Food poisoning results when a person consumes bacteria or other toxin-laced food. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, symptoms generally begin within 12 to 72 hours of eating contaminated food, although they can start as soon as 30 minutes after ingesting an offending food. Symptoms vary, based on the type of food poisoning that ensues. However, common signs include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and cramping, fever and fatigue.
Bacteria-specific Symptoms
Clostridium botulinum can lead to symptoms such as blurred vision, light sensitivity and paralyzed eye nerves as well as trouble swallowing, respiratory failure and paralysis that moves downward. Ingesting escherichia coli commonly leads to diarrhea with extremely little stool and a lot of blood, while salmonella has been known to cause fever, bloody diarrhea and chills.
Fish Poisoning Symptoms
Eating contaminated fish can cause a range of maladies, from abdominal pain to headache, dizziness, vomiting and diarrhea. Ciguatera poisoning---which comes from fish such as barracuda, grouper and snapper---tends to result in a numb or tingling feeling around the mouth, impaired temperature sensation, itching, joint and muscle pain, and slowed heart rate and blood pressure. Pufferfish poisoning also can cause mouth numbness along with trouble swallowing, an inability to talk, convulsions, upward-spreading paralysis, respiratory failure and death. Shellfish poisoning, too, can cause mouth-specific numbness as well as numbness in the arms and legs, and it can lead to problems speaking and swallowing.
Mushroom Poisoning Symptoms
Mushroom poisoning---which affects the brain, liver and gastrointestinal tract---manifests in stomach upset, confusion, kidney failure and liver tissue damage. If left untreated---even for a short time---this type of food poisoning can lead to death.
