A Deeper Look at a Silent Killer: FOOD POISONING

Food poisoning (also known as food-borne illness or food-borne disease) is any illness that results from eating contaminated food.

Serious long-term effects associated with several common types of food poisoning include:

    Kidney failure
    Chronic arthritis
    Brain and nerve damage
    Death



Food poisoning can be contacted via the following means -
1. Food prepared by someone who did not wash their hands properly
2. Food prepared using unclean cooking utensils, cutting boards, or other tools
3. Dairy products or food containing mayonnaise (such as coleslaw or potato salad) that have been out of the refrigerator for too long
4. Frozen or refrigerated foods that are not stored at the proper temperature or are not reheated properly
5. Eating Raw fish or oysters
6. Eating Raw fruits or vegetables that have not been washed well
7. Eating Raw vegetable or fruit juices and dairy products (look for the word "pasteurized" to make sure the food is safe to eat or drink)
8. Undercooked meats or eggs
9. Water from a well or stream, or city or town water that has not been treated

The commonest symptoms of food poisoning are abdominal pain, vomiting and Diarrhea. Fever can occur too.

The following bacteria are the cause of some food poisoning - Campylobacter jejuni, E. coli, Salmonella (same bacteria that cause Typhoid Fever), Shigella (Dysentry), Staphylococcus aureus and Yersinia.

More often than not, Resting and drinking plenty of water are all that you need in treating food poisoning.
However, you must see a medical doctor for admission into hospital for intravenous fluids (drips), antiemetic, antibiotics, paracetamol and sometimes very small doses of loperamide (Imodium) if you develop the following -
1. Blood or pus in your stools, or your stool is black
2. Diarrhoea with a fever
3. Recently traveled to a foreign country and developed diarrhoea
4. Stomach pain that does not go away after a bowel movement
5. Symptoms of dehydration (thirst, dizziness, light-headedness)
6. The diarrhoea gets worse or does not get better in 2 days for an infant or child, or 5 days for adults
7. A child over 3 months old has been vomiting for more than 12 hours; in younger babies, contact a medical doctor as soon as vomiting or diarrhea begins.