Food Poisoning
Food
poisoning is characterized by abdominal pain, without
or without diarrhea, vomiting, sweating, and/or weakness.
It usually within 24-96 hours of eating a food contaminated
with a virus or bacteria.
Symptoms
of food poisoning vary greatly. Symptoms can manifest
as quickly as 30 minutes to one hour if due to chemical
food poisoning; one to twelve hours in cases due to
bacterial poisoning; 12 to 48 hours in cases due to
viral or salmonella poisoning. Symptoms can range from
stomach pain and nausea, to constipation, diarrhea (sometimes
in alternation with each other) and, in very severe
cases, collapse and shock.
Food
poisoning is far more common than is typically believed.
Many cases of diarrhea each year, for instance, are
probably due to food poisoning. Many of these cases
go unreported as the cause is not known and is usually
attributed to the stomach flu.
What To Consider
Flu,
gastrointestinal disorders, digestive enzyme deficiencies,
drug interactions, stress, and nutrient deficiencies
or excess (too much magnesium can cause loose stools
and abdominal cramps) can all mimic symptoms of food
poisoning. In infants, symptoms can also be due to an
intolerance to honey.
You
should suspect food poisoning if a number of people
who ate the same food come down with similar symptoms.
The most common forms of food poisoning are infective
types such as salmonella, found in farm animals or passed
on by food handling or flies from contaminated fecal
material; frozen poultry that is not completely thawed
before being cooked; contaminated drinking water; foods
that remain at room temperature too long, which can
encourage Clostridium - often referred to as the
"cafeteria germ" - to grow; and food products such as
chicken, duck, or geese, raw or partly cooked eggs,
or raw fish such as clams, oysters, or sushi.
Other
causes include organisms such as Staphylococcal bacteria,
which can be passed through the hands, coughing, sneezing,
or breathing onto the food, botulism, which can occur
in food preserved at home; viruses that contaminate
shellfish due to contaminated waters; and other infective
organisms such as Giardia and Campylobacter,
which can take up to one week before causing symptoms.
Noninfective
food poisoning is another factor, and is caused by poisonous
mushrooms, toadstools, and fresh vegetables and fruits
that have been contaminated with chemicals and insecticides,
stored in inappropriate containers, or from leakage
of metals from the containers into the food.
Note
If food poisoning is due to chemical or
bacterial toxins, proper treatment may require pumping
the stomach. Food poisoning usually improves within
three days unless due to botulism, chemical poisoning,
or mushroom poisoning. However, some infective organisms
do not cause identifiable initial symptoms but can linger
in the body and may cause long-term health problems
that are difficult to diagnose.
Caution
In cases of food poisoning that cause severe vomiting
and diarrhea, seek immediate emergency medical care
and keep samples of food available for testing, if possible.
Self-Care Tips
Diet
Stop eating all solid food, drink plenty
of fluids, and immediately take six charcoal tablets,
Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacteria,
L. bulgaricus, and grape seed extract. Also replace
lost electrolytes, if needed, by dissolving one teaspoon
of salt and four teaspoons of sugar in one quart of
water. Be accurate with salt amount or it may create
more dehydration. Garlic cloves can also be helpful.
Once symptoms abate, slowly reintroduce high-fiber foods
such as grains to help settle your stomach.
If
you are traveling in areas where food poisoning is common,
try eating more hot, spicy foods to encourage more gastric
secretions and avoid all drinking water except bottled
water and do not eat any raw vegetables or use ice in
your drinks.
Nutritional
Supplementation
The following nutrients can help hasten recovery and
prevent long-term side effects related to food poisoning:
acidophilus, charcoal tablets, grape seed extract, garlic
capsules, vitamin C with bioflavonoids, and kelp tablets.
Lipoic acid is also useful because it can protect the
liver from damaging free-radical attack caused by ingesting
poisonous foods.
Herbs
For non-severe cases of food poisoning, drink cumin,
coriander, or fennel tea.
Homeopathy
Arsen alb., Chamomilla, Ipecac., Apis mel., Nux
vom., and Colchicum are useful homeopathic
remedies for food poisoning.
Juice
Therapy
Drink the juice of carrot, beet, and garlic to help
settle your stomach and also to help eliminate bacteria
or viruses associated with food poisoning.
Caution
If your symptoms persist despite the above measures,
seek the help of a qualified health professional.
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