How Long Does Food Poisoning Last and The Types of Food Poisoning

What Is Food Poisoning?

It is a food-borne stomach sickness due to consuming food or water that has been contaminated by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Unfortunately, you cannot always know if food is contaminated, especially if you are not careful to check.

The distinction between food poisoning and other stomach conditions like the stomach flu is the speed of symptoms. Usually, it takes between two to six hours after eating contaminated food to start experiencing symptoms of food poisoning.

Types of Food Poisoning

Food poisoning can be classified based on the types of germs that can cause the illness. The common ones are:

1. Salmonella – is commonly associated with animal products like eggs and milk. However, it can also be present in raw vegetables.
2. E. coli – is present in undercooked beef and fresh produce.
3. Campylobacter – is associated with poultry or poultry products.
4. Listeria – is linked to undercooked poultry and seafood or unpasteurized milk and cheese.
5. Botulism – is common in improperly canned vegetables and pork products.

How Do You Know You Have Food Poisoning?

The symptoms you experience after eating certain foods can be signs of food poisoning. Depending on the cause and the duration of your sickness, some symptoms can be more severe than others. The number one indicator of Food poisoning is an upset stomach. Other mild symptoms of food poisoning are:

1. Nausea and vomiting
2. Diarrhea
3. Pain in the abdomen or rectum and stomach cramps
4. Bloating, gagging, indigestion, and flatulence

Some of the indicators that the food poisoning is severe and you need immediate urgent care near you are:

1. Blood in your vomit or stool
2. Persistent vomiting – making it impossible for your body to retain any fluids.
3. Severe dehydration – with signs like excessive thirst, dry mouth, and sore throat.
4. Headache, dizziness, and fainting
5. High fever
6. No urination – because of losing too many fluids through vomiting and diarrhea.

How to Treat Food Poisoning

The best food poisoning treatment near you can only be determined when you understand the underlying cause of the condition. Besides, a diagnosis by a doctor at Sunrise Urgent Care helps to know whether it is good poisoning. Meanwhile, some approaches for treating food poisoning at home are:

1. Suck on ice chips or take sips of water – you must keep your body hydrated, especially for severe dehydration symptoms, vomiting, or diarrhea. You will know you are getting enough fluids if your urine is clear and urinating often.
2. Enter a fast – stop eating or drinking anything for a few hours, allowing your stomach to rest.
3. Avoid dairy products as they increase nausea.
4. Avoid other foods like highly seasoned foods or caffeinated drinks. Bland food choices will be gentle on your digestive system and help with fast recovery.
5. Take over-the-counter medicine, like antidiarrheal medication.
6. Reach out to a doctor if you no longer think you are experiencing mild food poisoning symptoms.

When you visit a doctor for urgent care near you, they will determine the following treatment options for food poisoning:

1. Replacement of lost fluids – the initial doctor’s response to food poisoning is to hook you up on IV fluids. They supply essential fluids and electrolytes, like potassium, water, sodium, and calcium. This treatment protocol is necessary since you have lost too much fluid through diarrhea and vomiting.
2. Medication – the most common type of medicine for food poisoning is an antibiotic. Antibiotics flush out food-poisoning bacteria. Usually, doctors will administer the antibiotics intravenously, especially under special conditions like pregnancy. The goal is to deter the infection from spreading to other body parts, including the unborn baby.

How Long Does Food Poisoning Last?

The good thing about food poisoning is that it can resolve by itself in 2 to 3 days. However, if you experience severe symptoms, it can severely compromise your health without emergency care. Besides, is it worth it to go through a difficult 2 or 3 days when you can get treatment to resolve the problem within a few hours or a day? Further, food poisoning symptoms can take up to a week to disappear. Without treatment, you may have to adjust to different eating patterns, especially if you have decreased appetite.

Summary

Stomach-related illnesses can sometimes have similar symptoms. Therefore, it can be hard to determine on your own the correct diagnosis of your problem. If you have an upset stomach that takes longer than a few hours to resolve, consider talking to a doctor to find the best solution.