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what is food poisoning signs and Symptoms of food poisoning
from: NishiYou visited your local restaurant for lunch yesterday and thought, "The chicken tastes a little weird today." Yet, consumed by the irresistible aroma, you gobbled it all up without second thought. Today, you wish you hadn't. You feel feverish, your stomach rumbles and you want to throw up. This could be a typical case of food poisoning. You might be lucky and the symptoms might subside in a few hours. But how do you make sure this doesn't happen to you again? This is where we come in.
What is food poisoning? What causes it?
This is an acute food-borne illness that results from eating food contaminated with bacteria, toxins, parasites or viruses.
Common culprits: Poorly cooked meat, raw foods and unwashed vegetables. These harbour germs that cause food poisoning.
More often: Food poisoning occurs through contaminated meat, poultry, eggs, milk and seafood.
Common pathogens (bacteria that cause disease): Salmonella, E coli, Campylobacter, Giardia and some viruses such as Norwalk. Sometimes, eating toxic mushrooms can also cause symptoms of food poisoning.
What are the symptoms?
Different causes of food poisoning result in different symptoms. There is no fixed set of symptoms that can define the illness. Symptoms usually occur within hours of consuming contaminated food, but sometimes can even take days to manifest.
This can lead to misdiagnosis, especially because you may not be able to identify the offending foodstuff.
The typical symptoms of food poisoning are:
Nausea
Stomach cramps
Diarrhoea
Fever
In severe cases, there might be blood in the stools and dehydration as a result of fluid loss.
Some exceptions like botulism (an acute paralytic disease caused by the neurotoxin, botulin, especially in food), might be present with nerve symptoms, like weakness and difficulty swallowing rather than digestive system problems.
What should I do if I have food poisoning?
Generally, symptoms resolve by themselves without any specific treatment, except in severe cases. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. Watch out for warning signs.
What are some warning signs? When should I call the doctor?
Food poisoning often needs no hospitalisation. But do seek medical attention if you have one or more of the following:
- High fever
- Blood in the stools
- Prolonged vomitting (which can eventually cause dehydration)
- Signs of dehydration, including a decrease in urination, a dry mouth and throat, and dizziness
- Diarrhoea that lasts more than three days
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