Stomach Flu - Rockland,MA

My daughter is 14 and she's never had a stomach flu. I'm 42 and I've only had it twice and honestly I think it wasn't really the flu but bad food.

It depends on what is going around. Last year we had it once. This year it has made its way through the house a few times and twice since school started. Teach them how important it is to wash your hands.

Throwing up is the pits. But there's no real way to anticipate how often your kids might get sick. The "stomach flu" is not actually a flu, but a variety of viral (and occasionally bacterial) infections that can cause gastric upset. There is no immunization from these "flus" in the annual flu shot, except to the extent that some people also get some stomach symptoms along with the respiratory flu viruses. (More info here: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/flu-shot/AN01778)

Frequency of infection depends a lot on how good their general immune response is, how large their social circle is, what infections might be going around, and whether they practice good hygiene. My grandson goes to daycare and has had only one or two rounds of tummy bugs ever, and he's now 5.

Good luck!

My kids and I already had the stomach flu. It lasted a few days and was nasty.

I blame myself partially for getting it from them because I didn't wash my hands as often as I should of. So, my advice is just to keep reiterating the hand washing thing with your kids and do the same.

Hopefully, you avoid the flu this season. Good luck!

once in a couple of years. handwashing strongly recommended. what sucks about the stomach flu is that it hits family members one at a time, so even though it can last 24 to 48 hrs, it usually stays for a week per household hitting all. we had it once 3 years ago and i can say by the time i got it i was ready to die.

Once a year in our house. Not the "flu" but a bug of vomiting and diarrhea, usually 24 hours per person and not all at once.

I am 33 years old and have only had the honest to goodness stomach flu twice!

My kids are 7, 5 & 2 and all got it (for the first time) a couple months ago...it sucked BIG!

I would say to get the flu shots...wash your/their hands regularly and take some vitamins and try not to stress about it too much!

It can be prevented. Just make sure everyone in the house has a flu shot. Be really good about washing hands. Take vitamins, and stay hydrayted. Lots of water! Try and stay away from others that are sick.

Good luck and hopefully your family stays healthy :)

Depends on the child's immune system. It helps to wash hands a lot, but the best thing to do is use a comprehensive liquid children's supplement like Reliv's NOW for Kids - it's a powder you mix in water, which is way better than something premixed, and 100 times better than a vitamin pill (which doesn't dissolve, isn't absorbed, and has a warning label that says to keep away from children!). A strong immune system with better absorption of the food they eat, and a particularly strong digestive system (where food is absorbed and germs can't gain a foothold) is the best defense. Everyone gets exposed to bacteria and viruses - some people fight them off better than others. My family hasn't been sick in over 3 years - nothing. Not a cold, not a stomach flu, nothing.

No one likes vomiting but you need to fortify yourselves - you can't avoid being in contact with it, you can only avoid being afflicted by it!

Edit - the flu shots have nothing to do with the belly flu! Zero! Totally unrelated.