Food poisoning is a gastrointestinal condition in which you have frequent loose stools with abdominal cramps. Sometimes you may also have a fever because of infection. It occurs because of ingesting contaminated food. When you handle food incorrectly, it can become contaminated, leading to food poisoning infection.
You need to take food poisoning seriously. Many people take it lightly. But this should not happen. Food poisoning, if left untreated, can become life-threatening. If you have a lot of frequent loose stools, it can lead to dehydration because of water and electrolyte loss.
Losing water and electrolytes can become a life-threatening condition, leading to arrhythmia and shock. Therefore, if your food poisoning persists for over two to three days, you must consult with a healthcare provider and drink plenty of water.
If you have a complaint of recurring food poisoning, you must consult with a healthcare provider. To get an expert opinion, you can consult with the best medical specialist in Islamabad.
What Causes Food Poisoning?
Food, when cooked in unhygienic conditions or handled incorrectly, can lead to the growth of bacteria and toxins accumulation in it. If you ingest the same food, you may end up getting food poisoning. Some people are more prone to food poisoning as compared to other people.
What Are the Symptoms of Food Poisoning?
The symptoms of food poisoning may vary from mild to severe, depending upon the type of bacteria causing it. The symptoms of food poisoning can occur just after eating, or hours later. They may last up to 24 hours to 5 days.
The symptoms of food poisoning are:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Stomach cramps
- Headache
- Dehydration
How Can You Prevent Food Poisoning?
To prevent food poisoning, you need to protect it from being contaminated and prevent the food from getting infected and multiplying in it. For that, you need to exercise some tips when you buy food, cook it, store it and eat it.
When you buy food, make sure:
- You buy hot and cold food at the end of the shopping and reach home as soon as possible to maintain the temperature control.
- You keep hot and cold foods separate.
When you cook the food, make sure:
- You wash your hands and dry them properly. Wet hands can become a more likely source of bacteria transmission compared to dry hands.
- You do not use the same cooking board for cooked and uncooked food. It reduces the chances of cross-contamination.
- You keep the temperature up to 75 degrees centigrade for cooking food.
- Wash the fruits and vegetables before with clean water.
When you store food, make sure:
- Keep raw and cooked food separate. It is better to store raw food at the bottom of the fridge so that juices do not drop into other food and contaminate them.
- The temperature of your fridge is below 5 degrees centigrade, and the freezer is under -15 degrees centigrades.
- When you cook food, do not put it in the refrigerator readily. Instead, cool it down to room temperature and then put it in the refrigerator. This tip will help keep the refrigerator temperature cool so that bacterial infestation does not occur in other foods present in the refrigerator.
- Cover all foods with a lid or a foil. Do not put them without a covering, even inside the refrigerator.
The Bottom Line
You should not take food poisoning lightly. It can lead to dehydration- a life-threatening condition. If you have a complaint of food poisoning that persists for over three days, you must consult with a healthcare provider. To get an expert opinion, you can visit Khatoon Hospital.
