Not counting any mid or post-puke coughing, stomach bugs rarely have any respiratory involvement, as the official website for the Mayo Clinic noted. I know how tricky it can be to differentiate between a gagging cough and a chest or productive cough. But if your little one's bouts of coughing or irritated throats only occur after vomiting, then it's fairly safe to rule out a respiratory virus, like influenza (the flu).

The official website for the Alberta Health Services noted that, with a stomach bug, the symptoms are primarily limited to the digestive system. So if your little one's illness seems to mainly affect their tummy and not the rest of their body, then you can bet that a stomach virus is behind your toddler's upset digestive system symptoms.

This may be an obvious one, but as the aforementioned Mayo Clinic article noted, "nausea, vomiting, or both," are signs of a stomach virus, such as gastroenteritis. You'll probably have to hunker down in the bathroom for a while, or at least have an empty garbage set up next to their bed.

You don't typically have one symptom without the other. But, according to the Mayo Clinic, "watery, usually non-bloody diarrhea," is a sign of a stomach bug whether or not your child is vomiting, too. Just remember that they are still losing liquid and their bodily fluids should be replenished: start with clear fluids, and give them a little bit at a time to ensure that it stays down, recommended Claire McCarthy, MD, in Harvard Health Publishing.

Though headaches can occur with many different kinds of viruses, they are markedly more severe when the influenza virus is to blame — not a gastrointestinal virus. A small or intermittent headache is a common symptom of stomach bugs, as opposed to other viruses, as Kids Health, an informational website from Nemours Children Health System, noted. Keeping your child hydrated and cool is one way to ease their discomfort.

Your child is very unlikely to develop a high temperature with a stomach bug, as the official website for the Mayo Clinic reported. Even in the worst case scenario, you're still only looking at a low-grade fever with your tot's tummy virus. If their temperature does spike, then you might want to check with their pediatrician to rule out anything else that could be potentially serious, like the flu.

With viruses like the flu, your toddler may have varying degrees of nauseousness or a decreased appetite — which is totally normal since their tiny bodies have been through a lot. On the other hand, Dr. Joshua Kosowsky, the vice chair and clinical director of Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s emergency department, explained to Boston that, with a stomach virus, a top symptom is a persistent feeling of nausea and vomiting or diarrhea. So if your kiddo's queasiness doesn't seem to ease up at all, then they likely have a stomach bug.

When treating the stomach bug, hydration is key. "For the first twenty-four hours or so of any illness that causes vomiting, keep your child off solid foods, and encourage [them] to drink small amounts of electrolyte solution or clear fluids such as water," recommended Healthy Kids. Since every child is different, it's best to ask your family doctor how many ounces of fluid your sick kiddo should be drinking (and how often).

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