Everyone is susceptible to contracting food poisoning at some stage with the severity of the illness ranging from mild to severe and sometimes fatal. In fact, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates there are around 5,000 deaths from food poisoning each year whereby the young, elderly or those with a weakened immune system are likely to be worst affected. Food poisoning can be caused through a viral or bacterial source and the symptoms are similar for both.


Signs of food poisoning

Symptoms can come on suddenly and without any warning or prior feelings of illness. If food poisoning is a result of something recently eaten, symptoms can appear any time from almost immediately after eating the contaminated food up to 48 hours later.

The main signs of food poisoning can include a sudden onset of sharp stomach cramps or abdominal pains, often accompanied by either vomiting and diarrhea or sometimes both. Further signs to look out for include chills or a low grade fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

How do we get food poisoning

The type of food poisoning associated with eating contaminated food is called bacterial gastroenteritis and this is what we normally think of when we become ill after eating dodgy shellfish for example. If food hasn’t been stored at the correct temperature or handled hygienically, bacteria can multiply at a rapid rate, producing harmful toxins. This is why signs of food poisoning are usually noticed soon after eating, as it takes time to reach our digestive system.

Food poisoning passed on through the viral route is highly contagious and can be difficult to avoid contracting. One such example is norovirus, often called stomach flu, which may be picked up through inadvertently touching a contaminated surface. For instance, someone not washing their hands after preparing raw poultry is liable to contaminate any surface they touch. Most common surfaces to watch out for are door handles, bus or train rails and objects handled by many people such as number pads on a cash machine.

Suitable treatment

If you are suffering from food poisoning you are likely to feel very weak and will need lots of rest. Vomiting and diarrhea can quickly lead to dehydration whereby vital body fluids are lost. As such, the main aim when providing treatment is to replace lost fluids as fast as possible. Take small but frequent sips of water or special re-hydration powders mixed with water. Unsweetened fruit juice can also help. Even if you are vomiting up any liquid, it’s important to continue drinking. And if you feel the condition is deteriorating or you have any further concerns, you must seek medical advice.

Is it food poisoning?

You can’t always be 100 percent sure that you have food poisoning since stomach pains or vomiting and diarrhea can be attributed to other illnesses. However, with a little detective work you may be able to deduce how likely it is that food poisoning is the cause of your symptoms.

If you know there is a case of norovirus going around and you have been in contact with or in the vicinity of any sufferers, then this is likely to be the cause.  If this isn’t the case, cast your mind back over everything you've eaten in the last couple of days. If you've eaten a takeaway recently, find out if anyone else has similar symptoms, in which case there may be an outbreak of food poisoning which is very serious and must be reported.

While it’s sometimes impossible to avoid food poisoning, particularly if you are eating out, as long as you take care with hygiene when preparing food and wash your hands frequently, you are less likely to be affected. And although it’s often an unpleasant experience, as long as you have enough rest and drink plenty of liquids, in most cases there will be no lasting effects and you should make a full recovery within a few days.