Recovering at Last: How Long Does It Take to Gain Weight After the Stomach Flu?
Recovering at Last: How Long Does It Take to Gain Weight After the Stomach Flu?
Duration of Stomach Flu
Knowing, “how long does it take to gain weight after the stomach flu”, will vary widely depending upon each affected person. No two people will experience the dreaded illness in the exact same manner, nor will their symptoms be identical. There also remains a large scope, or time frame, that each individual will be “bogged-down” with the stomach flu.
Children may experience the dreaded stomach flu for approximately 1-2 days, and in more severe cases, up to a week, but rarely. The ability of children to recover from illness is much more rapid than those of adults. Children tend to get ample rest, enough fluids, medications, and better care than grown-ups, who tend to continuously neglect their own care.
As for adults, the duration of stomach flu may last from a two-day, typical time frame, to a staggering period of two weeks. Within two weeks, substantial weight loss can occur. The human body can go without water for approximately 24 hours before intense damage can occur. Food, however, can be staved-off for about 2 weeks without causing permanent, or severe injury, but when you’re wondering, “how long does it take to gain weight after the stomach flu”, two weeks can seem like forever.
So, What Happens When You Don’t Eat?
First, the body will be fatigued from the absence of nutrition it desperately needs to function properly. Weight loss can begin almost immediately during this time, and especially if diarrhea is very persistent. The body has the ability to begin taxing it’s resources to find food; within itself, that is. The fat and muscle content becomes an “all-you-can-eat buffet”, and the body will tap this resource to find energy.
Once enough of the vital fat and muscle content has been used, the organs are next on the menu. This is the point in which permanent, life-threatening damage can occur. Human organs cannot function properly when they are damaged, and the body reacts accordingly in an attempt to adjust to the changes. Sadly, the body cannot adapt to changes of this magnitude, and brain damage, or death, can occur.
Exactly how long does it take to gain weight after the stomach flu? It’s very likely to take approximately two weeks for you to gain weight back. In some instances, it can take longer, or an even shorter time period. If the immune system is strengthened, and appetite has steadily increased each day, the lost weight should come back without any problems.