How to Treat Food Poisoning
Food poisoning can be a deeply uncomfortable experience. Food poisoning occurs when you eat or ingest contaminated food, typically meat, eggs or dairy products. Here are some more pointers on how to treat food poison and how to prevent food poisoning from happening.
Food Poisoning Symptoms
Symptoms for food poisoning may show up from an hour to a whole day since ingesting the contaminated food. Symptoms may vary depending on what contaminant you ingested, but they generally include:
Nausea
Stomach cramps
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Fever
Headaches and/or dizziness
Treat Food Poisoning
When you’re suffering from food poisoning, you’ll need all the help you can get. Here’s how to ease the discomfort and help recover from food poisoning:
Food poisoning will likely cause vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of water, in small but regular doses. Drink only clear liquids. Avoid diuretics, like coffee or tea. You may also need to drink oral electrolytes, and especially so for children.
Eat food to keep your energy levels up to recover quicker. Stick with dry food like dry toast, crackers or plain biscuits. Bland food will be easier to keep down. Paired with chicken or vegetable broth, you’d have a pretty good meal in itself. Avoid overly flavored food, fruits and spicy food.
Take probiotic supplements like yogurt or probiotic pills. Yogurt contains the live microorganisms that will help you recover and treat the symptoms that the food contaminants caused in your system. Stick with unflavored or plain yogurt as any additives like sugar might irritate your stomach even more.
Get lots of rest. It may take a few days before the contaminants are completely flushed out of your body. Avoid exercising or doing strenuous activities.
Seek medical attention if you don’t feel better after five days or you still have a fever in three days. Children and infants should get immediate medical attention as well.
Prevent Food Poisoning
Choose fresh food of high quality from trusted stores and outlets.
Always clean your hands thoroughly before eating.
Make sure that the tools you use when preparing food are clean and sterile.
Wash raw fruit and vegetables before eating them.
Refrigerate leftover food as soon as possible.
Follow proper storage instructions on the labels.