Stomach viruses can enter your mouth, nose, and eyes. But there’s plenty you can do to prevent getting sick after you come into contact with them.

A stomach virus is an infectious microscopic organism that can get into your digestive tract through openings on your body, such as your mouth, nose, and eyes. It can cause painful inflammation as it attacks your tissues, resulting in gastroenteritis.

There are four common stomach viruses, which differ from infectious stomach bacteria because they’re not technically alive. Viruses, unlike bacteria, have to use the cells in your body to be able to grow and do not grow in colonies. They cannot be treated with antibiotics, as these medications only work against bacterial cells.

People often refer to a stomach virus as the “stomach flu” or a “stomach bug,” and they are pretty common. But there’s plenty you can do to avoid it by preventing the viruses that cause it from entering your body through your mouth, nose, and eyes.

Read on to learn more about how to stop yourself from getting sick from a stomach virus, what symptoms to monitor when you think you might be getting sick, and when to get medical help.

The most common stomach viruses include:

You can help stop yourself from getting sick from a stomach virus even after you’ve been exposed to it. Here are some tips to help prevent the most serious symptoms and complications of a stomach virus:

  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds: Always wash your hands after you use the bathroom or before you begin preparing food. Use hand sanitizer that’s at least 60% alcohol if there’s no soap and water nearby.
  • Don’t use the same items as someone who’s sick or if you’re sick: This includes plates, utensils, towels, or anything else that may touch the eyes, nose, or mouth of someone with a virus.
  • Don’t eat foods that aren’t cooked: Avoid raw foods like seafood or undercooked meats and vegetables that can carry infectious bacteria or viruses that can make an illness worse.
  • Wash everything you eat thoroughly before you cook or prepare it: Be sure to sanitize any areas where you cook or prepare raw meat or vegetables that can carry infectious microbes and cause food-borne illness.
  • Be careful drinking tap water in some places you travel: Tap water in different places can carry different types of viruses and other infectious microbes to which your body may not be accustomed. Carry bottled water when possible in these places.
  • If you have small children, make sure they’re vaccinated against rotavirus: Unvaccinated children under 3 years old are more likely to get stomach virus infections, especially if they’re around a lot of other children.

Symptoms caused by norovirus usually start to appear within 12 to 48 hours after you’ve been exposed to the virus. Symptoms of an adenovirus infection sometimes don’t appear until 3 to 8 days after exposure.

Here are some of the most common symptoms of a stomach flu after infection by a stomach virus:

Contact a doctor if you notice any of the following symptoms of a stomach virus infection:

Those older than 65 years or younger than 2 who experience these symptoms for more than 24 hours should be seen by a doctor, as serious complications from these illnesses are more likely.

Medical emergency

Go to the nearest emergency room or call emergency medical services if you experience serious complications like seizures or hypovolemic shock, which happens when you don’t have enough fluid or blood in your body.

Is a stomach flu contagious?

Stomach flu, especially when it’s caused by norovirus, is very contagious. Gastroenteritis can be spread when you’re exposed to stool or vomit from a person with the virus or if you touch objects that have been contaminated with the virus.

How long is stomach bug contagious in adults and children?

A stomach bug is contagious in adults and children from 10 days to 2 weeks after you get sick. You won’t always show symptoms of a stomach bug when you’re first exposed and even after you get better. Be sure to follow preventive measures for at least a week after symptoms end.

How long does it take to get sick with a stomach virus?

On average, you may not get sick with a stomach virus for at least 48 hours after you’re exposed to it. But symptoms can begin as soon as 12 hours after exposure.

Stomach viruses can cause painful inflammation in your abdomen, and they can cause serious complications if they’re not treated.

Follow prevention techniques like washing your hands and not sharing contaminated objects to help keep yourself from getting sick even after you’re exposed to a stomach virus.