Overview:
What’s food poisoning?
Foodborne illness, more commonly referred to as food poisoning, is the end result of eating contaminated, spoiled, or toxic food.
The most frequent symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Although it’s quite embarrassing, food poisoning isn’t unusual.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 6 Americans will contract some kind of food poisoning every year.
Food poisoning symptoms:
If you have symptoms, chances are it won’t go undetected. Symptoms may vary depending upon the source of the infection.
The length of time it takes for symptoms to appear also depends upon the source of the infection, but it can range from as little as 1 hour to as long as 28 days.
Frequent cases of food poisoning will normally contain at least three of the following symptoms:
- Stomach cramps
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Weakness
- Nausea
- Headaches
Symptoms of potentially life-threatening include:
- Diarrhea persists for more than three days
- A fever higher than 101.5°F
- Difficulty seeing or speaking
- Symptoms of acute dehydration, which may include dry mouth, passing little to no urine, and trouble keeping down fluids
- Bloody pee
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor immediately.
What causes food poisoning?
The following three major causes:
Bacteria:
Compounds are by far the most prevalent cause of food poisoning. When considering harmful germs, names like E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella come to mind for good reason.
Salmonella is undoubtedly the biggest culprit of serious food poisoning cases in the United States.
As stated by the CDC, an estimated 1,000,000 cases of food poisoning, including almost 20,000 hospitalizations, can be traced to salmonella disease annually.
Campylobacter and C. botulinum ( botulism)are two lesser-known and possibly lethal bacteria that can lurk in our food.
Parasites:
It caused by parasites is much less prevalent than food poisoning caused by germs, but parasites spread through food are still very dangerous.
Toxoplasma is the parasite seen most often in cases of food poisoning.
It’s typically found in kitty litter boxes. Parasites can reside in your digestive tract unnoticed for ages.
However, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women risk serious side effects if parasites take up home in their own intestines.
Viruses:
It may also be caused by a virus. The norovirus, also known as the Norwalk virus, causes over 19 million cases of food poisoning each year.
In rare situations, it can be deadly. sapovirus, rotavirus, and astrovirus cause similar symptoms, but they’re less common.
Hepatitis A virus is a serious illness that can be transmitted through food.
How does food become contaminated?
Pathogens can be seen on just about all of the food that humans consume. However, heat from cooking usually kills germs on food before it reaches our plate.
Foods that are eaten raw are typical sources of this problem because they do not undergo the cooking process.
Occasionally, food will come in contact with all the organisms in fecal matter.
This most commonly happens when an individual preparing food doesn’t wash their hands before cooking.
Meat, eggs, and dairy goods are frequently contaminated. Water may also be contaminated with organisms that cause illness.
Who is at risk for food poisoning?
Anyone can develop food poisoning. Statistically speaking, almost everyone will develop food poisoning at least once in their own lives.
There are some populations that are more at risk than others.
Anyone having a suppressed immune system or an auto-immune disease might have a greater chance of disease and a greater chance of complications resulting from food poisoning.
In line with the research, pregnant girls are more at risk because their bodies are dealing with changes in their circulatory and metabolic systems during pregnancy.
Elderly individuals also face a greater chance of contracting food poisoning since their immune systems may not respond fast to infectious organisms.
Kids can also be considered at-risk people because their immune systems are not as developed as those of adults.
Young children are more easily affected by dehydration from vomiting and nausea.
How is food poisoning diagnosed?
Your physician may be able to diagnose the type of food poisoning according to your symptoms.
In severe cases, blood tests, stool tests, and tests on food that you have consumed might be conducted to ascertain what is in charge of the food poisoning.
Your doctor can also ask for a urine test to check the results of symptoms.
How is food poisoning treated?
It can usually be treated at home, and many cases will resolve over three to five days.
When you’ve got some symptoms, it is vital to stay properly hydrated. Sports beverages high in electrolytes could be useful with this.
Fruit juice and coconut water can restore carbohydrates and assist with fatigue.
Avoid caffeine, which might irritate the digestive tract. Decaffeinated teas with soothing herbs such as peppermint, chamomile, and dandelion can calm an upset stomach.
Read about more remedies for an upset stomach.
Non-prescription medications such as Imodium and Pepto-Bismol will help control diarrhea and suppress nausea.
But you must check with your doctor before using these drugs, as the body uses vomiting and nausea to rid the machine of this toxin.
Additionally, using these drugs could mask the severity of the disease and enable you to delay seeking expert treatment.
In acute cases of this problem, people may require hydration with intravenous (IV) fluids at a hospital.
What’s good to eat when you have food poisoning?
It is Ideal to gradually eliminate solid foods before nausea and nausea have passed and instead ease back to your daily diet by eating simple-to-digest foods that are bland and low in fat, such as:
- Gelatin
- Bananas
- Rice
- Oatmeal
- Bland potatoes
- Boiled vegetables
- Toast
- Diluted fruit juices
- Sport beverages
What’s bad to eat when you have food poisoning?
To prevent your stomach from becoming angrier, try to avoid the next harder-to-digest foods, even if you think you feel better:
- Dairy products, especially milk and cheeses
- Fatty foods
- Food with high sugar content
- Spicy foods
You should also avoid:
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Nicotine
Summary:
While having food poisoning is quite embarrassing, the good news is that most people recover completely within two days.
Learn more about what to eat after in these conditions.
It may be life-threatening, however, the CDC says this is very rare.
How to prevent food poisoning?
The best way to stop food poisoning would be to handle your food safely and also to avoid any food which may be unsafe.
Meat, eggs, poultry, and shellfish can harbor infectious agents that are killed during cooking.
If these foods are consumed in their raw form, not cooked properly, or if surfaces and hands aren’t cleaned following contact, the problem may occur.
Other foods that are likely to cause food poisoning include:
- Sushi and other fish products that are served raw or undercooked
- Deli meats and hot dogs that are not heated or cooked
- Ground beef, which may contain meat from several animals
- Unpasteurized cheese, milk, and juice
- Raw, unwashed fruits and vegetables
Always wash your hands before cooking or eating food. Make sure that your food is properly sealed and stored.
Thoroughly cook meat and eggs. Whatever comes in contact with raw products should be sanitized before using it to prepare other foods.
Be sure to always wash fruits and vegetables before serving.
Ask your friends and loved ones for support.
If you’re feeling anxious or depressed, consider joining a support group or seeking counseling. Believe in your ability to take control of the pain…
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