what symptoms, what treatment and when to consult?

Drinking a sip of dirty water, dipping your sponge in a contaminated egg… These small gestures can lead to food poisoning, also called food poisoning. This reaction of the digestive system to food, or to water, contaminated by a virus, a bacterium, parasites or even poisons or heavy metals, leads to a digestive infection. In general, the products that can lead to food poisoning are eggs, meats, fish, mushrooms, but also shellfish, raw vegetables and dairy products.

Salmonella, E.coli, listeria, lead, mercury… These bacteria and other poisons can therefore cause poisoning. So, how to spot the symptoms of this digestive infection? What are foods most at risk in your refrigerator? What to do when it happens and when should you call the doctor? Here are all the answers to your questions.

What symptoms accompany food poisoning?

In general, the adverse effects of food poisoning are detected after 24 hours following consumption of the contaminated food. The symptoms are then gastrointestinal. To know :

• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• fever
• headache
• stomach aches
• fatigue

Good to know, it is common for everyone involved in the offending meal to trigger food poisoning in turn. It is therefore important to watch his surroundings.

When should you see a doctor for food poisoning?

While it is not uncommon to be cured quickly after food poisoning, i.e. 48 hours after ingesting the contaminated food, in some cases, the ailments persist. It is therefore advisable to consult a general practitioner. Note, after food poisoning, you must drink a lot of water to stay hydrated. If the infected person regurgitates the swallowed water, then they should be taken to the hospital.

As for bloody diarrhea, you have to go to the emergency room without hesitation. For pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised people, it is also recommended to consult a doctor at the first signs digestive infection.

What treatments are prescribed for food poisoning?

According to the website Doctissimoto regain health, it is important toadapt your diet until complete recovery. Thus, more than a medical treatment, it is about good gestures to have like consuming lean meats and fish and starchy foods. Reduce fruits and vegetables as much as possible during the period of food poisoning, then as soon as the symptoms disappear, reintroduce vegetables into your diet, preferably cooked. Thereafter, reintegrate raw fruits and vegetables as you go.

On the other hand, it is preferable toavoid making yourself vomit or taking anti-diarrheals without medical advice. Indeed, the latter are not recommended in the context of infectious diarrhea, specifies the site.

How to treat an infant or a child who is poisoned?

Food poisoning is not just a matter for adults, children can also be affected, especially infants. How ? In bottle water or in contaminated infant milk or even during breastfeeding, if the mother has consumed contaminated food.

What to do then? First, watch for signs of dehydration such as extreme fatigue with difficulty waking the infant, moaning, vomiting, or heavier, more dense breathing. If the baby has any of these symptoms, you need to go see your doctor. They may recommend oral rehydration solutions (ORS) for children.

What tips to avoid food poisoning?

To prevent the risk of contaminating food with bacteria, viruses and other parasites, there are 6 solutions:

• wash and sanitize your fridge and vegetable drawer at least every 8 days
• keep food (vegetables, fish, eggs, etc.) in clean containers
• never refreeze a thawed product
• respect the expiry dates
• wash your hands before touching food, especially at mealtimes
• pay attention to the freshness of food, especially seafood products

Marion Mancho

As a social journalist, I work on all subjects related to feminism, news items and the fight against discrimination. Equally affected by the crises that follow…