How often do you feel you are getting sick? Do you get pangs of pain in your stomach and can’t quite explain as to why it is happening. This is usually due to issues like eating contaminated food and it has what we call food poisoning bacteria.
The food which is infected causes you to feel sick. You will be suffering from various problems including bacteria, viruses as well as parasite issues. The toxins in them all is what leads to severe state of food poisoning.
With time, the condition can get worse. It is best to analyze your state and begin treatment as you feel it should be done so.
But how serious and severe can this condition become? In this article, I want to share in detail how food poisoning impacts your health. And why you should take it seriously?
So let’s begin:
How Food Poisoning Happens?
Not all food is digestible. In some cases, it becomes hard to even swallow it properly. This depends on certain cases. Some people have very sensitive diets. This is when you will have inflammation in the lining of the gut.
Food poisoning bacteria particularly relates to gastroenteritis. It is when the condition gets severe. There are some major symptoms which follow.
Let’s check out what those are:
Symptoms of Food Poisoning
When we talk about food poisoning, it means there is a certain level of contamination to the food. When someone has a severe case, it means the food poisoning bacteria is at the high end. The condition can get worse if things don’t get better with time.
You will suffer from certain conditions like:
- nausea which comes and goes
- vomiting becomes severe and sometimes completely out of control
- having diarrhea is also a common symptom
- abdominal pain and having cramps is a regular occurrence
- fever can get severe and unmanageable at times
These symptoms can begin in a matter of a few hours and will continue to worsen with time. They can also last for weeks. Sickness is something which needs immediate attention otherwise it will get even more severe.
Major Warning Signs- When to See a Doctor
As I said there are some major symptoms you need to look out for. These basically relate to and concern with your eating habits and how contamination makes it worse. So when that happens, you will have to see a doctor if your condition and state continues to deteriorate.
So have a proper checkup when:
- You are continuously vomiting
- It becomes hard for you to keep the liquids down
- There is blood in your stool
- Diarrhea is something which will continue so for days and if it keeps getting worse, you will have to get a proper treatment to correct the condition
- The pain in your abdomen keeps on getting worse, up to the point where you cannot manage and tolerate it anymore
- You are suffering from temperature which is continuously getting higher
- In some cases, you will also feel dehydrated
- This includes feeling extremely thirsty, having a dry mouth, there is no urination and you are also feeling lightheadedness
- Other symptoms also include having a very blurry vision and also watery eyesight
- In some cases there is also muscle weakness
- Also you will feel tingling in the arms
And now I want to shed light on some of the major risk factors relating to this condition:
Risk Factors of Food Poisoning
When you talk about food poisoning, there are some things which impact one person differently as opposed to another person. The risk factors will play a strong role in the same. Let’s now look into some of the high-risk groups. These include:
Older adults
When you get older, you will likely suffer from many complications. Your immune system will become even weaker. And this means, you are quite easily exposed to many problems which only get worse with time.
Pregnancy
Those women who are pregnancy will also have to suffer from various complications. This includes having a change in their metabolism. That leads to higher chances of you suffering from food poisoning. The reaction to these symptoms become even worse in pregnancy when your immunity is weak.
Infants and Children
The reason why children are more likely to suffer form this condition is because their immunity is at its weakest. This is when their systems are not fully developed. They are more prone to suffering from health conditions.
Chronic Disease Problems
Those people who are suffering from a chronic condition will also suffer from some major diseases. This includes problems like diabetes, liver diseases and even AIDS. In such cases, you will be needing to go through certain treatments which will help to combat your condition and make the symptoms more manageable.
But how does the food get contaminated in the first place?
Food Contamination- How It Happens?
Food does not remain in its purest form. At some point, it will get contaminated. It is probably at the production stage or at the processing stage.
It is important to know and understand how the contamination process happens. This takes place due to a number of reasons. It includes:
- The food is not properly cooked especially in the case of meats
- When you have cooked food, you are not storing it at the right temperature and it needs to be chilled at a temperature falling below 5C
- If you have cooked food, leaving it out for too long, it actually begins to ruin in the hot temperatures
- Sometimes when you are not sufficiently reheating the food, it can cause you to feel stomachaches and cramps
- If your food is getting touched by someone who is ill and has dirty hands, then its best that you do not eat the food which has been touched
- Make it a habit to not eat and consume food which has passed its ‘use by’ date. It is a risky matter if you consume food which is making you face stomachaches
But there is always some kind of relation to the specific food kinds you are likely to suffer from food contamination from. Let me share some details on those:
Food Which Can Get Contaminated
- Raw meat and poultry
- Raw eggs
- Raw shellfish
- Unpasteurized milk
- Adapting ‘ready-to-eat’ foods
- This includes cooked sliced meats
- Soft cheeses
- Sandwiches
So now we have a good understanding on how food gets ruined. We will look into the kind of food which is actually good and you should be eating when you are suffering from food poisoning .
Foods To Eat When Combating Food Poisoning Bacteria
Here is a list of all food items which are good remedy when you are suffering from food poisoning. You will need to eat solids and items which help in combatting your vomiting and diarrhea.
You should consume these items for as long as you are able to ease into your regular diet in a simple way. These simple-to-digest foods are really good. They are also simple, not heavy on spices and also low in fat.
The food items include:
- saltine crackers
- bananas
- rice
- oatmeal
- boiled vegetables
- toast
- diluted juices
- chicken broth
- soda without caffeine
- simple toast
- sports drinks
You should also try to avoid consuming these food items as they make your stomach upset . Also they are very hard to digest. These include:
- fatty foods
- highly seasoned foods
- spicy foods
- fried foods
- dairy foods can also impact your diet
So now that you have a fair idea on what leads to food poisoning bacteria to manifest in the body, let’s now hit on how you can actually even prevent the onset of this condition.
Prevention of Food Poisoning
The good thing is food poisoning can be something that can be taken care of. You just need to implement certain aspects into your diet regime to ensure the health is in optimal condition.
When talking about adapting prevention techniques, here are a few factors to adapt:
Cooking the right way: it is important that you cook at the right temperature. This will ensure that the bacteria will get killed properly. This is the food poisoning bacteria. Some people also make use of a thermometer as they check the temperature of the cooked meat.
Separation: it is best that you separate foods and make sure that there is a way in which you can ensure there is ways to avoid cross-contamination.
Chill: this is the best thing you can adapt to ensure your food remains fresh. You should be storing and chilling it in the proper temperature. If you don’t, then there is a chance of harmful bacteria growing on it slowly.
Clean: you should adapt ways to ensure that your utensils and any items that you use are kept in mint condition. You should also be washing your hands frequently. This is especially true when you have to touch your mouth. And need to be handling raw meat and eggs.
Takeaway
The food poisoning bacteria can be severe. It all comes down on how you are able to manage it properly. There are some major ways in which you can prevent it. In this article we touched upon that as well as food items to consume and avoid.
