Food Poisoning - Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

How does food get contaminated?

Food can get contaminated at any time from harvesting, processing, shipping or even when it is being prepared. Cross contamination which is the transfer of harmful bacteria from one surface to the other is quite often the cause. The popular belief that food cooked at home cannot cause food poisoning is erroneous. If not washed or prepared well, even home cooked food can be harmful.

Tips to prevent food poisoning

• Wash all fresh foodstuffs well 
• Make sure that canned food is well within its expiry date
• Keep raw food and canned food separate
• Refrigerate food if you plan to eat it later
• Make sure food is fully thawed when reheating
• Pick good restaurants when you eat out
• Don’t eat food from road side carts
• Carry water with you when you go out
• Make sure that the food prepared at home is cooked well

Foods that can cause food poisoning

• Meat and poultry that are infected
• Raw or undercooked eggs
• Canned food that have not been packaged well
• Shellfish and seafood can be contaminated by chemicals in seawater
• Leafy vegetables can be ridden with worms
• Fresh vegetables that have been sprayed by pesticide
• Milk and milk products that haven’t been processed well

Symptoms of food poisoning

• Diarrhoea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever
• Stomach cramps
• Blood in vomit or stools
• Headache

Most at risk

• Infants and young children: Immune systems may be more susceptible
• Geriatrics: Older people may have compromised immune systems
• Pregnant woman: Hormonal changes cause them to be risk prone to food poisoning
• People with illnesses are weaker and their immune system may be compromised

*This doesn’t mean that healthy adults don’t get affected. Anyone can fall prey to food poisoning if they don’t take precautions

Immediate treatment

• Keep the person hydrated. Water with electrolytes should be given at regular intervals. It is important to flush out the system
• Bland food with less oil should be given.
• Food stuff high in acidity should be avoided
• Rest is essential since dehydration can cause fatigue

If the person has any of the following symptoms, they should be taken to a hospital:

• Blood in stools
• Increased heart rate
• Fainting or dizziness
• Decreased urination
• Difficulty in breathing
• Diarrhoea and vomiting for more than a day
• Extreme dehydration
• High fever

At the hospital:

• Give the attending doctor a list of things that the person ingested the day before. It can help narrow down the cause and help decide treatment
• Let the doctor know if the person is allergic to anything specific
• Give the doctor the history of what treatment was given before bringing the patient to the hospital.

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