Understanding food poisoning
We’ve all been there. That moment when you start feeling a little dizzy or nauseous, and you know you need to go to the bathroom immediately.
What are common symptoms of food poisoning?
Symptoms of food poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pains, bloating and weakness. More serious symptoms could include blood or mucus in the stools, weight loss, and fever. In most cases of food poisoning, symptoms commonly occur within 12-24 hours, though they may occur within a few hours after eating contaminated food. Other times, it can take days to feel the effects. If you are experiencing vomiting and diarrhea as a result of food poisoning, it is important to continue to keep your fluid intake high, since dehydration may occur.
What are common causes?
Food poisoning is caused by eating food that has been contaminated. This contamination can be caused by bacteria, parasites, and viruses that are carried by infectious organisms. There are other conditions that can lead to vomiting and diarrhea that aren’t food poisoning. The most common is gastroenteritis, which is caused by a virus.
How to help prevent food poisoning?
Steps you can take to avoid getting food poisoning at home include:
- Washing your hands thoroughly and often
- Cleaning all surfaces on which you prepare or keep food
- Using a thermometer when cooking meat to make sure you’re heating it to a safe temperature
- Refrigerating perishable foods quickly
Further, don’t eat anything that smells like it’s gone bad. When eating out, always suggest a proper temperature for your meat, like well-done ground beef, and avoid runny eggs.
Treatment options
Often you just have to let food poisoning run its course, but if you find yourself not feeling better after a few days, you might start to become seriously dehydrated. If this is the case, visit vybe to get checked out by one of our clinicians.
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