Foodborne illness, or food poisoning, is a common illness that results from eating contaminated food. One in six Americans, according to the CDC, get sick from some form of food poisoning each year. Parasites, viruses, and other infectious bacteria can contaminate at any point in the life of your cheeseburger or salad, which makes it all the harder to avoid when eating out at restaurants with friends. Improperly prepared foods, where staff may have transferred a harmful organism from one surface to another, may also cause illness. Keeping meats and produce separated and cooking to the right temperatures are all best practices to avoid illness. Depending on the source of the poisoning, the signs and symptoms will vary, but they are important to keep track of.
Most often these symptoms will appear mild and will resolve themselves without treatment, but if there are any signs of worsening severity after a few days you should seek medical attention. This is especially true for high oral temperatures, extreme pain and neurological symptoms like dizziness. In addition to this, certain groups of people, such as pregnant women and older adults, are more likely to get food poisoning due to a weakened immune system. Their compromised systems may make the effects much more serious.
1. Abdomen Pain
Abdomen pain and cramps are probably one of the most common and early symptoms of this illness. You may experience pain between the chest and pelvis, more commonly along the stomach and gastrointestinal tract. However, abdominal pain can also originate from the kidneys, spleen, gallbladder, liver and even the pancreas. You should not ignore this symptom, as it could be a sign of a greater affliction. You may find pain localized to one area of your abdomen, with a particular organ becoming inflamed, or strong cramps associated with a blockage or other intestinal problems.
However, not every case of food poisoning will have stomach pain as a symptom. The onset of the pain can also vary widely depending on which bacterium or virus is the cause. For example, Staphylococcus aureus, one of the more common causes of foodborne illness, will show symptoms within 1 to 6 hours, whereas Escherichia coli can take up to 8 days before signs show themselves. Abdominal pain may also present itself later after symptoms of being dehydrated, diarrhea and vomiting.
2. Chills
A strong chill or being cold when you shouldn’t be is a strong symptom of illness. Although you may experience chills with a high temperature, this isn’t necessarily the case. Strong cold feelings can last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more.
Thankfully, dramatic changes in temperature are not common with these types of chills. The chills occur due to your muscles rapidly expanding and contracting, and only last for short periods. Like abdominal pain, chills will usually be caused by other symptoms like a temperature or being dehydrated. As long as other symptoms stay light and no medical attention is necessary, then you should avoid heavy blankets or clothing to cut the risk of increased temperatures.
3. Dehydration
Risk of being dehydrated is always high during a period of food poisoning as the body is constantly losing more fluids than you would normally take in. Vomiting, diarrhea, temperature and other symptoms will all contribute to a loss of fluids as well as the electrolytes your body needs to act. Tissues, cells and organs will fail to work properly why dehydrated, leading to headaches, dizziness, dry skin or even rapid heart rates.
Drinking plenty of water while sick is the most recommended method of treating dehydration. However, if you’re having trouble keeping any fluids down, then this isn’t possible. A doctor may intervene to give water and electrolytes intravenously in these cases.
4. Dizziness
Several conditions fall under what you may describe as dizziness. Dehydration typically causes the feeling, which affects vision and the inner ear during the battle with food poisoning. Disequilibrium will give you a feeling of no balance and tilted to one side or another. Vertigo like symptoms may also appear, where the room appears to spin around. Both vertigo and disequilibrium cause lightheadedness in addition to these symptoms.
In most cases, you will treat dizziness alongside dehydration, as it is likely the underlying cause. Plenty of fluids and rest will help, but also staying off your feet and avoiding much movement.
5. Fatigue
All things considered, a feeling of fatigue shouldn’t be too surprising. This isn’t the same as feeling worn out and sleepy, although you may feel a bit sleepy while fatigued. A complete lack of energy, strength, and a general feeling of exhaustion despite feeling like you have plenty of rest characterizes this symptom. While these sensations are not an immediate concern for an emergency, if they persist for days on end you should consult a physician.
As the fatigue is likely brought on by other symptoms, resolving other symptoms may treat the fatigue. Plenty of fluid, avoiding any activity that’s too physically demanding and getting enough sleep can all boost your energy levels.
6. Fever
Fevers occur when your body attempts to fight off illness by increasing temperature for a short-term. Being able to recognize this increase in your body’s temperature can allow you to get started on proper treatment without delay. The increase will make you feel cold, and you may find yourself reaching for blankets or coats that others don’t find necessary. High temperatures of 103 degrees or higher in adults should seek medical attention immediately. At that high, you can experience trouble breathing, confusion, hallucinations and even death.
You can treat low fevers at home using acetaminophen or ibuprofen and drinking plenty of fluids. These low-grade fevers may only last a few hours. However, if the symptoms worsen or the fever lasts more than a couple of days, then seek a medical professional.
7. Lightheadedness
Feeling faint or lightheaded may give you the sense of a heavy, unstable body. It is often caused by a sudden lack of blood pressure, which can result from being dehydrated or a high temperature. You can increase your risk of falling due to loss of balance, which is extremely dangerous. It is particularly dangerous if your food poisoning symptoms have worsened, as you can not drive yourself to a hospital. Call an ambulance if necessary.
Assuming the lightheadedness if not severe, it will typically go away on its own. Drinking more fluids, increasing blood sugar and laying down with your feet propped higher than your head can all help.
8. Bloating
Bloating is a feeling of discomfort around the abdominal or midsection. It may feel like your stomach is an expanding, taut balloon about to burst. It’s uncomfortable and worsens already existing body pains. It is typically caused by increased and excess gas production, which itself was likely caused by the digestive disturbances you’ve experienced from food poisoning.
There is no direct way to treat the symptom of bloating, although there is evidence that avoiding drinking from a straw may help. It is more likely the symptoms will dissipate along with others experienced from foodborne illness.
9. Diarrhea
The quickest indicator of food poisoning for many is the immediate need to rush to the bathroom often. Loose, watery stools will be common, and you will experience abdominal pain from the constant trips to the restroom. Diarrhea will often lead to many of the other symptoms on this list, most notably being dehydrated and bloated.
You will need to stay hydrated during a bout with diarrhea or medical intervention may become necessary. Medical professionals recommend fluids with electrolytes, like sports drinks, to prevent any dehydration. You will always want to check for any alarming contents, such as blood. Until symptoms improve, avoid areas where a restroom isn’t within reach.
10. Vomiting
Throwing up is your body’s way of rejecting any and all nefarious organisms in the stomach. At first, that may seem like a great idea, but in practice, it’s only further worsening your condition and dehydrating you and robbing you of vital nutrients. The force of vomiting can also cause lightheadedness, abdominal pain and an irritated throat.
As listed with many of the symptoms on this list, staying hydrated is of utmost importance. However, it’s also very easy to malnourish yourself if you are having trouble keeping down food. This can lead to fatigue or worse. If any symptoms persist or increase in severity, such as blood in the vomit, seek emergency treatment.
