However, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women risk serious side effects if parasites take up residence in their intestines. Food poisoning can also be caused by a virus. The norovirus , also known as the Norwalk virus, causes over 19 million cases of food poisoning each year. In rare cases, it can be fatal. Hepatitis A virus is a serious condition that can be transmitted through food.
Pathogens can be found on almost all of the food that humans eat. However, heat from cooking usually kills pathogens on food before it reaches our plate. Occasionally, food will come in contact with the organisms in fecal matter.
Meat , eggs, and dairy products are frequently contaminated. Water may also be contaminated with organisms that cause illness. Anyone can come down with food poisoning. Statistically speaking, nearly everyone will come down with food poisoning at least once in their lives. There are some populations that are more at risk than others. Anyone with a suppressed immune system or an auto-immune disease may have a greater risk of infection and a greater risk of complications resulting from food poisoning.
According to the Mayo Clinic , pregnant women are more at risk because their bodies are coping with changes to their metabolism and circulatory system during pregnancy. Elderly individuals also face a greater risk of contracting food poisoning because their immune systems may not respond quickly to infectious organisms. Young children are more easily affected by dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea. Your doctor may be able to diagnose the type of food poisoning based on your symptoms.
In severe cases, blood tests, stool tests , and tests on food that you have eaten may be conducted to determine what is responsible for the food poisoning. Your doctor may also use a urine test to evaluate whether an individual is dehydrated as a result of food poisoning. Food poisoning can usually be treated at home, and most cases will resolve within three to five days. Sports drinks high in electrolytes can be helpful with this. Fruit juice and coconut water can restore carbohydrates and help with fatigue.
Avoid caffeine , which may irritate the digestive tract. Decaffeinated teas with soothing herbs like chamomile, peppermint , and dandelion may calm an upset stomach. Read about more remedies for an upset stomach. Over-the-counter medications like Imodium and Pepto-Bismol can help control diarrhea and suppress nausea.
However, you should check with your doctor before using these medications, as the body uses vomiting and diarrhea to rid the system of the toxin. Also, using these medications could mask the severity of the illness and cause you to delay seeking expert treatment. In severe cases of food poisoning, individuals may require hydration with intravenous IV fluids at a hospital.
In the very worst cases of food poisoning, a longer hospitalization may be required while the individual recovers. Food poisoning is rarely serious and usually gets better within a week. You can normally treat yourself or your child at home. The symptoms usually start within a few days of eating the food that caused the infection. The most important thing is to have lots of fluids, such as water or squash, to avoid dehydration. Read about how to treat diarrhoea and vomiting. Stay off school or work until you have not been sick or had diarrhoea for at least 2 days.
The virus that most commonly causes diarrhoea and vomiting is the norovirus. It's easily spread from person to person, through contaminated food or water. Raw shellfish, particularly oysters, can also be a source of infection. The incubation period typically lasts hours and the symptoms usually pass in a couple of days.
In young children, the rotavirus is a common cause of infection from contaminated food. The symptoms usually develop within a week and pass in around five to seven days. In the UK, food poisoning caused by parasites is rare. It's much more common in the developing world. The symptoms of food poisoning caused by a parasite usually develop within 10 days of eating contaminated food, although sometimes it may be weeks before you feel unwell.
If left untreated, the symptoms can last a long time — sometimes several weeks or even a few months. Food poisoning can usually be treated at home without seeking medical advice.
Most people will feel better within a few days. It's important to avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water, even if you can only sip it, as you need to replace any fluids lost through vomiting and diarrhoea. If you have food poisoning, you shouldn't prepare food for other people and you should try to keep contact with vulnerable people, such as the elderly or very young, to a minimum.
Oral rehydration solutions ORS are recommended for people vulnerable to the effects of dehydration, such as the elderly and those with a pre-existing health condition. ORSs are available in sachets from pharmacies. You dissolve them in water to drink and they help replace salt, glucose and other important minerals your body loses through dehydration. If you have a kidney condition, some types of oral rehydration salts may not be suitable for you.
Ask your pharmacist or GP for further advice about this. If your symptoms are severe or persistent, or you are more vulnerable to serious infection for example, because you are elderly or have an underlying health condition , you may need further treatment.
Tests may be carried out on a stool sample to find out what it causing your symptoms and antibiotics may be prescribed if the results show you have a bacterial infection.
Medication to stop you vomiting anti-emetics may also be prescribed if your vomiting is particularly severe. In some cases, you may need to be admitted to hospital for a few days so you can be monitored and given fluids directly into a vein intravenously. The best way to avoid getting food poisoning is to ensure you maintain high standards of personal and food hygiene when storing, handling and preparing food.
These steps are important because things such as a food's appearance and smell aren't a reliable way of telling if it's safe to eat. You can prevent the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses by maintaining good personal hygiene standards and keeping work surfaces and utensils clean. You shouldn't handle food if you are ill with stomach problems, such as diarrhoea or vomiting or you have any uncovered sores or cuts. It's important to cook food thoroughly, particularly meat and most types of seafood, to kill any harmful bacteria that may be present.
Make sure the food is cooked thoroughly and is steaming hot in the middle. To check that meat is cooked, insert a knife into the thickest or deepest part. It is fully cooked if the juices are clear and there is no pink or red meat. Some meat, such as steaks and joints of beef or lamb, can be served rare not cooked in the middle , as long as the outside has been cooked properly. When reheating food, make sure it is steaming hot all the way through. Don't reheat food more than once.
Certain foods need to be kept at the correct temperature to prevent harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying. Always check the storage instructions on the label.
If food that needs to be chilled is left at room temperature, bacteria can grow and multiply to dangerous levels. Cooked leftovers should be cooled quickly, ideally within a couple of hours, and put in your fridge or freezer. Cross-contamination is when bacteria are transferred from foods usually raw foods to other foods. This can occur when one food touches or drips onto another food, or when bacteria on your hands, work surfaces, equipment or utensils are spread to food.
Home Illnesses and conditions Infections and poisoning Food poisoning. Food poisoning See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1.
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