If you’ve ever had it, you never forget it. Food poisoning is something we’d all like to avoid. Hopefully this article offers you some information that might spare you the pain and misery of food poisoning.

What is Food Poisoning?

Food poisoning stems from eating or drinking contaminated food or liquids. Some cases are infective and are caused by viruses or bacteria. Others are non-infective and linked with chemical pollutants or pre-formed poisons (toxins), such as those produced by staphylococcal bacteria, toxic plankton and some types of mushroom. Food poisoning after eating shellfish is especially common, as all four culprits - viruses, bacteria, toxins or chemicals - can be involved.

Symptoms of food poisoning include stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhea. In severe cases the victim may develop a fever or even go into shock and collapse. Symptoms usually come on within:

  • 30 minutes, in the case of chemical poisoning, for example accidentally ingesting weed killer
  • One and 12 hours, if the illness is due to bacterial toxins, for example botulinum toxin
  • 12 and 48 hours, if it results from a bacterial or viral infection, for example salmonella, rotavirus

Who's At Risk?

Infants and the elderly are at greater risk for food poisoning. A person is also at greater risk if any of the following if there is:

  • A pre-existing medical condition, such as chronic kidney failure or diabetes
  • Use of antibiotic or histamine-blocking medicines
  • Sickle-cell anemia and other problems with red blood cells
  • A weakened immune system
  • Travel in an area where contamination is more likely

How to Avoid Food Poisoning

The following tips are general rules regarding preparing and handling food:

  • Keep food in refrigerators adequately chilled (ideally around 5° centigrade), be sure to refrigerate fish especially
  • Don't allow chilled or frozen foods to warm up in the trunk of a car on the way home from the store. Consider purchasing cooler bags to transport food.
  • Always wash your hands after visiting the restroom
  • Ensure thorough cooking and re-heating of all meat, especially poultry
  • Make sure that frozen food is thawed before cooking (especially when using a microwave oven)
  • Burgers should be cooked until there are no pink bits left and the juices run clear
  • Foods containing uncooked eggs such as mayonnaise and certain puddings are at risk
  • Red kidney beans should always be cooked for the recommended time to remove the toxins
  • Wash your hands after handling raw meat or eggs, particularly before handling other foods
  • Do not re-use utensils with which you have prepared raw eggs or meat without first washing them with hot water and detergent and do not allow juices from raw meat to come into contact with other foods
  • Avoid eating raw eggs or uncooked foods made from them
  • Vulnerable people (the elderly, the sick, babies and pregnant women) should eat eggs only which have been cooked until they are hard (both yoke and white)
  • Wash salads thoroughly before eating
  • Do not drink any type of unpasteurized milk
  • Promptly refrigerate any food you will not be eating right away
  • If you take care of young children, wash your hands often and dispose of diapers carefully so that bacteria can't spread to other surfaces or people
  • If you make canned food at home, make sure to follow proper canning techniques to prevent botulism
  • Don't feed honey to children under 1 year of age
  • Don't eat wild mushrooms

And when traveling where contamination is more likely, remember to:

  • Eat only hot, freshly cooked food
  • Drink water only if it's been boiled
  • Don't eat raw vegetables or unpeeled fruit

Treatment

Most cases of food poisoning clear up without treatment, but some symptoms do require a doctor’s input. This is true if a person starts getting dehydrated to the point where he feels dizzy or weak, if a fever develops or if there is blood in the diarrhea. dAntibiotics can be used if there is severe cramping, fever or bloody diarrhea but only under the guidance of a physician. A physician’s guidance is particularly important with food poisoning because there are certain types of bacteria that can become more virulent if antibiotics are used.

It’s a good idea to talk to others who ate the same meal if you suspect food poisoning. However, one person in a group may be more susceptible to a certain food-borne bacteria.

Here’s some general tips to use your comfort if you are unlucky enough to get good poisoning

  • Drink balanced liquids such as Gatorade, Pedialyte, clear juices or ginger ale. The drink should also contain some sugar since people retain the electrolytes and minerals better if there is sugar in the liquid. Pepto Bismal ,or a generic version,t will help to slow down the diarrhea. Immodium also works but use with caution as an overdose of this product can slow down the working of the intestines.
  • As the symptoms subside, non-greasy foods such as rice, noodles and clear soups can be added back into the diet.
Read our privacy policy. ™, ® Kellogg Company, ©2004 Kellogg Company. Legal notices.