3. Cramping, Bloating, and Stomach Pain
As the infection starts to present symptoms, one of the initial signs of gastroenteritis is a slow progression of bloating and gas that leads to cramping and stomach pain. These symptoms vary in their intensity depending on the strain of the virus or bacteria infecting the person.
Some people experience violent symptoms of bloating and gas straight away, while others may take 12 to 18-hours to notice the full extent of these symptoms. Cramping and bloating makes the person feel lethargic, and they may be unable to walk or get out of bed.
During this stage of the infection, it’s best for patients to remain in bed and ride out the effects of the symptoms. Since viral or bacterial gastroenteritis has no cure, the infected individual will have to let the pathogens work its way out of their system by itself. In most cases, these symptoms of bloating and cramping start to subside after 24 to 48-hours.