Common Symptoms of Food Poisoning You Need To Note
Food poisoning is a common illness which is caused by the ingestion of contaminated food or beverages. It usually causes a number of complaints such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain or discomfort. In addition, some patients may suffer from symptoms like fever, chills, or muscle pain. Extreme cases can result in dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, which can be life threatening and require professional attention. Understanding the risk factors, clinical manifestations, and management strategies associated with food poisoning is important to promote health and prevent illnesses.
Definition of Food Poisoning?
Food poisoning is any illness suffered as a result of the consumption of contaminated food and drinks. It can be any severity of illness and in fact can affect persons of all ages. Ubiquitous bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria are often responsible, though viruses, parasites, or toxins can also cause this type of sickness. Seasons also play a role in frequency of food poisoning activities as it usually occurs in summer months rather than winters. Toxins are developed especially when the food is left for a longer period or not cooked and stored appropriately.
The reason behind the illness varies from one individual to another although in most cases includes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort.
Common Signs And Symptoms Of Food Poisoning
Some effective and common food poisoning signs and symptoms are:
- A feeling of unease
- Stomach ache with sensation to eject undigested food
- A state in which a person excretes more than normal or passes loose fluid.
- Abdominal region discomfort
- Body temperature more than the normal value
- Body experiencing cold sensation
- Pain in the skeletal muscles
- A dull pain affecting the brain region
- A sense of tiredness and exhaustion
- Eating little or nothing
The symptoms may differ from one individual to another, but in most cases, they will be persistent in their occurrence for several days. Food poisoning is often mild and self limiting in nature in most cases. But in some cases, food poisoning may result in dehydration as well as an electrolyte disturbance, which can in extreme cases become life threatening conditions.
Potential Complications of Food Poisoning
However, food poisoning can also lead to complications, but this is rare. The more severe complications can be:
- High degree of fluid loss
- Fluid imbalance characterized by minerals such as sodium, chloride, potassium, and bicarbonate in the bloodstream
- Complete failure of the kidney organ
- Failure of the metabolic organ
- Pus formation in the membranes that cover the brain
- Complete cessation of all biological processes
These more severe complications are more prevalent in children, senior adults or those who are immunocompromised. If one experiences any one or more of these complications then medical help should be sought immediately.
Find out More About Food Poisoning
Food poisoning is one of the many foodborne illnesses that are preventable as long as one maintains good food hygiene. Prevention techniques and signs are available on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
