Food poisoning symptoms, causes, treatment

Maxwell Adeyemi

FOOD poisoning is a common phenomenon that we all experience at one time or the other. It can occur at home, at school, in a restaurant, an airplane, a cruise ship, or at a hotel, and it can affect anyone.

Food poisoning, also referred to as food-borne illness, occurs when contaminated, spoilt or toxic food is consumed.

Symptoms

The symptoms of food poisoning can occur between one hour to several days or even weeks, following the ingestion of food, and the type of symptom experienced can depend on the source of infection or contamination. Symptoms generally include: abdominal pains or cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fever, weakens, nausea and headaches, and in extreme cases shock can result.

Causes of food poisoning

BACTERIA – can easily contaminate foods at any stage of preparation or storage. Such microorganisms include: E.coli, listeria, salmonella, campylobacter, botulinum.

Staphylococcus aureus produces toxins that are preformed in food before it is eaten. Symptoms may start between one and six hours after a meal.

Clostriium perfringes can contaminate cooked meat that is not properly stored, especially in a warm environment.

Shigella bacteria contaminates food and water and causes dysentery, manifested by severe diarrhoea and mucus or bloody stool.

Salmonella may occur with poorly or undercooked or poorly handled chicken and eggs. This may lead to life-threatening infections in certain individuals.

Botulism caused by clostridium botulinum, which produces a toxin, can present with fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, numbness, weakness and can also lead to paralysis.

VIRUSES – Norovirus, Sapovirus, Rotaviruses, Astovirus and Hepatitis A virus are examples of viral sources of food poisoning.

PARASITES – such as Toxoplasma can be carried by cats and passed on to humans. Another parasite known as Cyclospora may contaminate food and present with diarrhoea, which can last for weeks and may be difficult to detect.

CHEMICALS and TOXINS – these may be produced by some foods and result in poisoning;

Scombroid poison due to poorly cooked fish may present within one-two hours with symptoms of food poisoning associated with shortness of breath and difficulty swallowing.

Ciguatera poison is a fish toxin found in fishes such as grouper, snapper and barracuda. Affected people may have diarrhoea, vomiting, muscle aches, headaches, numbness, hallucinations and poor balance co-ordination or ataxia.

Mushroom is another potential source of toxin poison which may cause vomiting, diarrhoea, liver and kidney failure, and eventual death.

Can sometimes be fatal

Anyone can get food poisoning and most times it's mild and recovery is complete in a few days. However, in a few categories of people it can be accompanied by serious complications and may be fatal in some instances:

* People with reduced or compromised immunity, especially autoimmune disease and acquired immune disease.

* Pregnant women as they are very sensitive to haemodynamic changes that occur in pregnancy.

* Children and the elderly – both extremes of life – are quickly and rapidly adversely affected by small changes in body fluid volumes that may characterise fluid losses from vomiting and/or diarrhoea.

In severe dehydration, if this is not properly and quickly managed, people can go into hypovolemic shock, which may result in death.

Some cases of Listeria bacteria food poisoning in pregnant women can cause miscarriage, still birth, premature death, neurological damage, and delayed development in infants.

Escherichia Coli, popularly known as E.coli bacteria, can cause food poisoning with dire consequences, as it can lead to haemolytic uremic syndrome, which can progress to kidney failure.

Diagnosis

This is based on your symptoms, a good comprehensive history of events leading to the medical condition.

An examination is then done to assess the potential for dehydration and other factors. This may be accompanied by stool tests, blood tests, urine tests and food tests to ascertain the causative agent.

Treatment

The treatment of food poisoning is dependent on the causative agent. The aim of treatment is to have a balance of body fluid dynamics to prevent dehydration through adequate fluid replacement.

When associated with pain, analgesics are administered for symptomatic relief.

Where bacteria cause is suspected or identified, use of antibiotics is indicated.

The vomiting and diarrhoea can be distressing, and while there is a temptation to want to stop these symptoms, it may be wise to slow it down otherwise, as both vomiting and diarrhoea are mechanisms that the body uses to eliminate and clear the body of offending causative agents and toxins.

It may be advisable to use saltine crackers, gelatin, banana, rice, oatmeal, chicken broth, boiled vegetables, diluted fruit juices and certain sport drinks while you have food poisoning, It is also wise to
avoid dairy products, fatty foods, highly seasoned foods, spicy and fried foods, caffeine (in soda, energy drinks of coffee), alcohol and nicotine at this time.

Prevention of food poisoning

* Wash hands, utensils, food surfaces while cooking.

* Keep raw foods separate from cooked foods.

* Cook food to a safe temperature.

* Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods promptly, usually less than two hours of purchase.

* Defrost food safely – foods can be defrosted in the fridge and not outside at room temperature.

* If food smells or appears to be spoilt, discard immediately.

* Food vendors should endeavour to avoid handling money or cashing while serving foods; avoid talking while serving foods as saliva can be emitted while talking which can aid the transfer of diseases; hold food boxed with clean hands or gloves and avoid holding boxes with your fingers on the inside surfaces of the box or plates, but rather outside the containers.

Contact Dr Maxwell on 3631807 or 7575411