Food poisoning
Food borne illness (also food borne disease and colloquially referred to as food poisoning) is any illness resulting from the food spoilage of contaminated food, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food, as well as chemical or natural toxins such as poisonous mushrooms and various species of beans that have not been boiled for at least 10 minutes.
Symptoms vary depending on the cause, and are described below in this article. A few broad generalizations can be made, e.g.: The incubation period ranges from hours to days, depending on the cause and on how much was consumed. The incubation period tends to cause sufferers to not associate the symptoms with the item consumed, and so to cause sufferers to attribute the symptoms to gastroenteritis for example.
Symptoms often include vomiting, fever, and aches, and may include diarrhea. Bouts of vomiting can be repeated with an extended delay in between, because even if infected food was eliminated from the stomach in the first bout, microbes (if applicable) can pass through the stomach into the intestine via cells lining the intestinal walls and begin to multiply. Some types of microbes stay in the intestine, some produce a toxin that is absorbed into the bloodstream, and some can directly invade deeper body tissues.
Symptoms of Food Poisoning?
“Food poisoning” is a broad term that can actually cover a whole lot of different infections.
Your exact symptoms and their severity will vary. That will depend on the kind of bacteria, virus, or parasite that’s infected you, how much is in your system, and how well your immune system is fighting it off.
Despite the wide range of types, most cases of food poisoning cause some mix of the following:
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Diarrhea
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Nausea
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Vomiting
If you have a mild case, you might think you have a stomach flu or virus. You may get better without any treatment. But some people have such bad symptoms that they may need to go to the hospital.
Signs You Have Food Poisoning
Cramps in your stomach and gut, diarrhea, and vomiting may start as early as 1 hour after eating tainted food and as late as 10 days or longer. It depends on what is causing the infection.
Some other possible, common symptoms of a variety of food poisonings might include:
- Bloating and gas
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Weakness
- Abdominal pain and cramping
Foodborne botulism
Signs and symptoms of food borne botulism typically begin between 12 and 36 hours after the toxin gets into your body. But, the start of symptoms can range from a few hours to several days, depending on the amount of toxin ingested. Signs and symptoms of food borne botulism include:
- Difficulty swallowing or speaking
- Dry mouth
- Facial weakness on both sides of the face
- Blurred or double vision
- Drooping eyelids
- Trouble breathing
- Nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps
- Paralysis
Wound botulism
Most people who develop wound botulism inject drugs several times a day, so it's difficult to know for sure how long it takes for signs and symptoms to develop after the toxin enters the body. Wound botulism signs and symptoms include:
- Difficulty swallowing or speaking
- Facial weakness on both sides of the face
- Blurred or double vision
- Drooping eyelids
- Trouble breathing
- Paralysis
Treatment for botulism
Botulism is a medical emergency. The most important treatment for botulism is supportive care, including assisted breathing using a ventilator for breathing difficulties and intravenous fluids if the person can’t swallow. Antitoxin against botulism should be administered early, if available, to reduce the severity of the symptoms.
10 Foods Most Likely to Cause Food Poisoning
1. Chicken
2. Ground Beef & Chicken
3. Eggs
4. Shellfish
5. Leafy Greens
6. Tomatoes
7. Cheese
8. Alfalfa Sprouts
9. Deli Meats
10. Berries
