1. Symptoms Are Acute
Salmonella poisoning causes nausea, diarrhea and fever. These symptoms usually appear between 12 and 72 hours after becoming exposed to salmonella. Up until the point symptoms appear, you probably won't know you've been infected. The fever can go as high as 104 degrees F in really severe cases, and the diarrhea can be very intense. In fact, some people don't regain entirely normal bowel movements for several months after the salmonella bacteria has left their system. The acute phase of salmonella poisoning usually lasts between four and seven days.
2. Get a Blood Test
A definitive diagnosis of salmonella poisoning depends on locating the bacteria in your blood stream. If you've developed the symptoms of salmonella and think you may have been exposed, go to your doctor immediately. He'll take a small blood sample and examine it for signs of the salmonella bacteria. The bacteria is usually pretty easy for a doctor to spot.
3. Think About What You've Eaten
If you have the physical symptoms of salmonella poisoning, you can determine whether you may have been exposed to the bacteria by remembering what you've eaten in the past three days. One of the most common ways of being exposed to salmonella is through eating raw or undercooked meat. Raw eggs are also a frequent source of the salmonella bacteria, as are unpasteurized dairy products. While food is the most common source of a salmonella infection in people of normal health, infants and people with lowered immunity can sometimes contract a case of salmonella poisoning from handling reptiles or through skin-to-skin contact with someone with a salmonella infection.
4. Possible Long-Term Effects
While most cases of salmonella only last about a week and then go away completely, there is a small chance it might stick around or leave you with lingering symptoms. Some of these symptoms can be permanent. Salmonella that causes severe diarrhea can also cause eye irritation and pains in the joints that can last for months. Eventually, these joint pains may turn into a permanent case of arthritis, which will require ongoing medical treatment. Some people get over their salmonella infections, but never completely get rid of the bacteria in their systems. These people become salmonella carriers and can pass the bacteria on to other people.
