Food poisoning might go undetected; observe these symptoms carefully
The outcome of consuming infected, damaged, or poisoned food is foodborne sickness, sometimes known as food poisoning.
If you’ve ever had food poisoning, you probably already knew what it was before going to the doctor. Stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea are the most common symptoms. They can strike hours, days, or even weeks after you eat the offending meal.
Your symptoms will generally go away within a few days, if not hours. However, if your suffering persists, you should seek medical attention to determine the source of your illness. If you have a high fever, blood in your stool, are dehydrated, or can’t keep any food or liquid down, you should visit a doctor. After doing tests, your doctor may be able to determine the cause. However, they aren’t always required and don’t always validate a case’s validity.
Food poisoning can be a common occurrence, despite how unpleasant it is.
Food poisoning symptoms
It’s unlikely that you will go unnoticed if you have a food illness. Depending on where the infection came from, the symptoms can differ.
The following are some of the most common food poisoning symptoms:
- cramping in stomach
- diarrhea
- nausea
- vomiting
- loss of appetite
- weakness from a mild fever
- headache
Diarrhea lasting more than 3 days and a fever of more than 102°F (38.9°C) are all signs of life-threatening food poisoning.
Dry mouth, passing little to no pee, and trouble keeping fluids down are all indicators of severe dehydration that might be difficult to observe or speak about.
If you notice any of these signs or symptoms, see a doctor right away.
How long does food poisoning last?
Food poisoning symptoms might occur in as little as 30 minutes, depending on the source of the infection. Trusted sources can take up to 8 weeks.
Most instances will clear up in one week, whether treated or not.
Food Poisoning Causes
Bacteria, parasites, or viruses are the three most common food poisoning causes.
These pathogens are present in practically all foods consumed by humans. However, viruses on food are typically killed by heat before they reach our plates. Because they do not go through the cooking process, raw foods are a common source of food illness.
Food may come into touch with microbes present in feces or vomit on rare occasions. When an unwell person makes food without washing their hands first, this is most likely to happen. Contamination is common in meat, eggs, and dairy products. Water can also include pathogenic germs and bacteria.
Bacteria
Bacteria nearly always cause food poisoning. These bacteria include:
- E. coli, particularly E. coli that produce Shiga toxin (STEC)
- Listeria monocytogenes is a type of bacteria that is found in the human body.
- Salmonella
- Campylobacter
- Clostridium botulinum is a bacterium that has been found to cause botulism
- Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacteria that causes infections in humans.
- Vibrio vulnificus shigella sonnei
When thinking about hazardous bacteria, some names like E. coli and salmonella come to mind for a reason.
In the United States, salmonella is the most common bacterial cause of food poisoning. Salmonella infection is responsible for an estimated 1,350,000 cases of food poisoning each year, according to CDC, including 26,500 hospitalizations.
Campylobacter and Campylobacter Botulinum are two bacteria that can lurk in our food and are potentially deadly.
Parasites
Food poisoning from parasites is less prevalent than food poisoning from bacteria, yet parasites that transmit through food are nonetheless exceedingly deadly. Some parasites responsible for food poisoning are listed below:
- Toxoplasma Gondi is a parasitic infection that can cause a disease called toxoplasmosis.
- Various tapeworms, such as Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm), Taenia solium (pork tapeworm), and Diphyllobothrium (fish tapeworm)
- Giardia lamblia is a parasite that can enter the small intestine, causing a diarrheal condition known as giardiasis.
Other parasites that can cause food poisoning in the human body are Enterobiasis (pinworms), Trichinella, Opisthorchiidae (liver fluke), Cryptosporidium, and Ascaris Lumbricoides, amongst others.
Toxoplasmosis is a primary cause of death in the United States due to food poisoning, according to the CDC.
In addition, Toxoplasma Gondi can be discovered in cat litter boxes.
Parasites can live for years undetected in your intestinal tract. If particular parasites take up home in the intestines of persons with low immune systems or pregnant women, they may have more serious side effects.
Viruses
A virus, such as a norovirus (also known as the Norwalk virus), can cause food poisoning.
- rotavirus\sastrovirus
- Hepatitis A virus
19 to 21 million cases of norovirus are reported each year. It has the potential to be lethal in rare circumstances. Other viruses cause comparable symptoms, but they’re not as prevalent.
Food can potentially transmit the hepatitis A virus, which causes liver disease.
Food poisoning treatment
The health fortune recommends you seek medical consultation as soon as you feel any discomfort in the stomach or lower abdominal area.
Stay hydrated
It’s critical to keep yourself hydrated if you have a food-induced illness. Electrolyte-rich sports beverages can be advantageous. Fruit juice and coconut water can aid alleviate weariness by restoring carbs.
Caffeine can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, so avoid it. Commonly available teas like chamomile, peppermint, and dandelion, which are decaffeinated, have soothing properties and help a great deal in calming the upset stomach.
Take over the counter medications
Loperamide (Imodium) and Pepto-Bismol are OTC drugs that can aid with diarrhea and nausea.
However, you should see a doctor before taking these treatments because the poison is removed from the body through vomiting and diarrhea. Furthermore, using these medications may obscure the severity of your disease, causing you to postpone getting professional help.
Pinworms are commonly treated with Pyrantel pamoate (Reese’s Pinworm Medicine).
Rest
In any case, mild or severe, rest is the essential part. It would help if you had plenty of rest.
Take these drinks and foods
It’s recommended to avoid solid foods entirely until diarrhea and vomiting have subsided. Instead, reintroduce yourself to your regular diet by eating or drinking bland, low-fat foods like:
- Crackers with salt
- Toast
- Gelatin
- Bananas
- Bland potatoes
- Rice
- Oats
- Vegetables in a broth
- Soup with chicken
- Ginger ale or root beer is non-caffeinated sodas. juices that have been diluted
- Beverages for athletes
List of food poisoning foods
Here we have shared the most common foods that are most likely to cause:
- Poultry
- Green leafy vegetables when not appropriately cleaned and eaten raw.
- Fish and shellfish
- Rice
- Deli meats
- Unpasteurized dairy
- Eggs
- Fruits
- Sprouts
Food poisoning is highly uncommon to be life-threatening. While food poisoning is unpleasant, the good news is that, with or without treatment, most patients recover completely within a few days. But still, we suggest you take medical guidance as the cause can differ in each case.
