Is this a thing?

[kevinsmum23]

Weird one but ds14 has been off colour since the weekend. Pale, lethargic and complaining of stomach ache. He started with a bad episode of diarrhoea yesterday and has had several more since then. Kept him off school obviously.

My mum thinks it could be to do with him having cold in his stomach since it was minus temperatures last week and he was out without a coat on (teenagers 🙄). I asked if that was the same as a stomach bug and she said no it's not a bug because he's been unwell since the weekend with stomach ache (although diarrhoea only began yesterday). Bugs are usually swifter in symptoms and recovery apparently.

Is cold in the stomach a thing?! Can cold weather cause this sort of thing? If so it's news to me!

Is cold in the stomach a thing?! Can cold weather cause this sort of thing?

No it isn't. No it can't.

He's likely just got a stomach bug or has eaten something that's disagreed with him. Nothing to do with the weather.

You might want to look up symptoms of appendicitis, just in case, as that can start with stomach pain, then develop to sickness and the shits etc. But no, he hasn't got 'a cold in the stomach' and your mum is talking utter bollocks.

I think I've heard of a stomach cold before but dismissed it as maybe nonsense. Could be a thing? If we redefine the 'cold' bit?

Also, we don't get colds from being cold. So... let's hope a more knowledgeable poster comes along and maybe there will be a consensus on this

It is in non western medicine

Gastroenteritis was always known as a 'cold in the stomach' to my mum's generation and she'd be 94 now if she was alive.

Obviously it's not going to be caused by not wearing a coat though.

That's fine but that doesn't make it scientific fact, any more than the popular western idea that sitting on a cold stone wall gives you piles is scientific fact.

Nothing to do with not wearing a coat! It'll either be gastroenteritis, or stomach 'flu. Not norovirus if he's not vomiting. Both of the former can come on swiftly or over a matter of days.

No I didn't think so lol.

Will look up appendicitis. Although he's happy enough in himself and not really in any pain now. Just struggling to keep food in for any length of time.

Being out in -4 weather with no coat on probably didn't do a lot for his immunity through.

It's stomach flu that's all she means.

No… it will be most likely a virus or bacteria from contaminated food. (My bet is a virus.)

My mil always bangs on about if you eat something cold you will "chill your stomache:...pisses me off immensely