Stomach flu is a common term although it is not a real diagnosis. The appropriate medical term of stomach flu is gastroenteritis. This means an intestinal infection or disease. Sometimes it could be viral, and it could also be a bacterial infection. Note that it could be mistaken for influenza. This is because symptoms of influenza caused by virus sometimes include vomiting and diarrhea.

Can You Get Stomach Flu Twice?

The answer to the above question is a big YES. This is because there are different kinds of viruses that cause stomach flu and hence there is a high likelihood of catching it twice. However, you cannot catch the same flu, but can get similar symptoms to the first flu you caught. This is because immunity builds up the first time you catch stomach flu. This helps fight the flu if it tries to enter your system again. Nonetheless, you would still catch the same stomach flu if you got infected by a different virus that your body does not recognize.

For instance, if you got stomach flu today, and cleared it tomorrow, then it reappears days later, it is the same flu just that you did not entirely get rid of it in the first place. However, if you got the same flu this month and it reappears months later, it is a different stomach flu.

The worst part of gastroenteritis is its symptoms can be caused by other things such as bacterial infections like the salmonella and E.coli that harbor in contaminated food sources. Other causes of this illness include inflammatory bowel disease and emotional disorders that could lead to serious complications as a result of stomach flu.

Generally, the above are some of the causes of stomach flu. That said, it is true to say you can catch stomach flu twice. Watch a video for stomach flu treatment and prevention measures: