Food Poisoning 101

Food poisoning happens when a person becomes infected or ill by ingesting food or beverages that have been tainted with harmful bacteria or other toxic substances. The majority of food poisoning cases are the result of either E. coli or Staphylococcus.http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001652.htm However, there are a variety of sources of food poisoning, which may be viruses, bacteria or parasites. Food poisoning is also referred to as food-borne illness.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-poisoning/DS00981

Food poisoning is most often contracted at places where large volumes of food are prepared or served, such as cafeterias, restaurants and picnics. Food and drinks may become poisoned due to unsanitary handling, improper storage temperature, contaminated water or many other reasons.http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001652.htm Contamination may also occur at the growing, harvesting or processing source.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-poisoning/DS00981/DSECTION=causes

The symptoms of food poisoning may become noticeable shortly after eating or drinking contaminated food or drinks, or they may not appear until days later. Any illness caused by the food poisoning may be present for 1 to 10 days.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-poisoning/DS00981/DSECTION=symptoms

In most cases, the first sign of food poisoning will be diarrhea. Victims may also experience feelings of nausea and stomach cramping, and may throw up. In some food poisoning incidents, these symptoms may or may not be present but victims may feel numbness, weakness or tingling extremities. These are signs of more severe food poisoning. http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/food-poisoning-and-safe-food-handling-symptoms

Mayo Clinic advises that a doctor should be notified immediately if the victim throws up blood, sees blood in bowel movements, has extreme pain, has a temperature higher than 101.5 or vomits continually for 48 hours.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-poisoning/DS00981/DSECTION=symptoms

The content on this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor or pharmacist before using the information presented here.