It is possible that classic Nollywood has made you believe that food poisoning is all about eating food containing harmful chemicals. This illustration is not wrong. However, food poisoning is much more simpler and commoner than eating belladonna — or cyanide-containing foods.
So what is food poisoning?
Food poisoning is also known as foodborne illness and refers to sickness that is directly caused by eating food that has been contaminated, spoilt or containing toxic substances. Food poisoning is so common that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised alarm that 1 out of every 10 people in the world suffer from it.
What causes of food poisoning?
Food poisoning occurs when your food becomes contaminated with germs or other harmful entities. Essentially, it can be caused by any of the following:
- Bacteria: such as Escherichia coli (commonly known as E coli), staphylococcus aureus, salmonella, shigella, bacillus aureus and many others.
- Viruses, commonly Rotavirus and Norovirus
- Intestinal parasites such as Giardia lamblia and tapeworm
- Toxins (commonly called poisons)
- Fungi, especially those that produce toxins.
How can your food get contaminated?
Many of the contaminants listed above can easily find their ways into food under any of the following conditions:
- Poor hygiene while handling food: this can be in form of inadequate handwashing practices and disinfection of surfaces and utensils.
- Not cooking properly: this relates to all foods but is particularly important in high-risk foods such as meat, dairy products, and seafoods.
- Inadequate refrigeration (refrigeration at temperatures higher than 4.5⁰C)
- Handling of food by sick person.
Symptoms
Depending on the cause, symptoms may set in almost immediately after eating contaminated food or take up to a week. The common symptoms are:
- Stomach pain
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Fever
- Headache
- Blood or mucous in stool
- Weakness
Treatment
Most cases of food poisoning are mild. Symptoms would normally improve with adequate rest and fluid intake.
So when should you see a doctor?
You should see a doctor when you notice any of the following:
- Diarrhoea lasting for more than three days
- changes in behaviour
- Excessive vomiting
- Symptoms of nervous system impairment such as blurry vision and tingling of skin, and
- Symptoms of dehydration such as dry mouth, excessive thirst, passing of little or no urine, weakness and others.
Because children are at a higher risk of dehydration compared to adults, it is important to note that they should be taken to the hospital as soon as possible if they are noticed to be vomiting and passing loose stool.
Preventing food poisoning.
You can prevent foodborne illness by:
- Ensuring proper hygiene while handling food
- Cooking your foods well
- Proper refrigeration of foods (below 4.5⁰C)
- Ensuring that children are fully vaccinated. This is because vaccines offer protection against some of the causes of food poisoning, for example, Rotavirus.
From HealthFacts to you.
Food poisoning is common, but easy to prevent. Wash your hands, keep your cooking environment clean and store your foods well. This way, you get to enjoy your meals without any trouble.
Until next time, stay healthy.
Thank you for your response! I’m grateful for your willingness to engage in discussions. If there’s anything specific you’d like to explore or if you have any questions, please feel free to share them. Whether it’s about emerging trends in technology, recent breakthroughs in science, intriguing literary analyses, or any other topic, I’m here to assist you. Just let me know how I can be of help, and I’ll do my best to provide valuable insights and information!
Thank you for your response! I’m grateful for your willingness to engage in discussions. If there’s anything specific you’d like to explore or if you have any questions, please feel free to share them. Whether it’s about emerging trends in technology, recent breakthroughs in science, intriguing literary analyses, or any other topic, I’m here to assist you. Just let me know how I can be of help, and I’ll do my best to provide valuable insights and information!
먹튀검증소는 먹튀 피해가 발생했을때 피해금액을 전액 보상해드리는 보증업체입니다.
It seems like you have a great deal of knowledge about this—almost like you wrote the book on it. Aside from that, I think you might add a few graphics to assist illustrate the concept a bit better. Still, this is a fantastic post that is well worth reading, and I will surely be back.
How long have you been blogging? Your blog design is amazing. You make it look so easy. Your website looks great overall, and the content is great as well.
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