With the colder weather of late fall and winter, come a few different illnesses.

Guthrie County Health Services Director Jotham Arber says that many people immediately think of respiratory illnesses when they think of winter time sickness, but that there is another common illness that many people contract, which is the stomach flu. While many may believe that the stomach flu and respiratory influenza are related, Arber tells Raccoon Valley Radio that they aren’t.

“There’s a difference. Stomach flu, and you hear flu, kind of intermingled, but the one is respiratory. Influenza is respiratory, and that can land you in the hospital really quickly, and you’ve got a three day incubation period. The stomach flu, however, can be all kinds of other things that are going on, and that’s where you get that upset stomach and you might feel awful.”

Arber adds that while the two illnesses are different, there are things that individuals can do to help stop from contracting either, and to recover from both. He explains that proper hygiene, washing your hands, following any instructions from a doctor, proper nutrition and a proper amount of rest can help in deterring and recovering from sickness.