Food poisoning is the result of eating food contaminated with bacteria and other toxins. Symptoms of this health complication include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps.

Dr. Gapira Ganza is a medical doctor working at the NUR teaching hospital. He says that the symptoms of a person suffering from food poison generally start 4 - 36 hours after eating contaminated food.

He says that some cases of food poisoning can also result from eating poisonous plants such as wild mushrooms, and animals such as hyena liver and some types of fish such as putter fish.

Food poisoning in case of bacterial infection occurs mostly during summer when food may not be kept cold enough to prevent bacteria from growing.

Dr. Ganza reveals that specific bacteria may cause the above-mentioned signs and symptoms. A person infected with bacteria such as clostridium botulium cause signs such as weakness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, double vision, paralyzed eye nerves, difficulty speaking, trouble swallowing, paralysis that spreads downward, respiratory failure, and finally death.

A patient who has ingested food materials containing germs such as salmonella spp and campylobacter germs presents signs and symptoms such as bloody diarrhea fever and chills; Escherichia coli infection shows signs of diarrhea with very little stool and large amounts of blood.

Mushroom poisoning can affect; the liver, the neurological system such as brain, the stomach and the intestines. Symptoms such as stomach pain, confusion, vision difficulties, heart muscle problems, kidney failure, and death of liver tissue are among the symptoms. Fish poisoning causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, and headache.

Specific types of fish poisoning can cause other signs and symptoms such as Puffer fish poisoning that cause numbness or tingling around the mouth, trouble coordinating movement, difficulty swallowing, excess saliva, twitching, loss of ability to talk, convulsions, paralysis that spreads upward, respiratory failure, and eventually death.

Dr. Ganza adds that all the above signs and complications are curable if treated early enough; people should always consult their doctors at the onset of the above-mentioned signs and symptoms.

Today infants and the elderly people are at greater risk for food poisoning; this is mainly linked to their decreased or low immune system that cannot withstand toxic attack.

Other risk factors include; having a pre-existing medical condition such as chronic kidney failure and diabetes, taking antibiotic or antihistamine medicines, having sickle-cell anemia and other problems with red blood cells and traveling in an area where contamination is more likely.

Prevention

Proper hygienic conditions such as washing hands and clean any dishes or utensils when making or serving food and promptly refrigerating any food you will not be eating right away are key.

In case you take care of young children, wash your hands often and dispose of all germs carefully so that bacteria cannot spread to other surfaces or people. When traveling where contamination is more likely, eat only hot, freshly cooked food. Boil water before drinking.

Do not eat raw vegetables or unpeeled fruit, and always refrigerate fish and avoid some types such as tropical fish, putter fish and shellfish. If you think the food was contaminated when you bought it from a store or restaurant, tell your local health providers to make a follow up.

Treatment

Dr. Ganza says that proper follow up of a treatment plan is important for some one to overcome the poisonous infection. Anyone suffering from severe food poisoning should seek conventional medical treatment.

Complementary and alternative therapies are best used to strengthen the body and aid in the prevention of food poisoning.

Treatment for most cases consists of rehydration replacing fluids and electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride. While experiencing vomiting and diarrhea, the person should avoid solid food but increase clear liquids.

In more severe cases, a person may need help either breathing or stopping vomiting. In most cases, doctors do not prescribe antibiotics because they may prolong diarrhea.

If you have eaten certain toxins such as from mushrooms or shellfish, doctors may take steps to clean out your stomach and administer activated charcoal, which can help absorb the remaining toxin.

Drug therapies are also a common method of treatment. Depending on the symptoms and the cause of food poisoning, doctors may prescribe drugs with their specific roles such as Antibiotics in certain cases, Antitoxin to neutralize toxins from clostridium botulium bacteria only given within the first 72 hours, also Probiotics known as lacto bacillus acidophilus and lacto bacillus bulgaricus can help restore the balance of good bacteria in the intestine.

If a person is traveling to an area where the food and water may be contaminated, in addition to taking the precautions above, taking probiotics both before and during your trip may help maintain intestinal health.

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