What Causes Stomachaches?

Stomach Virus

Stomach pain is often caused by a stomach virus, which are viral infections that attack the digestive system. There are a number of stomach virus strains, though the one that most commonly occurs in the United States is a norovirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that between nineteen and twenty-one norovirus infections occur in the United States every year. They most commonly occur throughout the winter, but it's also possible to contract them in the summer. Norovirus infections can be transmitted through drinking contaminated water, eating contaminated food, touching infected individuals and then touching the mouth, or touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the mouth. Noroviruses frequently mutate, so many individuals will catch more than one over the course of their lives.