Food Poisoning: Symptoms and When to Seek Help
Verified By
KIMS-SUNSHINE
Specialist,
06 February, 2025
Food poisoning literally means someone has eaten poorly prepared food and now is dealing with some tummy or gut related issues. Food needs to be prepared in the right way and must be stored when not required. When both these stages are not completed properly, the prepared food becomes a breeding ground for various kinds of pathogens- like viruses, bacteria, parasites and more. What do you think will happen, when you eat such contaminated food? You get affected obviously, and have symptoms that last for about a week or for much longer. Food poisoning is a common issue in the Indian subcontinent and it can be attributed to a variety of factors- like unclean preparation of raw and cooked ingredients, leaving food exposed, poor water quality due to sanitation issues, etc.
How Caffeine Impacts Your Sleep And Body Clock
The safest amount of caffeine has not yet been determined for everyone to consume, without facing any issues, though the FDA maintains that 400 mg is a good enough value. Some people may feel jittery or anxious when they have so much, while others may be totally fine even with more. Most people associate an espresso with more caffeine, though it may not be necessarily true. An espresso is very less in quantity when compared to a full mug of filter coffee (which even when diluted with milk is much larger in volume as the amount of decoction needed depends on the volume of milk), but if you have same volumes of espresso and filter coffee, then yes- espresso definitely has more caffeine. Coffee is just one of the many possible caffeinated beverages that people consume on a daily basis. Caffeine goes to work in the brain and prevents the adenosine – a molecule that begins to accumulate once someone is awake, from binding to its receptor. Adenosine continues to be formed in the brain through the day, but when you drink something with caffeine, it competes with adenosine for a spot on the receptor and forces you to stay up and feel alert.
Early Signs And Symptoms Of Food Poisoning
Most symptoms begin soon after ingestion of contaminated food, though it can be after a few hours also- when it begins to get digested. They are as follows-
- Having the urge to vomit
- Severe diarrhoea with bloody stools may also be present, if you poop a lot of times
- You can have severe cramps
- If you have a fever and a headache- then it is pretty bad.
At times, symptoms may worsen to the extent that someone has neural issues, has very bad diarrhoea for over 3 days and gets severely dehydrated.
Common Causes Of Food Poisoning From Contaminated Food
Foods that get easily contaminated are those which are raw, have not been covered while in storage and if they have been prepared with bad water or stale ingredients. Some of the best examples include dairy, raw meat of any kind, unclean water, food that has been left out to get cold and has not been covered or if it has been cooked in the wrong way. Meat especially has a very high amount of bacteria like salmonella, same with unpasteurised milk and related products and they can hence spoil very quickly. Hence, meat has to be cooked to a high enough temperature- which kills all the pathogens- above 75 degree celsius to be exact. Any higher and you risk overcooking the meat and compromising on texture and flavour. These pathogens can also produce toxins like botulinum toxin or from molds. Apart from the food itself, how it is prepared matters a lot too- if you use the same knife for meat and veggies, that is risky. If you don’t wash your hands often during food prep, it is even worse. Lastly, storing food at the right temperature is crucial- if you leave food in a very warm fridge, it will spoil. But it does not mean that you can keep food fresh forever in the fridge either.Â
How Long Do Food Poisoning Symptoms Last?
Our body is adept at recognising toxins and hence tries everything in its power to get it out of the system- via urine, by making you vomit, or via faeces. Most of the time, symptoms subside on their own, within a few hours or a few days, once the toxin has been thrown out of the body. While doing so however, you may get dehydrated and lose a lot of fluids. So, it is important to drink lots of water, or get an ORS solution- to replenish electrolytes. But, when symptoms last for much longer and you feel miserable, it is time to talk to a doctor.
Conclusion
Food poisoning can be caused by any number of pathogens like salmonella, E. coli, listeria, rotavirus, Hepatitis virus, clostridium, campylobacter, bacillus, shigella, staph infections, parasites, etc. This question is very common – when to go to the doctor for severe food poisoning? If you get severely dehydrated, have vision changes or notice paralysis of any sort, high fever and other related symptoms, it is important you get help. The pathogen can cause other issues in the body too- like sepsis, kidney infections etc. Since symptoms are pretty similar, even if it is all caused by different pathogens, it makes sense to understand the severity of symptoms and then make the right call.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common symptoms of food poisoning?
How long does food poisoning usually last?
Which foods are most likely to cause food poisoning?
Can food poisoning cause dehydration, and how can I prevent it?
What is the difference between food poisoning and a stomach flu?
