I think I have shared one of the major occurrences of food poisoning I have had on this channel before, the one I had a few months ago was so scary because I was the only one at home and it felt like I was almost throwing up my intestine if I had this food poisoning attack after eating out, that would have been the last time I would visit that restaurant, but for a meal I cooked by myself, and I know how careful I try to be while cooking was so surprising. It was at night, and I was home alone, and then to worsen the entire situation, the power holding company decided not to give us light that night, I won't be wrong if I describe that day as one of the scariest days of my life, I was scared to my bones, and gladly I was able to sleep off after taking some medications.
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Food poisoning isn't the actual poisoning of a meal to harm the person consuming it as so many of us would normally think, but it is attached to the intake of food or water containing viruses, parasites, bacteria, or toxins made up of germs. Most cases of food poisoning are caused by common bacteria like staphylococcus or E.coli. The poisoning could either affect one or a group of people who ate the same food, whether it is from a restaurant, at social gatherings, or eating at picnics.
Germs entering into the food is known as contamination which could happen either through;
The meat or poultry coming in contact with bacteria from the intestine of a processed animal.
The water that was used during growing or shipping could contain human or animal waste.
During preparation, food could be handled in an unsafe manner.
It could be that the person who has prepared the food has failed to wash their hands adequately.
The u of cooking utensils that are infected or not properly cleaned.
Vegetables or fruits that have not been properly washed.
Diary products that have stayed out of the refrigerator for a very long time.
Little children and aged adults stand a greater chance of getting food poisoning if they have a weak immune system, the presence of a serious underlying medical condition like diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers, also need to be very careful.
Different types of germs and toxins that could contribute to food poisoning include; Cholera, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella, E.coli entritis, Campylobacter enteritis, and toxins that exist in tainted or spoiled fish.
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It could be convenient to confuse stomach flu for food poisoning as they are both gastrointestinal infections, they both cause gastroenteritis, which means stomach and small intestine inflammation. Gastroenteritis is a strong sign that your immune system has been activated to get rid of an infection, most times the same viral, bacterial infections can cause both stomach flu and food poisoning and as a result, yield the same symptoms, the only major difference is that foodborne illness comes from food whereas stomach bug could be caught in several other ways.
If the infection doesn't come with immediate symptoms if it had to take days for instance, then you may be confused about the disorder being an effect of food poisoning or other signs of stomach disorder, the most difficult part is trying very hard to recall the things and the location you have eaten in the past few days, thank goodness mine happened only a few hours later, so I was sure it was an effect of food poisoning.
Food poisoning is not usually a very serious illness, after little medic care, the symptoms go away, it is reported that about, 48 million people usually experience food poisoning in the United States yearly, but about 3,000 out of the 48 million die as a result of the complications associated with the foodborne illness.
Very popular symptoms of food poisoning are; nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The symptoms could vary or happen in its combination.
The goal of treating the symptoms of food poisoning is to ease the symptoms felt and to ensure that the body still has retained a sufficient amount of fluids, for this to happen, you may have to; get lots of rest, control vomiting and nausea and of course, manage the diarrhea.
Oral rehydration mixtures are helpful to replace the minerals lost through vomiting and diarrhea, Pharmacies sell oral rehydration powder that could be mixed in clean water. There are also sold medicines at the pharmacy that helps reduce diarrhea, but take extreme caution and visit the doctor instead, in the case of having bloody diarrhea, and do not also give medications to children.
Complications from food poisoning are rare but possible, some cases of complications are; Kidney problems, swelling or irritation of the tissues around the heart, arthritis, and bleeding issue. You should instantly contact a healthcare professional if you start to feel any of these symptoms;
If you experience pus or blood in your stool, if you start having signs of dehydration like lightheadedness, dizziness,s, and thirst, if you just changed location and instantly developed diarrhea, or if you get food poisoning from mushrooms, if there is also blood in your stool or diarrhea has lasted beyond 5 days, make sure to instantly contact your doctor.
On some occasions, it isn't our fault that we fall victim to food poisoning, but these steps can help prevent them from happening;
- Ensure adequate cleanliness, wash your hands and every cooking surface before, during, and after cooking. Germs can survive on your hand, around your kitchen, on the cooking utensils and so everything needs to be kept sparkling clean.
Also, it is important to learn how to separate raw food items, especially meat, eggs, chicken, and other poultry items from ready-to-eat food. When you cook, ensure your food is appropriately cooked to get rid of harmful bacteria.
For Further Information.
https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/food-poisoning
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/food-poisoning
https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/food-poisoning.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6604335/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/food-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20356230
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21167-food-poisoning
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154555#symptoms
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001652.htm#top
Hi, I am Tobi a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. Want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my youtube channel where you can listen and watch any episode for free, please, If do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, kindly do well to keep them coming.