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.
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.