Are you looking for food poisoning symptoms or signs? Know all the details below.
Food poisioning is related to unsafe food, dirty kitchen and dirty kitchen appliances. Your food is poisoned if you do not follow the cleanliness rules at your home. If you stick to some safety rules, food poisoning will never occur.
Every year about 5,000 people die from pathogens in food in the United States out of about 76 million become ill from food. The foods that may cause food poisoning include uncooked or undercooked foods mainly from animal sources, such as dairy products including cheese, meat, eggs or fish.
As all foods contain small amounts of bacteria, their poor handling and storage and improper cooking can multiply these bacteria in large numbers to cause illness. Food poisoning is caused commonly due to E. coli or Staphylococcus bacteria in contaminated food. Food poisoning often occurs from eating old dairy products, undercooked meats, foods left out of the refrigerator too long or salads that were cut long time back.
Eating foods in hotels, canteens, picnics, large parties, wedding dinners, etc. can cause food poisoning. Salads at such places are generally not properly washed and freshly cut.
Food safety |Storing Foods |Home Remedies of Food Poisoning |
The symptoms and signs of food poisoning vary with the source and extent of contamination. The symptoms range from upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps and dehydration, to more severe illness such as paralysis and meningitis. These symptoms occur within hours after eating contaminated food. The diagnosis of food poisoning is done by testing the stool.
Most food poisioning effects (symptoms) on body clear up in a few days on its own. In the case of continued illness seek medical advice. Children, elders, pregnant women and the persons who use antacids heavily are at more risk of getting food poison.
Following are the symptoms of food poisoning:
- Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea
- Bloody diarrhea or pus in the stool
- Upset stomach, some abdominal pain, cramps
- Fever that lasts longer than 24 hours
- Dizziness, fainting, rapid heart rate
- Weakness, numbness or tingling in the arms, legs or mouth
You should go to a Doctor if
the symptoms (signs) of food poisoning last for more than two days even after home food poisoning treatment OR
there is a fever with or without shivers or chills OR
there is a diarrhea that is very watery (If enough fluid is lost through diarrhea or vomiting, it can affect the body's salt balance ) OR
there is blood mixed in with the stools (could be due to E. Coli and other common food-borne pathogens) OR
there is pus or mucus (whitish-gray in color) mixed in with the stools OR
there are signs of dehydration (intense thirst, dry lips and tongue, increased heart and breathing rates, weakness, and dizziness.) OR
anyone else in your family is also sick with similar symptoms.
Infants, children and elderly people have a higher risk for food poisoning. You are at greatest risk if you are diabetic, have kidney disease, and a weak immune system.
