Food Poisoning
Key points
- Most commonly, food poisoning results from a reaction to food or water contaminated during improper cooking, handling or storage.
- Because food poisoning usually goes away once the contaminant or toxin has passed through the body, doctors cannot always determine the exact cause of symptoms.
- In general, food poisoning goes away in one to three days, although some types of food poisoning may last much longer.
- Once you have selected safe foods, be certain to store them properly.
What Is It?
Most commonly, food poisoning results from a reaction to food or water contaminated during improper cooking, handling or storage. The most common contaminants are bacterial, especially salmonella. Other contaminants include viruses, parasites and toxins. Food poisoning usually leads to severe gastrointestinal distress, which is accompanied by abdominal cramping, vomiting and diarrhea.
Food poisoning, although common, often can be prevented easily. An estimated 85 percent of food-poisoning incidents can be prevented by handling and preparing food properly. Usually, food poisoning goes away within a day or two. However, in some cases, food poisoning is quite dangerous. In the United States, food poisoning results in more than 300,000 hospitalizations each year and causes 5000 deaths.
Symptoms
Symptoms of food poisoning include:
- Nausea
- General weakness or exhaustion
- Headache
- Abdominal pain and cramps
- Abrupt vomiting and diarrhea
Diagnosis
Because food poisoning usually goes away once the contaminant or toxin has passed through the body, doctors cannot always determine the exact cause of symptoms. If symptoms continue for more than 48 hours, it may be necessary to examine a stool sample under a microscope. Your doctor also may want to take a sample from blood, stools or the food in question. The sample can be cultured in a laboratory, which means it is placed on a special material that encourages organisms that may be in the sample to grow, so they can be identified.
Up to 80 percent of food poisoning is related to consuming commercially prepared foods or institutional foods. In such cases, questioning others who have eaten the same foods may help to determine the cause.
Information about the length of time between eating the food and the beginning of symptoms can help in diagnosing the problem:
- Less than an hour suggests a toxin was involved
- Several hours or more suggests a bacterial infection
- More than 12 hours suggests a viral infection
Expected Duration
In general, food poisoning goes away in one to three days, although some types of food poisoning may last much longer.
Prevention
To prevent food poisoning, select safe foods. Take the following steps:
Written and revised by
David Cohen, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.