INTRODUCTION:
Food poisoning is an inflammation or infection of gastrointestinal tract characterized by mild discomfort to severe illnesses. It can be caused by eating rotten and stale food or maybe due to some gastric conditions or irrgeular sleeping habits. The symptoms of food poisoning may arise within few hours or may take some days depending on some conditions.
Now, let’s have a look on what causes food poisoning, it symptoms, prevention and treatment.
SYMPTOMS OF FOOD POISONING:
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal Pain or discomfort
• Fever
• Weakness
• Fatigue
In severe poisoning organ damage, dehydration or even death can occur especially in people who are young, in their old age or are immunogically compromised.
CAUSES OF FOOD POISONING:
• Bacteria:
Bacteria are the most important cause of food poisoning. Bacteria like Salmonella, E coli, Listeria have the tendency to grow in food that are not properly stored or are undercooked.
• Virus
Viruses like Hep A or nonvirus can also cause food poisoning if contaminated with food.
• Parasites:
Parasites like Giardia and Cryptosporidium can grow in food and water where sanitary condirions are not good.
• Toxins:
Toxins as the name indicates are poisons that can also cause food poisoning if are contaminated within. (E.g mushrooms)
PREVENTIONS:
To prevent this condition from developing one should stay mindful and practice the following measures.
1.PAY ATTENTION TO HYGEINE:
One must pay attention its hygeine by washing hands thoroughly, sanitization etc before or after handling food. The utensils should be properly washed and cleaned. Kitchen should be neat clean and all the proper hygeinic measures should be taken while preparing food.- COOK FOOD THOUROUGHLY:
Raw or undercooked food are one of the best mediums for bacterial growth. So, its highly important to cook the food properly especially meat and eggs. - STORE FOOD PROPERLY:
Storing your food properly is also very important to prevent food poisoning as it can lead to bacterial growth. Food should be properly stored in cold temperature below (40°F or 40°C - AVOID CROSS-CONTAMINATION
Dont store raw meat with other foods as it can lead to bacterial spread.
5. AVOID FOOD RAW:
Some people like to eat raw food like raw eggs or raw meat this should be avoided as eating these in raw form means eating a whole bunch of bacteria. Dairy products like milk should also be pasteurized before consumption.
WHEN TO SEE DOCTOR:
If your conditions have worsened or you are facing any of the symptoms mentioned below its highly time to seek professional help. The conditons are:
• Bloody stools
• High fever
• Severe dehydration
• Prolonged Vomiting
CONCLUSION:
Food poisoning can be one of the discomforting conditons but can be prevented by taking care of your diet and watching your intake of unhealthy or fast food items. Most cases of food poisoning arise due to eating outdoors so its highly recommended to avoid that and try cooking your own food as homemade is the best!
