Food poisoning can occur from ingesting foods contaminated with bacteria. Unwashed hands and improper techniques of handling foods can transfer bacteria to the food source, and uncooked foods can introduce live bacteria into your system. Food poisoning also can be caused by toxins, such as those found in mushrooms and shellfish, and viruses such as noroviruses, which commonly induce stomach flu. According to MedlinePlus, food poisoning elicits symptoms generally after two to six hours of consumption; however, depending on the type of food poisoning, the symptoms may not show up until days later, or they could show up soon after consumption.
Abdominal Pain/Diarrhea
Abdominal pain can occur in the areas from your chest to your groin. You could experience pain in more than half of your abdomen or in just one area. You also may experience abdominal cramps in conjunction with pain. Diarrhea is associated with abdominal pain from food poisoning. In adults, diarrhea is non-life threatening; however, in children, diarrhea can become serious since it can lead to dehydration.
Fever/Chills/Headache
Fever includes any temperature above 99 to 99.5 degrees F in adults and at or greater than 99.5 degrees F measured in the mouth in children, explains MedlinePlus. Chills, which are the body's way of generating heat, could occur at the beginning of food poisoning and are usually associated with a fever. You may also experience a headache in the head, scalp or neck area.
Nausea/Vomiting
Food poisoning also causes nausea, in which you have an urge to throw up ingested food, and vomiting, which involves the expulsion of food content from the stomach and out through the mouth.
Weakness
Diarrhea and vomiting can lead to weakness, in which you may experience a lack of muscle strength or have difficulty moving or lifting yourself up from a reclining position. You may become too weak to talk or talk loudly.
At-Home Treatment
Do not eat any solid foods or dairy products until your diarrhea ceases; otherwise, these foods can exacerbate your condition. To avoid dehydration, replenish your system with plenty of fluids, which you lost from diarrhea and vomiting. You can reverse dehydration by drinking electrolyte solutions, which you can find at drugstores. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, barley or rice water can soothe abdominal and intestinal irritations, and probiotics like Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Lactobacillus acidophilus can help repopulate the good bacteria in the intestine to restore the normal acid-base balance.
Medical Intervention
Consult your health care provider before stopping medications or taking medications for bloody diarrhea or a fever, warns MedlinePlus. The following signs should prompt you to see a health care provider immediately: bloody vomit, excessive vomiting for more than two days, bloody stool, intense pain or cramps in the abdomen, an oral temperature greater than 101.5 degrees, the inability to take in fluids, severe diarrhea persisting for more than three days, and extreme dehydration. Any severe or prolonged symptoms indicate potential life-threatening conditions. Also, if you have been eating mushrooms or shellfish and developed symptoms of food poisoning, seek medical attention immediately, as this could pose a serious health threat to you.
