Food poison

After the arrival of various restaurants and food in the market like Chinese, Continental, Italian, our stomachs have become confused along with our lives. On weekends and on tourist days, the number of people who eat colorful foods without knowing what they are and then take leave the next day and run to the bathroom and bedroom is slowly increasing. One of the consequences of this modern lifestyle is headache.

Food poison:

Food poisoning, also called foodborne illness, is illness caused by eating contaminated food. Generally, food poisoning is caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites etc.

Symptoms:

 Symptoms of a common food poison may include anyone or all of the following: abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, low-grade fever, fatigue, headache and fainting.

 Diarrhea for more than three consecutive days, high fever, loss of consciousness to the extent that one is unable to speak or see, severe dehydration, dry tongue, urinary retention etc. severe food poison problem. So, consult a doctor without delay.

Bacteria:

Most food poisoning problems are caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria. Bacterial infections like E.coli, Listeria, Salmonella play a major role in this. Bacteria such as Campylobacter and C.botulinum also cause food poison.

Parasites:

Compared to food poison caused by bacterial infections, food poison caused by parasites are less common. But food-borne parasites are more dangerous. The parasites Toxoplasma are notable among them. Parasites inhabit our digestive tract. Parasites affect the gut during pregnancy and when the immune system is weakened.

Virus:

There are chances of food poisoning caused by microorganism called Norovirus. Rarely, it can even cause death in some people. Rota virus and Astro virus will exhibit similar symptoms. Food poisoning is also caused by Hepatitis virus A.

How does infection occur?

 Microorganisms called pathogens are commonly found in all foods. These are mostly destroyed during cooking and heating. Foods eaten raw lead to infection with pathogens.

 While cooking, cooking without cleaning hands also causes infections.

 Water, non-vegetarian, egg and dairy products are perishable soon. So, food poisoning can easily occur through these.

Impact:

Generally, food poisoning can happen to anyone. However, the problem becomes serious when food poisoning occurs in people who have an autoimmune problem. Also, people with weak immune system, children, elderly, pregnant women, etc., are more affected when food poisoning occurs.

Diagnosis of food poisoning:

 Physical exam:

 Check blood pressure and pulse for signs of dehydration.

 Examine the body for signs of fever or dehydration.

 Use a stethoscope to listen to sounds in the abdomen.

 Tap on the abdomen to check for tenderness or pain.

 Note:

Blood in the stool may be a sign of an infection with bacteria or parasites.

 Stool tests:

A health care professional will give you a container for catching and storing the stool. Stool tests can show the presence of viruses, bacteria or parasites.

 Blood tests:

Blood tests can show signs of certain infections or signs of complications such as dehydration.

Treatment:

 In most cases, people with food poisoning get better on their own without medical treatment.

 You can treat food poisoning by replacing lost fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration. Drink plenty of liquids. If vomiting is a problem, try sipping small amounts of clear liquids. Adults, eating saltine crackers can also help replace electrolytes. Older adults, adults with a weakened immune system, and adults with severe diarrhea or symptoms of dehydration should drink oral rehydration solutions, such as Pedialyte, Naturalyte, Infalyte, and Ceralyte.

 Over-the-counter medicines: In some cases, adults can take over-the-counter medicines such as loperamide and bismuth subsalicylate to treat diarrhea caused by food poisoning.

To eat:

 Foods difficult to digest should be avoided as there will be vomiting and diarrhea during food poisoning.

 It is better to take liquid food like juice and porridge.

 Easy dishes like idly, idiyappam are the best.

To avoid:

 Avoid foods that are difficult for digestion.

 Avoid dairy products, fatty foods, processed foods, foods with added white sugar, coffee, tea, fried foods, maida foods like parotta, non-veg.

Ways to avoid food poisoning:

 Frequent consumption of spicy foods should be avoided.

 Hotel foods should be avoided as much as possible as we do not know when it was prepared.

 Have easy-to-digest foods while travelling. Drink plenty of water.

 Eating fiber-rich vegetables, fruits, and greens keeps our digestive system healthy. Immunity will be improved.

 Hands should be thoroughly cleaned before cooking. Similarly, vegetables, fruits and non-vegetarian items should be cooked after cleaning them thoroughly.

 Avoid eating raw food items.

 Repeated reheating of food should be avoided.

 Don’t reheat and eat food placed in the fridge more than once.

 It is best to cook non-vegetarian food once and eat it immediately.