Food poisoning is generally spread through contaminated water and food. It happens at any age there is no particular age factor for this bacterial infection. It occurs when you eat unhealthy contaminated food. In this weather try not to eat any kind of junk food because it can be dangerous to your health and maybe you get affected by food poisoning because some restaurants are not providing fresh foods, although frozen foods are also dangerous.

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What is Food Poisoning?

Food poisoning is also called foodborne illness is caused by eating contaminated food. Infectious organisms counting bacteria, viruses, and parasites or their toxins are the most common causes of food poisoning. Infectious organisms can contaminate food at any point of processing or production. Contamination can also happen at home if food is incorrectly handled or cooked.

What are the Symptoms of Food Poisoning?

Usually, signs and symptoms can start within hours after eating befoul food, or they may begin days or even weeks later. Generally, sickness caused by food poisoning generally lasts from a few hours to several days.

Symptoms are different from the source of contamination. Many types of food poisoning can start one or more of the following symptoms:

1. Vomiting

2. Nausea

3. Watery or bloody diarrhea

4. Abdominal pain and cramps

5. Fever

What are the Causes of Food Poisoning?

Befoul of food can happen at any point of production: growing, harvesting, processing, storing, shipping or preparing. Cross-contamination is the transfer of harmful bacteria from one surface to another is often the cause. It is especially bothersome for raw, ready-to-eat foods, like-salads or other produce.

Because these foods items aren’t cooked, harmful organisms aren’t destroyed before eating and can cause food poisoning. Many bacterial, viral or parasitic agents cause food poisoning.

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What are the Risk Factors of Food Poisoning?

There are a few risk factors of food poisoning such as:

Older Adults

As we get older, our immune system may not respond as quickly and as effectively to infectious organisms as when you were younger.

Pregnant Women

In pregnancy, changes in metabolism and circulation may increase the higher risk of food poisoning. The reaction may be more severe during pregnancy. Rarely, your baby may get sick, too.

Infants and Young Children

Infants are too small to handle different sort of foods because their immune systems haven’t fully developed.

People with Chronic Disease

Condition like – liver disease, diabetes or AIDS or receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer reduces the immune response.

How to Treat Food Poisoning?

The treatment for food poisoning usually depends on the source of the illness if known, and the severity of your symptoms. In some cases, the illness resolves without any treatment within a few days, though some types of food poisoning may last longer.

Treatment of food poisoning may include:

1. Replacement of lost fluids

Electrolytes and fluids minerals like- sodium, potassium, and calcium that maintain the balance of fluids in your body lost to persistent diarrhea need to be replaced. Some children and adults with constant diarrhea or vomiting may need hospitalization, where they can receive salts and fluids through a vein (intravenously), to prevent or treat dehydration.

2. Antibiotics

Your doctor may prescribe some antibiotics if you have certain kinds of bacterial food poisoning and your symptoms are severe. Food poisoning caused by listeria needs to be treated with intravenous antibiotics during hospitalization. The sooner treatment begins, the better. During pregnancy, prompt antibiotic treatment may help to keep the infection from affecting the baby.

Conclusion

In the above article, we have talked about food poisoning and its symptoms, causes, risk factors, and treatment. Sometimes this infection is a cure on their own. But in some cases, it takes a serious path. If you feel any of the above symptoms so consult a doctor as soon as possible.

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