Food Poisoning – Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment – Infographic

How does food get contaminated?

Food can get contaminated at any time from harvesting, processing, shipping or even when it is being prepared. Cross contamination which is the transfer of harmful bacteria from one surface to the other is quite often the cause. The popular belief that food cooked at home cannot cause food poisoning is erroneous. If not washed or prepared well, even home cooked food can be harmful.

Tips to prevent food poisoning

Wash all fresh foodstuffs well
Make sure that canned food is well within its expiry date
Keep raw food and canned food separate
Refrigerate food if you plan to eat it later
Make sure food is fully thawed when reheating
Pick good restaurants when you eat out
Don’t eat food from road side carts
Carry water with you when you go out
Make sure that the food prepared at home is cooked well

Foods that can cause food poisoning

Meat and poultry that are infected
Raw or undercooked eggs
Canned food that have not been packaged well
Shellfish and seafood can be contaminated by chemicals in seawater
Leafy vegetables can be ridden with worms
Fresh vegetables that have been sprayed by pesticide
Milk and milk products that haven’t been processed well

Also Read: Pesticide Poisoning – How serious is it?

Symptoms of food poisoning

Diarrhoea
Nausea and vomiting
Fever
Stomach cramps
Blood in vomit or stools
Headache

Most at risk

Infants and young children: Immune systems may be more susceptible
Geriatrics: Older people may have compromised immune systems
Pregnant woman: Hormonal changes cause them to be risk prone to food poisoning
People with illnesses are weaker and their immune system may be compromised

*This doesn’t mean that healthy adults don’t get affected. Anyone can fall prey to food poisoning if they don’t take precautions

Also Read: ‘Best before’ date on Foods – what does this mean?

Immediate treatment

Keep the person hydrated. Water with electrolytes should be given at regular intervals. It is important to flush out the system
Bland food with less oil should be given.
Food stuff high in acidity should be avoided
Rest is essential since dehydration can cause fatigue

If the person has any of the following symptoms, they should be taken to a hospital:

Blood in stools
Increased heart rate
Fainting or dizziness
Decreased urination
Difficulty in breathing
Diarrhoea and vomiting for more than a day
Extreme dehydration
High fever

At the hospital:

Give the attending doctor a list of things that the person ingested the day before. It can help narrow down the cause and help decide treatment
Let the doctor know if the person is allergic to anything specific
Give the doctor the history of what treatment was given before bringing the patient to the hospital.

Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.

Chennai – 044 4000 6000 • Trichy – Cantonment – 0431 4077777 • Trichy – Heartcity – 0431 4003500 • Trichy – Tennur – 0431 4022555 • Hosur – 04344 272727 • Salem – 0427 2677777 • Tirunelveli – 0462 4006000 • Bengaluru – 080 6801 6801