solution to sit on surfaces for up to 10 minutes before wiping the surface clean.

• 3

  Vaccinate your children against rotavirus at 2 months old.

  Vaccinate your children against rotavirus at 2 months old, according to the Mayo Clinic. The Vaccine RotaTeq should be given three times, while Rotarix is administered twice.

• 4

  Handle food yourself.

  Prepare foods in your home until sick family members have gotten better. Food can become contaminated by sick family members, infecting others throughout the household.