Many different microbes can cause food poisoning. Symptoms usually start within a few hours of ingesting the food, although some cases can develop several days after. Aside from diarrhea, the person may also experience fever, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
Mild cases of food poisoning can be treated at home. However, more serious cases may require hospitalization.
These key clues include severe abdominal pain, severe diarrhea lasting more than three days, blood in the stools, little or no urination, dizziness or lightheadedness, and high fever. And if the person cannot drink or eat anymore, then he needs to be given dextrose fluid in the hospital.
First Aid For Food Poisoning:
1. First, try to determine the food item that could be the culprit. Did anyone else eat this food and did they get diarrhea also? If it's not the food, then it could be the water. Try to recall what foods you ate or drank within the past 24 hours or in the past few days.
2. Drink lots of fluids to replenish those you have lost. For mild cases of diarrhea, you can drink juice, soup or water. However, for persistent cases of diarrhea, you need to drink an oral rehydrating solution (ORS).
3. As a home remedy, you can mix a solution of one glass water with two teaspoons of sugar and one-fourth teaspoon of salt.
4. Medicines to stop diarrhea, like loperamide, are used only for severe cases. In most instances, the diarrhea will stop by itself within two days. Taking these medications may possibly cause harm by not allowing the bacteria and toxins to be released from the body.
5. Rest your stomach. Choose foods that are easy to digest. Foods such as congee, clear soup, gelatin, bananas and tea may help. Temporarily avoid dairy products, spicy foods and fatty foods.
6. Eat slowly and little by little. Eating too quickly can make you nauseous and prone to vomit. But remember that you still need to eat something to get your energy and strength back.
7. Take a rest as much as you can. Diarrhea can make you feel weak. Just lie down most of the time to conserve your strength.
8. Lastly, make sure you don't get dehydrated. Check your urine color to see that it is still light in color. Dark-colored urine means that you lack fluids in the body. For example, if you lose two glasses of liquid from the bowel movement, then you need to drink two glasses of oral rehydrating solution.
Medical Treatment:
Most cases of food poisoning are self-limiting, which means the patient will get well in two days or so. However, some cases of food poisoning need antibiotic treatment.
Doctors may request for a stool exam and stool culture to determine the specific cause of the disease. For example, diarrhea from amebiasis, salmonella, cholera, and other bacterial infections need specific antibiotic treatment.
Prevention Tips:
1. Wash your hands before preparing and eating food.
2. Keep your kitchen and utensils clean.
3. Store raw foods safely in the refrigerator or freezer.
4. Cook food completely. Avoid undercooked or half-cooked meat and fish preparations.
5. Don't let food sit out for more than two or three hours. Store it in the refrigerator.
6. Reheat leftover food only once. More frequent reheating increases the chances of bacterial contamination.
7. Finally, a good rule to follow is "When in doubt, throw it out." Observe these common-sense tips to keep your family safe.
