Food Poisoning: What Are The Symptoms And How To Prevent It

[LoShiNi]

Food poisoning occurs when you ingest foods contaminated with bacteria and viruses, less often with parasites or chemicals. Most cases of food poisoning are not severe and pass without treatment over a few days. In this condition just follow these simple recommendations to recover:


But some cases require professional medical treatment.

Symptoms of food poisoning can be mild or severe (depending on the cause) and include the following:

- diarrhea;

- nausea and vomiting;

- abdominal spasms and/or pain;

- loss of appetite;


- fever and chills;

- weakness;

- fatigue;

- aching muscles.

Complications are most likely to occur if you are pregnant, very young or old, your immune system is compromised, of if you have an existing health condition. You should also contact your doctor if:

- you have the symptoms of dehydration;

- your symptoms are severe;

- your symptoms don’t subside after a few days.

Healthy adult people usually recover within a few days with proper hydration and rest. Once your appetite comes back, you can start eating bland foods that are easy to digest, e.g. rice, potatoes, toast or bread, cereal, lean meat, applesauce, and bananas. In order not to make your symptoms worse, try to avoid fatty, spicy, and sugary foods, dairy products, alcohol, and caffeinated beverages until your recovery is complete.

Food poisoning can be prevented with the following:

- thoroughly wash your hands with soap after going to the toilet, changing a diaper, touching animals, and before cooking;

- foods such as meats, poultry, milk products, eggs, and seafood require thorough thermal processing – be sure to cook them long enough at high enough temperatures to kill harmful agents;

- fruit and vegetables should be thoroughly washed under running water, especially if you intend to eat them raw;

- utensils and surfaces used to prepare food should be cleaned (preferably, sanitized) before and after you prepare food;

- cold foods should be kept in cold enough temperatures, hot foods should be kept hot;

- raw and cooked foods that can spoil should be kept in the fridge;

- if you are not sure whether the food is safe to eat, throw it away.