How Long Does Food Poisoning Last in Adults: When you consume food or water contaminated with bacteria, parasites, viruses, or the poisons these organisms produce, you risk developing food poisoning. Most of the time, common bacteria like staphylococcus or E coli are to blame.
Most people with mild to severe food poisoning symptoms (viral and bacterial) experience a resolution of symptoms in 24 to 48 hours without special medical care.
However, medical attention should be sought if there are any symptoms of dehydration (such as decreased or no urine, dry mouth, increased thirst, dizziness, or weakness), blood in the stools, fever, vomiting, or diarrhea lasting more than 72 hours.
Consult a doctor if you have any reason to believe that symptoms may come from a more uncommon food poisoning.
What to Do if You Have Food Poisoning
Dehydration is your main worry if you’re throwing up or having diarrhea. However, you might wish to wait a few hours before eating or drinking. Start sucking on ice chips or taking little sips of water as soon as you can.
You might also want to ingest a rehydration solution in addition to water. The minerals in your bodily fluid that transmit electricity, known as electrolytes, can be replaced with these solutions. They’re essential for your body to operate.
Rehydration aids are particularly beneficial in the following ways:
- children
- older adults
- persons with weakened immune systems
- those with a chronic ailment
When you are able to eat solid food, start with tiny servings of bland items like crackers.
- rice
- toast
- cereal
- bananas
You should avoid:
- carbonated beverages
- caffeine
- dairy products
- fatty food
- overly sweet food
- alcohol
And until your symptoms go away, make sure to rest a lot and take it easy.
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What Does it Mean to Have Food Poisoning?
If you have food poisoning, you may be anxiously awaiting your recovery. But there are so many distinct types of food poisoning, so there isn’t simply one solution.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), one in six Americans contract food poisoning yearly.
The most vulnerable groups include young children, elderly people, persons with chronic illnesses, and those with weakened immune systems.
How is Food Poisoning Diagnosed?
The patient’s recent dietary history, exposure to tainted water, travel history, and inquiries about friends or family members who have experienced such symptoms are frequently used to diagnose.
Dehydration symptoms and stomach pain will be the main focus of the physical examination, and blood tests may be utilized to rule out other issues if necessary.
Stool samples can identify some poisons, culture pathogens, look for parasites under the microscope, and detect blood in the stool. Some toxins (like Shiga toxin) can also be tested using immunological methods. Rarely, biopsy samples may be collected based on the suspected cause.
Identifying the infection or hazardous substance inside the person is necessary for a conclusive diagnosis.
Although tests are available, they are typically not performed in mild to moderate viral and bacterial food poisoning cases due to the cost and the chance that symptoms will go away before the testing is finished.
What are the Complications of Food Poisoning?
In the UK, complications are infrequent. Older people are more susceptible to problems. Additionally, complications are more likely if you have an ongoing (chronic) illness like diabetes or a compromised immune system. Among the potential issues are the following:
1. Dehydration and an imbalance of salt (electrolytes) in your body. The most typical complication is this one. It happens if you don’t consume enough fluids to replace the salts and water you lose in your stools (feces) or when you’re sick (vomit).
Dehydration is unlikely to happen or is only likely to be mild if you can drink sufficient fluids. As you drink, you will quickly recover from dehydration. You may have a reduction in blood pressure if you are very dehydrated.
2. Complications in Bowel response. Rarely can an illness in your bowels react in other body parts. Inflammation of the skin, eyes, and joints (conjunctivitis or uveitis) are just a few symptoms that can result from this.
3. Spreading of Infection: Spreading an infection to your bones, joints, or the meninges that cover your brain and spinal cord, among other body parts. This is unusual. If diarrhea does occur, a salmonella infection is likely the culprit.
4. Another possible consequence is hemolytic uraemic syndrome. It is uncommon and frequently linked to food poisoning brought on by a specific strain of E. coli infection.
Anemia, a low blood platelet count, and kidney failure make it a dangerous disorder. More kids suffer from it than adults. Most people do well when they are diagnosed and treated.
5. Some drugs’ effectiveness has decreased. Some medications you may be taking for other conditions or reasons during a food poisoning episode may also not work.
This is because less drug is absorbed (taken up) by your body due to the diarrhea and/or vomiting. These include, but are not limited to, medications for diabetes, epilepsy, and contraception.
If you are unsure what to do if you have food poisoning and are on other drugs, consult your doctor or practice nurse.
How Do You Prevent the Spread of Food Poisoning?
Some illnesses that cause vomiting and diarrhea can spread from person to person quite quickly. The following measures are also advised if you have diarrhea to stop the infection from spreading to other people:
1. When you finish using the restroom, thoroughly wash your hands. Use liquid soap in warm running water if possible, but any soap is preferable to none. After washing, dry well.
2. Never exchange towels or blankets.
3. Never make or serve food for other people.
4. Keep the restrooms you use clean. At least once daily, clean the door handles, bathroom taps, toilet seat, and surfaces with hot water and detergent. Keep a special cloth on hand for cleaning the toilet (or always use a disposable one).
5. Wait 48 hours after the last bout of vomiting or diarrhea before returning to work, school, etc.
6. Food handlers: You must leave the food-handling area immediately if you handle food and start feeling sick. Most people only need to refrain from working for at least 48 hours following the last bout of vomiting or diarrhea.
There can be certain unique circumstances, and sometimes more time off is required. If unsure, consult your doctor or employer.
7. You should avoid swimming in pools for two weeks following the last bout of diarrhea if the cause of food poisoning is known to be (or suspected to be) a microbe called cryptosporidium.
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Bottom Line
Most food poisoning cases are minor and go away in a week, but others are more serious and can result in complications or even death. The cause of food poisoning and how you react to it will determine the symptoms and their severity.
Food poisoning and its potential repercussions are more likely to affect some persons than others, such as small children and adults over 65.
Food poisoning can be avoided by following excellent hygiene practices and preparing and storing food safely. If you have severe symptoms, especially a higher risk of problems, speak with your healthcare professional.
