Symptoms of food poisoning: Gastroenterologist's advice
Illustrative photo (Freepik)
If someone consumes spoiled food, they may suffer serious poisoning, the symptoms of which are not very pleasant. There is an important symptom that indicates the need to seek immediate medical attention, according to HuffPost.
Symptoms to watch out for
Gastroenterologist Andrew Boxer explained that the most common symptoms of poisoning are nausea, vomiting, fever, and diarrhea. Many patients may also experience general stomach upset.
According to Sam Martin, senior director and food safety expert, other common symptoms may include headache, chills, and sweating.
"In rare cases, food poisoning can cause blurry or double vision, muscle weakness, or tingling," he said.
The expert said that hundreds of bacteria, parasites, and viruses can cause food poisoning.
Symptoms can appear as early as 30 minutes after consuming contaminated food, leading to nausea, vomiting, seizures, and diarrhea.
In the case of salmonella, fever, diarrhea, nausea, seizures, and vomiting will occur.
Main symptom that cannot be ignored
In some cases, food poisoning can be dangerous and require prompt medical attention.
You should seek medical attention immediately if you have severe diarrhea and blood in your stool. When food poisoning causes gastrointestinal bleeding, it often indicates that it has reached a more serious level.
Here are a few more tips to help prevent poisoning:
- Clean tables and cutting boards before, during, and after food preparation. Microbes can linger on your hands and surfaces for a long time.
- After handling raw products, thoroughly wash the dishes they were prepared in with warm, soapy water.
- Do not use semi-raw food; properly cook products to kill harmful bacteria.
- Store foods at a temperature of 4°C or lower. When it's freezing outside, products can be stored in an unheated room if there is no refrigerator.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
