GASTROENTERITIS DEFINITION

Many people blame "the stomach flu" whenever they fall ill with nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting. But stomach flu is actually a misnomer: The viruses that cause the "real" flu (influenza) don't affect the stomach. When doctors speak of stomach flu, they're usually referring to a popular name for a condition in which the digestive tract becomes irritated and inflamed. However, they are more likely to use the medical term for this condition: gastroenteritis.

Whatever you call it, gastroenteritis is a very common problem. According to a report in the April 12, 2002 issue of the online medical journal eMedicine, up to 90 million cases occur each year in the United States alone. For most healthy people, the condition is a minor illness on a par with the common cold. However, without treatment it can be deadly to the very young, the very old, or the sick and frail. In developing countries, prolonged bouts of diarrhea brought on by gastroenteritis are a leading cause of death.