Stomach flu (Gastroenteritis) treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with doctors and other healthcare providers via text, audio, or video. After you log in to your Maple account, you can request an online consultation.

Consultations work similarly to in-person appointments — the doctor can complete an assessment by asking questions about your symptoms, going through your health history, and determining what treatment is right for you. If they think your condition is more serious, they may tell you to go to a clinic for an in-person examination.

As a Maple member, you get 24/7 access to virtual primary care online and more. You can connect with our network of providers via text, audio, or video call within minutes.

Our membership costs $79.99/month and covers virtual care for patients and their families, including the primary account holder's spouse and any dependents.

For patients in eligible provinces, our membership includes:

• Access to daily primary care provider visits: One daily visit with a primary care provider for each family member in their household.
• Paediatric care: Covered paediatric primary care visits, available by appointment.
• Second medical opinions: access to a network of experts for a second opinion if diagnosed with a complex condition (e.g. cancer).
• Personal Health Check-Ins: A series of personalized, evidence-based proactive care screenings to maintain and improve health.
• iCBT courses: Access to iCBT (internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy) self-assessment and courses.
• Access to specialists in eligible provinces: Easy access to specialists on Maple within days, not months. No referral is needed.
• Specialist referrals in eligible provinces: Ability to be referred to a physician specialist for in-person care, if needed.
• Credit discounts: An $80 credit per month to be applied to a Maple specialist visit.

Please note that our membership cannot be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. In some cases, membership fees can be covered by a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) — check with your HSA provider for more details.

We accept all major credit cards, including AMEX cards, as well as Google and Apple Pay.

At Maple, we proudly prioritize privacy as a cornerstone of our virtual care services. We strictly adhere to privacy and healthcare legislation in Canada, such as PIPEDA and PHIPA regulations, to ensure patients' personal and health information remains completely private and safeguarded.

Our policies and consent processes are designed to be simple and easily understood, empowering individuals with control and a clear understanding of their healthcare journey. When using our services, a patient’s session is protected by a comprehensive security infrastructure and stringent data policies.

Patients also retain full control of their personal health information, medical records and test results at all times. Our approach is reinforced by consultations with leading experts, guaranteeing comprehensive policy frameworks that are reviewed at a regular cadence.

All providers delivering healthcare through Maple are licensed in Canada and governed by their licensing regulatory colleges, and in all instances, must act in accordance with the governing principles set out in the telemedicine policies of each medical regulator in the applicable province.

Regulators across Canada support and recognize the value of services like ours, and the way in which they can benefit patients, physicians, and Canada’s broader healthcare system by improving access to care and increasing efficiencies in the delivery of care.

Yes. In most cases, a doctor from Maple will be able to offer a gastroenteritis diagnosis by evaluating your condition, discussing your symptoms, and reviewing possible outbreaks in your community.

In some cases, the doctor may request that you submit a stool sample to a clinic for testing to determine the exact cause of your condition. This can also confirm whether the infection was caused by a bacterial or parasitic infection.

Once the doctor has determined the specific cause of your condition, they’ll be able to offer the most effective gastroenteritis treatment for your needs.

Yes. Our physicians can prescribe medications online during your consultation. Once you accept a prescription, you’ll have the option to pick it up from any pharmacy or to have it delivered to your door at no additional cost.

You can visit our How it works page to learn more.

Gastroenteritis, also known as the stomach flu, can be caused by different viruses, including noroviruses, rotaviruses, and adenoviruses, and bacterial or parasitic infections. This condition is characterized by an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, which includes the stomach and small intestine.

Because there are so many stomach flu causes, it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the condition without performing testing on stool samples.

Common stomach flu symptoms include:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea or watery stool
• Abdominal pain or cramping
• Low-grade fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches or stiffness

Most frequently, gastroenteritis is viral. This means it can be caused by a number of viruses, including noroviruses, rotaviruses, and adenoviruses.

These forms of stomach flu causes typically result from consuming contaminated food or water or coming into contact with surfaces, utensils, or clothing or towels that have been contaminated by someone carrying an active virus.

Bacterial gastroenteritis is caused by coming into contact with droplets of saliva or fecal matter from infected with E. Coli or salmonella bacteria.

Stomach flu duration depends mainly on the type of gastroenteritis and whether you receive stomach flu treatment.

The viral stomach flu incubation period can range anywhere from 12 to 72 hours and typically lasts only one or two days, but can last as long as ten days depending on the severity of the infection.

Unfortunately, because this condition is usually viral, there is no gastroenteritis treatment available other than home remedies, which are more likely to help minimize discomfort than to combat the illness. Some common viral stomach flu treatment methods include:

• Bed rest
• Avoiding foods that upset or irritate the gastrointestinal tract
• Drinking small amounts of clear fluids frequently to avoid dehydration
• Eating small portions of bland, soft foods
• Being cautious with medications that could cause additional irritation

If the gastroenteritis is discovered to be bacterial, antibiotics may be prescribed to help the body fight off the infection. Additional medications may be suggested if the gastroenteritis is believed to be caused by intestinal parasites.

Yes. Both viral and bacterial gastroenteritis are contagious and can be spread through both saliva and fecal-to-oral contact.

These can be minimized by avoiding contact with those who are infected and not consuming possibly infected food or water. Increased handwashing and sanitary measures, like sanitizing shared surfaces, frequent washing of clothes or towels, and not sharing utensils or cups, can also reduce the risks of spreading the infection.

Gastroenteritis is categorized as an inflammation or irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, which includes the stomach and small intestine, while gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining. Gastritis isn’t always necessarily caused by an infection, although it can be.

In other words, while some stomach flu symptoms are similar to those experienced by someone who has gastritis, the two conditions are different.

Moreover, while both conditions can be caused by a number of different sources, gastroenteritis is most frequently caused by a type of infection, while gastritis can commonly be caused by diet, lifestyle habits, or other underlying conditions, such as acid reflux, pernicious anemia, or autoimmune disorders.

In many cases, medical professionals will use the term gastroenteritis to describe both food poisoning and the stomach flu. This is because both can be caused by consuming food that’s contaminated with viruses, bacteria, or parasites.

Moreover, stomach flu symptoms can be the same as food poisoning, depending on the specific source of the illnesses.

This means that in most cases food poisoning would most likely be considered gastroenteritis, while not all types of gastroenteritis would be considered food poisoning.