OSEA Safety Blog

Food Poisoning: Symptoms and Remedies

Monday, March 11, 2019 Tammy Meng

Foodborne illness is most commonly known as food poisoning.. This takes place when a person eats contaminated, spoiled or toxic food. 1 in 6 Americans will contract some sort of food poisoning each year.

Causes:

There are 3 major causes of food poisoning.

  • Bacteria: includes E-Coli and Salmonella are the most common types of bacteria. Campylobater and C Botulimum are the less common types of bacteria that can lurk in our food.
  • Parasites: are the least common causes of food poisoning. Toxoplasma is the most common parasite and is typically found is cat liter boxes and can live in your digestive tract for years. People with weakened immune systems and pregnant women are the ones to risk the most serious side effects of this parasite.
  • Viruses: the Norovirus causes over 19 million cases of food poisoning each year, in some rare cases this virus can be fatal. Sapovirus, Rotavirus & Astrovirus bring on similar symptoms but are very rare and less common. Hepatitis A is a major condition that can be transmitted through food.

Symptoms:

The most common symptoms of food poisoning are vomiting and diarrhea. Other symptoms that can occur are fever and abdominal pain. Depending on the cause of food poisoning depends on duration (length) of being sick, this can vary from a few hours to several days.

Remedies:

Food Poison often resolves within 48 hours and can usually be treated at home.

  • Drink a lot of fluids – be sure to replace all the fluids that have been lost. The fluids loss can be due to persistent diarrhea and vomiting.
  • Avoid certain foods until you get better. Stick with bland foods (gelatin, bananas, rice, oatmeal, chicken broth, toast, soda without caffeine, sports drinks, etc.)
  • Rest – dehydration can make you weak and tire you.

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/food-poisoning/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20356236

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-poisoning#diet

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