Food poisoning vs stomach flu: What's causing your nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea?
But hold your Google review just yet. As plausible as those foods might be responsible for your double-ended purging (you know, vomiting and diarrhoea-ing), the last meal you had may not be the culprit. That's because there's an incubation period before the symptoms of food poisoning show up. And even so, it might be a stomach flu, not food poisoning, that's causing you so much grief.
Gastroenteritis, which includes both food poisoning and stomach flu, often leads to the inflammation of the stomach or intestine; and inflammation is what makes these organs feel swollen and sore – and causes symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
But pain is pain, no? Why should it matter whether it's caused by food poisoning or a stomach flu? We find out:
WHAT ARE THE USUAL CAUSES OF FOOD POISONING AND STOMACH FLU?
Food poisoning is often linked to improper food handling or storage, said Dr Daniel Lee, a senior colorectal surgeon with Colorectal Clinic Associates. 'The common sources include undercooked seafood, such as sushi or shellfish, and hawker fare like half-cooked eggs or grilled meats that may not be properly stored or cooked.'
Stomach flu or viral gastroenteritis, on the other hand, is caused by viruses such as norovirus, rotavirus or adenovirus, according to Dr Melvin Look, the director of PanAsia Surgery and a consultant surgeon in gastrointestinal, laparoscopic and obesity surgery.
"They can be found in the faeces and vomit of a person who is infected, and you can become infected if you come into close contact with contaminated objects and surfaces," said Dr Look. "You can also get it if you consume food and drinks prepared by a food handler who is infected."
As such, stomach flu can be easily transmitted from person to person, especially in schools, childcare centres and crowded spaces, said Dr Lee. 'In past incidents investigated by the Ministry of Health, norovirus outbreaks in childcare centres were linked to poor handwashing and surface hygiene, with rapid spread among children and staff,' he highlighted.
HOW ARE THE SYMPTOMS DIFFERENT FOR FOOD POISONING AND STOMACH FLU?
Both conditions cause similar symptoms – nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and/or stomach cramps – according to Dr Benjamin Yip, a gastroenterologist and the medical director of Alpha Digestive & Liver Centre. But in stomach flu, you may also experience a low-grade fever, muscle aches and fatigue, he said.
As for which is more serious, Dr Lee, opined that food poisoning can be more dangerous, especially when caused by toxin-producing bacteria that can lead to severe complications.
'In Singapore, there have been past incidents where contaminated food from commercial establishments resulted in widespread illness and fatalities,' highlighted Dr Lee. 'In contrast, stomach flu outbreaks in childcare centres and schools are common but are usually mild and self-limiting.'
Dr Yip agreed but added that the timeliness of treatment plays a role, too. 'Some types of food poisoning can lead to more severe complications than stomach flu, especially in vulnerable individuals such as the elderly, young children or those with weakened immune systems.'
So, 'it's not always accurate to say one is more serious than the other. It really depends on the cause, the person's health and how quickly treatment is received', said Dr Yip.
BUT THE FOOD YOU ATE SMELLED AND TASTED PERFECTLY FINE
"The pathogenic (harmful) bacteria that cause foodborne illness are different from spoilage bacteria that cause food to go deteriorate and go bad," said Dr Look. "That is why food that is contaminated with bacteria that can cause food poisoning often does not smell bad. Neither does the contaminated food have an unpleasant taste or texture."
And it doesn't take much for such bacteria to wreak havoc. "Even a minute quantity of raw chicken juice can produce a campylobacter infection that can result in bloody diarrhoea," warned Dr Look.
Cooked food isn't entirely safe either. You should avoid eating cooked food that has been left in the open, especially overnight. "Bacteria that have contaminated cooked foods can multiply to dangerous levels in one or two hours at room temperature," said Dr Look.
KEEP, REHEAT AND EAT LEFTOVERS
Here's how to use your leftovers without worrying about getting a stomachache, said Dr Melvin Look, the director of PanAsia Surgery and a consultant surgeon in gastrointestinal, laparoscopic and obesity surgery:
How to store leftovers: Cool the food quickly within 90 minutes and store it in the fridge in individual lidded containers or sealed bags to prevent cross-contamination. Do not put hot foods directly into the refrigerator as this may warm up the compartment and allow food that is already in there to go bad.
How to reheat food: Maintain the temperature at 70 degrees Celsius or above for at least two minutes. A good guide is that it should be piping hot throughout.
How to keep cooked food: Consume with minimum delay. Otherwise, store the food chilled in the refrigerator or keep hot above 60 degrees Celsius in a thermos flask.
How soon to consume leftovers: Within the next two days. Any food that is meant to be kept longer should go straight to the freezer and not the fridge.
HOW SOON DO THE SYMPTOMS USUALLY APPEAR?
'Food poisoning is usually the result of consuming contaminated food or drinks, with symptoms appearing rapidly – sometimes within one to six hours,' said Dr Lee. But when it comes to bacterial food poisoning that involves salmonella or E. coli, the microbes may take longer to multiply and cause symptoms, said Dr Reuben Wong, a gastroenterologist at Gleneagles Hospital's gutCARE.
For instance, said Dr Wong, salmonella starts to show signs 12 to 72 hours after infection, while E. coli can take one to eight days to hit. For listeria, which is particularly fatal to unborn babies and newborns, the first signs of infection may only show 30 days or more after infection.
However, there are some bacteria, such as staphylococcus aureus, that can produce toxins that show symptoms within hours, said Dr Yip. 'The food poisoning symptoms often appear quickly, sometimes within one to six hours.'
'In contrast,' said Dr Lee, 'stomach flu or viral gastroenteritis is caused by viruses such as norovirus and spreads through contact with infected individuals or contaminated surfaces, with symptoms usually appearing one to three days after exposure.'
'In short,' he surmised, 'food poisoning tends to have a sudden onset and may be more severe, while stomach flu often develops more gradually, and may include body aches and fever.'
CAN YOU DEVELOP BOTH FOOD POISONING AND A STOMACH FLU?
Yes, although it is quite uncommon, said the doctors. 'For example, you could have eaten contaminated food at a party or shared meal, while also being exposed to a stomach flu virus in the same setting,' explained Dr Yip.
Dr Lee warned that 'having both conditions at the same time may result in more severe symptoms, including prolonged vomiting, diarrhoea, dehydration and fatigue'. 'It's best to seek medical attention, especially for young children or older adults,' he advised.
WHEN SHOULD YOU SEE A DOCTOR?
'Most cases of food poisoning or stomach flu are mild and get better on their own within a few days,' said Dr Lee. 'You can usually manage symptoms like vomiting and diarrhoea at home by staying hydrated, resting and taking small sips of fluids or oral rehydration salts.'
A word of caution, said Dr Lee, is to not dismiss ongoing diarrhoea or stomach discomfort as just a lingering stomach bug. 'If these symptoms persist beyond a few weeks, they could be early warning signs of underlying colorectal conditions, including colorectal cancer.'
He added: 'We generally advise seeking medical advice for any persistent or recurrent changes in bowel habits. It's important to listen to your body; if something feels off, especially for those over 40 or with a family history of colorectal cancer, it's always better to check early than to wait'.
However, go to the doctor immediately, said Dr Yip, if you experience:
"One of the important advances we now have in managing food poisoning is the ability to quickly identify, within a few hours, the causative pathogen by a stool test called the Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel," said Dr Look.
"More than 20 common bacteria, viruses and parasites can be accurately detected using a molecular diagnostic technique called multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction. Knowing the exact bug causing the food poisoning allows us to plan the treatment better."
Hospitalisation, antibiotics and further treatment may be needed for severe food poisoning, said Dr Look. "In the rare cases of very severe infection leading to septicaemia, this can result in liver and kidney damage and multi-organ failure."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
6 minutes ago
- CNA
Can botox really improve your self-esteem? Depends on how you already feel about yourself, say experts
These days, for every flaw we perceive about our bodies, there seems to be a treatment, procedure or regimen designed to "fix" each one. Social media is rife with content promising aesthetic perfection. We fixate on beauty standards led by influencers, going down the rabbit hole of tutorials and tell-alls on how to achieve sculpted jawlines or glass-like skin. Counsellor Bethany Chuah from psychological consultancy firm Mind What Matters said that studies have shown a clear link between social media materials such as these and an increase in cosmetic procedures. Filtered images create the illusion that constant self-enhancement is normal or even necessary, and this can be psychologically risky. The sea change is clear: Cosmetic procedures used to be something we kept hush-hush, but they are appearing more in public discourse and conversations. Recently, American personality Kylie Jenner made a comment on a fan's TikTok video that quickly went viral, sharing the details of her breast augmentation surgery, down to the name of the surgeon and implant size. Men are not exempt from similar pursuits. One of the newer trends to surface on online communities is "looksmaxxing", where young men seek to enhance their "sexual market value" through facial massages and cosmetic surgeries. It has spawned a peculiar vocabulary used by those who subscribe to these ideas when discussing about their features. For instance, "mewing" refers to a tongue exercise that purportedly sharpens jaw shapes, "IPDs" refers to interpupillary distance or the gap between the eyes, and "canthal tilt" is used to describe the angle of the eyes. In Singapore, the Ministry of Health said that the number of licensed providers offering aesthetic services rose by an average of about 40 a year between 2020 and 2023. More young Singaporeans are opting for "injectables" such as botox and collagen shots. Mental health experts told CNA TODAY that body dissatisfaction is normal to a certain extent. For instance, adolescents aim to look "cool" or be consistent with a certain image of themselves. Mr Benjamin Low, senior clinical psychologist at specialist clinic Psych Connect, said that women, in particular, experience "normative discontent". This means they are often encouraged to be discontented with their looks and seek to appear better. However, "better" is defined according to prevailing ideals in society. The insecurity we may feel about our faces or bodies is nothing new, but we now have the means to do something about it. We can smooth out every wrinkle, regrow every hairline. With all these new avenues for "improvement", imperfection now seems intolerable. Fake is no longer taboo; unreal is the new norm. Yet, given how easy it is to step into a clinic and book a consultation – or even an appointment for a procedure right away – how can we tell if we are doing it for the right reasons? Are we acting out of an unhealthy insecurity about our faces or bodies? Can a desire to undertake such procedures ever come from a neutral, grounded place? BODY POSITIVITY OR INSECURITY? Firstly, it is important to note that there are differences in facial and body enhancements. Invasive surgeries involve using an instrument to make skin incisions, often leaving scars. Some examples are nose reshaping, body contouring or facial surgery. On the other hand, non-invasive procedures leave the skin intact and are usually performed via syringes or lasers. These cheaper, more convenient options usually don't require general anaesthesia and require less time for the patient to recover. Facial injections such as botox and dermal fillers fall under this category. Both invasive and non-invasive procedures are getting increasingly popular. However, when is a person's desire for such an intervention borne out of a simple want for self-enhancement, and when does it reflect darker psychological causes? Counsellor and psychotherapist Ana Jeremiah, who runs private practice The Journey Within, said that it is important to hold space for both sides of the spectrum. "When it is about self-enhancement, the decision usually stems from a place of clarity and self-agency," she said. In this case, these people likely already feel generally fine with themselves but want to align their outer appearance with how they feel inside. They are not driven by fear, pressure to conform or a need to be accepted and they can reflect honestly about their intent behind seeking a procedure. Ms Jeremiah added: "They might be happy with who they are and where they are in life, and choose to undergo a procedure as a form of self-expression or even a personal reward, rather than out of shame or the hope that changing their appearance will solve deeper emotional pain." One of her clients made the decision to undergo such a procedure from a self-aware position, and it ended up supporting her self-confidence. Ms Jeremiah attributes this to her client not making the mistake of letting her decision-making be driven by insecurity. On the flip side, choices that stem from unhealthy reasons may not achieve the desired outcome. "(Those) rooted in insecurity often carry urgency, shame or the belief that changing their appearance will finally make them feel 'enough', loved or accepted," Ms Jeremiah said. Mr Low highlighted this factor for those who feel that most or all of their self-worth is based on their appearance. Such individuals may feel great discomfort in situations where their appearance may be noticed, for instance, in mirrors or among people. "Grounds for suspecting an unhealthy cause are increased if the perceived flaw is not commonly seen as a flaw in the person's culture or if the flaw is barely noticeable objectively," he added. OBSESSIVE CHECKING Mr Low also stressed that if a person keeps looking at and negatively evaluating the state of the perceived flaw, their motivation for "fixing" it is likely to be psychologically unhealthy. Such individuals may also often try to conceal the flaw, he said. For example, avoiding physical interaction with people, or wearing jackets to conceal perceived fat despite hot weather. This masking or avoidance behaviour can occur despite their desire to socialise with friends, for instance, or to dress lighter in humid climates. Another red flag indicating unhealthy mindsets or attitudes is when people go for repeated procedures. Mr Low pointed out that in such cases, the risk is that procedures borne out of unhealthy psychological causes will never be enough. To self-identify a facial feature or body part as unsatisfactory or unseemly and then addressing it with external procedures might offer temporary relief, but "dissatisfaction with the same (feature or) part may resurface", he warned. "They may also feel that the procedure did not fix it to their full satisfaction despite a technical success." Alternatively, these people might simply shift their fixation to a different feature or part. "A physical fix does not fix a psychological cause," he added. Another sign of trouble is if people seeking cosmetic enhancements believe that the procedures will magically fix unrelated areas of their life – suddenly finding love, for instance, or gaining social acceptance, Ms Chuah of Mind What Matters said. Mr Jasper Loy, clinical director of Youthline, a youth service that provides free counselling, said that such individuals might not acknowledge the risks, pain, recovery time or potential for less-than-perfect results. Strong resistance to any psychological evaluation or counselling before surgery is a potential indication that they are unwilling to address the underlying issues driving their desire for surgery and other procedures, he added. "Cosmetic procedures can become a slippery slope. Each change briefly soothes insecurity, but doesn't address the root cause (of this need)," Ms Chuah emphasised. "Long-term body confidence often requires deeper work." If someone is considering a procedure, Ms Jeremiah offered some important questions that they should ask themselves: "Am I doing this to honour and express who I already am, or to finally feel 'enough' in the eyes of others?" This question helps clarify their motivation "If no one ever noticed or complimented the change, would I still want to do this?" This question gently invites one to reflect on whether the desire is truly for themselves or if it is rooted in external validation CONFIDENCE COMES FROM WITHIN Overall, Ms Chuah said genuine body confidence cannot come from a scalpel or syringe, but rather "from within". Building self-worth takes reflection, compassion and support from people who see your value beyond your appearance, she explained. "It is not a quick fix, but the results are longer-lasting than any procedure." Mr Loy from Youthline agreed that journeying towards self-acceptance requires patience. The ideal body is a myth, he said, and chasing it can lead to dissatisfaction and insecurity. Instead, we are better off learning to love ourselves as we are, recognising our inherent worth and celebrating our unique qualities, he advised. Worried that your friend, family member or loved one is considering an aesthetic procedure for the "wrong" reasons? The key is to lead with empathy, not judgment, the counsellors said. Instead of telling them what to do or what not to do, try to focus instead on helping them make an informed, self-aware decision, Ms Chuah proposed. Mr Low said that concern can start with care but then escalate into worry, persuasion and coercion. Avoid criticising them, he advised. Such criticisms may result in the distressed person feeling that they are a "problem" or are seen by others as one. Instead, Ms Chuah suggested asking open-ended questions to understand their perspectives and help them feel safe to honestly explore their motivations. Ms Jeremiah listed some prompts aimed at creating space for reflection without shame. For example, "What is leading you to consider this?' or "What do you hope it might change for you emotionally?" "Remind them that you care about them as a whole person," she added.
Independent Singapore
5 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Experts link rise in suicides among Singaporeans in their 30s to job insecurity, family pressures, and mental health stress
SINGAPORE: Job insecurity, family pressures, and mental health struggles are among the reasons behind the rise in suicides among those in their 30s in Singapore, according to experts. New figures released on July 19 showed 75 individuals in their 30s died by suicide in 2024, up from 66 in the previous year. It was also the highest number recorded among all age groups, based on provisional data cited by Channel News Asia (CNA) . Principal clinical psychologist Dr Sharon Lu of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) told CNA that those in their 30s—the sandwich generation—juggle building their careers, raising children, and caring for ageing parents, while also managing financial pressure. At the same time, they worry about job security, housing loans, and daily family expenses. 'The pressure to meet societal expectations and perceived life achievements can further compound these stresses and create social isolation,' she added. Dr Lu noted that suicide is rarely caused by one issue alone and is the result of biological, psychological, social, and cultural risk factors, along with a lack of resilience factors. See also Woman who threw her son from 9th storey flat jailed 5 years While many assume that depression is the cause of all suicides, Dr Lu said that 'someone who is not depressed can still be suicidal.' Psychiatrist and deputy medical director Dr David Teo of Connections MindHealth said many in their 30s start to question whether they've reached the goals they set in their 20s, and when those go unfulfilled, it can lead to 'a sense of failure or hopelessness.' He also pointed to the role of social media, which often fuels comparison and leaves people feeling left behind. SOS' senior manager and lead counsellor Chan May Peng also noted that those in their 30s are 'at crossroads'—questioning career choices, managing relationship commitments, and adjusting to caregiving roles, with some having little or no support. Dr Teo said having a strong social support system is important, while Dr Lu added that prioritising self-care, practicing self-compassion, and maintaining a clear work-life balance can help too. See also NTUC Study reveals Singaporeans fear becoming Sandwich Generation 'Sometimes, people may feel like they don't have enough time for self-care, but it is not something to be done only when it's convenient,' said Dr Lu. Regular exercise, getting enough sleep, meditation, and improving financial habits can all help. Ms Chan also suggested simple ways to reset mentally, like taking short walks in the park while listening to music, journaling, and shifting focus away from overwhelming thoughts, which can create space for emotional recovery and reduce mental load. Experts advised checking in, listening, and encouraging those showing signs of distress or talking about death. Mental health professionals pointed out that signs of stress may not always be obvious. Changes in sleep and appetite, physical fatigue, irritability, or anxiety could be warning signs. Ms Chua from SOS said asking someone directly if they've been thinking about suicide creates a safe space for someone to open up. Dr Teo added that you can also encourage them to seek professional help immediately and check in with them regularly to remind them they're not alone. Dr Lu said giving away personal items, pulling away from others, or changes in what they like or share on social media could be signs someone is at risk. Many who are suicidal already feel guilty or like a burden. What they need most, said Ms Chan, is someone who will listen without judgment, validate their pain, and encourage them to seek help. If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available through the National Mental Health Helpline (1771), the Samaritans of Singapore Hotline (1767), and the Singapore Association for Mental Health Helpline (1800 283 7019). /TISG Read also: Chinese company's 'unhappy leave' draws mixed reactions from netizens; one says it's just a way of 'protecting their loss margin'
CNA
21 hours ago
- CNA
Fertility Support SG launches workplace guide to better support women undergoing treatment
According to a national survey, 77% of Singaporeans said pursuing fertility treatments come at a cost to their careers. Over a third of workers kept silent about their IVF treatment — worried about stigma, discrimination, or how it might affect their careers. To better support those going through treatments, social advocacy group Fertility Support SG has launched a guidebook for employers. Some recommendations include offering leave during treatment, as well as providing financial and emotional support resources. Caitlin Ng reports.
