Food poisoning may be described as a food borne disease. Food that contains a toxin, chemical or infectious agent (like a bacterium, virus, parasite, or prion) and cause symptoms in the body are considered types of food poisoning by most investigators. Those symptoms may be related only to the gastrointestinal tract causing vomiting or diarrhea, or may involve other organs such as the kidney, brain or muscle.
What are the types of food poisoning?
Most frequently, food poisoning may be due to infection caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and infrequently, prions. More than 200 infectious causes exist. Sometimes it is not the bacteria that causes the problem but the toxin that bacteria produce in the food before it is eaten.
Other illnesses may involve chemical toxins that are produced in certain foods that are poorly cooked or stored. For example, scombroid poisoning occurs due to a large release of histamine chemical from the fish when it is eaten. It causes facial swelling, itching, and difficulty breathing and swallowing-just like an allergic reaction. Scombroid poisoning is sometimes confused with a shellfish allergy.
Some "food poisonings" may be not be due to toxins or chemicals in food, but to infectious agents that happen to contaminate the food. E coli O157:H7 (hemorrhagic E coli) usually occurs when contaminated food is eaten, but it also can spread from contaminated drinking water, a contaminated swimming pool, or child to child in a day care centre.
What are the causes of food poisoning?
There many causes of food poisoning. Sometimes they classifed by how quickly their symptoms begin after eating potentially contaminated food. Think of this as the incubation time from when food enters the body and symptoms begin. The following are several examples how this time classification can be arranged:
Food poisoning most commonly causes:
• abdominal cramps
• vomiting
• diarrhea
This can cause significant amounts of fluid loss and with nausea and vomiting, it may be difficult to replace that fluid, leading to dehydration. In developing countries where infectious epidemics cause diarrheal illnesses, thousands of people die because of dehydration.
Are food poisoning and stomach flu the same thing?
They may or may not be, depending if the causative agent is transmitted by contaminated food, or if the agent is transmitted by non-food mechanisms such as body secretions. Most health care practitioners equate stomach flu to viral gastroenteritis.
Stomach flu is a non specific term that describes an illness that usually resolves within 24 hours and is caused commonly by the adenovirus, Norwalk virus or rotavirus, most commonly found in children.
If numerous cases of "stomach flu" occur in a situation where many people have been eating, it certainly may be considered food poisoning. Norwalk virus is responsible for many cases of food borne illness outbreaks on cruise ships.
When should the doctor be called for food poisoning?
With a clear fluid diet and rest, most infections resolve on their own within 24 hours. A health care practitioner should be contacted if the vomiting and diarrhea are associated with one or more of the following symptoms:
• fever
• blood in the stools
• signs of dehydration including lightheadedness when standing, weakness, decreased urination
• diarrhea that lasts longer than 72 hours
• intractable vomiting that prevents oral hydration
What is the treatment for food poisoning?
Maintaining good hydration is the first priority when treating food poisoning. Hospitalisation may be appropriate if the patient is dehydrated, or if they have other underlying medical conditions that become unstable because of the fluid or electrolyte imbalance in their body.
Medications may be prescribed to help control nausea and vomiting. Medications to decrease the frequency of diarrhea may be indicated, but if food poisoning is suspected, it is best to consult with the health care practitioner before taking OTC medications such as loperamide (Imodium), because it may cause further problems for the patient.
Except for specific infections, antibiotics are not indicated in the treatment of most bacterial and viral food poisoning. Complications of certain types of food poisoning are best treated in consultation with infectious disease specialists.
Are there any home remedies for food poisoning?
The key to home care is being able to keep the affected person hydrated. Oral rehydration therapy with water or a balanced electrolyte solution such as Gatorade or Pedialyte is usually adequate to replenish the body with fluids. Patients that show any signs of dehydration such as decreased urination, dizziness, or dry mucous membranes, especially in the young or elderly, should see a health care practitioner.