Digestive System


Food Poisoning: What are its Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment?


By S.I. (staff writer) , published on August 21, 2022



Medicine Telehealth Health gut bacteria infection


What is Food Poisoning?

Food poisoning is a disease caused by consuming contaminated food. It is normally not dangerous, and most patients recover in a few days even without therapy.

Most food poisoning instances are caused by food contaminated by bacteria, such as salmonella or Escherichia coli (E. coli), or viruses, such as norovirus.

Food poisoning, while unpleasant, is not uncommon. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 48 million Americans (or almost one out of every seven) get food poisoning each year. 128,000 out of those 48 million people are hospitalized [1].

 

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Food Poisoning? 

Food poisoning symptoms normally appear one to two days after consuming contaminated food, but they can appear at any time between a few hours and several weeks afterward.

The major symptoms  include [2]:

  • Nausea (feeling sick)
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea, which may contain blood or mucus
  • Loss of appetite
  • Fever (hyperthermia, high temperature) 
  • Lethargy (a lack of energy and weakness)
  • Muscle aches 
  • Abdominal pains and stomach cramps 
  • Chills

More often than not, these symptoms will subside within a few days and you will completely recover. 

 

What are the Causes of Food Poisoning?

The majority of cases of food poisoning are caused by one of three principal agents: bacteria, parasites, or viruses.

These infectious organisms can be found in practically all foods consumed by humans. The heat from cooking‌ normally eliminates microorganisms on food before it reaches our plate. Because raw foods do not go through the cooking process, they are typical sources of food illness.

Food will occasionally come into contact with microbes in feces or vomit. This is most likely to happen when an unwell person prepares food without washing their hands beforehand.

Meat, eggs, and dairy products are often tainted [3]. Water can also potentially be contaminated with pathogenic organisms.

 

Treatment of Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is frequently treatable at home without the need for medical attention [4]. Most people will feel better within a few days.

It is critical to minimize dehydration by drinking plenty of water, even if you can only sip it because you need to replace any fluids lost because of vomiting and diarrhea.

Additionally, you should:

  1. Get as much rest as possible
  2. Avoiding alcohol, coffee, fizzy drinks, and spicy and fatty foods may make you feel worse.
  3. Eat when you're hungry, starting with modest, light, non-fat meals (bland foods such as toast, crackers, rice, and bananas are good choices)
  4. Consult your doctor if your symptoms are severe or do not improve within a few days.

 

 

 

References

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/foodborne-germs.html
  2. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nagham-Aljamali/publication/355827720_Review_on_Food_poisoning_Types_Causes_Symptoms_Diagnosis_Treatment/links/61804c1c3c987366c3163fcd/Review-on-Food-poisoning-Types-Causes-Symptoms-Diagnosis-Treatment.pdf
  3. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amr-Amer-3/publication/235950334_PREVALENCE_OF_SOME_FOOD_POISONING_MICROORGANISMS_IN_SOME_DAIRY_PRODUCTS/links/00463514ac2ecc92f2000000/PREVALENCE-OF-SOME-FOOD-POISONING-MICROORGANISMS-IN-SOME-DAIRY-PRODUCTS.pdf
  4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2445530/




Find articles related to: Medicine Telehealth Health gut bacteria infection


More articles about Digestive System

Back to the Health Tips Index