Sunday, November 23, 2014
Friday, November 7, 2014
What is Food Poisoning ?
Food poisoning, also
called food-borne illness, is illness caused by eating contaminated food.
Infectious organisms (including bacteria, viruses and parasites) or their
toxins are the most common causes of food poisoning. This disease have many different symptoms, so
there is no one "syndrome" that is food-borne illness. However, the
microbe or toxin enters the body through the gastrointestinal tract, and often
causes the first symptoms there, so nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and
diarrhea are common symptoms in many food-borne diseases.
What Causes Food Poisoning ?
Food poisoning can affect one
person or a group of people who all ate the same food. It is more common after
eating at picnics, school cafeterias, large social functions, or restaurants.
When germs get into the food, it
is called contamination. This can happen in different ways:
- Meat or poultry can come into contact with bacteria from the intestines of an animal that is being processed.
- Water that is used during growing or shipping can contain animal or human waste.
- Food may be handled in an unsafe way during preparation in grocery stores, restaurants, or homes.
Food poisoning can occur after
eating or drinking:
- Any food prepared by someone who does not wash their hands properly
- Any food prepared using cooking utensils, cutting boards, and other tools that are not fully cleaned
- Dairy products or food containing mayonnaise (such as coleslaw or potato salad) that have been out of the refrigerator too long
- Frozen or refrigerated foods that are not stored at the proper temperature or are not reheated to the right temperature
- Raw fish or oysters
- Raw fruits or vegetables that have not been washed well
- Raw vegetables or fruit juices and dairy products (look for the word "pasteurized," which means the food has been treated to prevent contamination)
- Under cooked meats or eggs
- Water from a well or stream, or city or town water that has not been treated
Infants and elderly people are at
the greatest risk for food poisoning. You are also at higher risk if:
- You have a serious medical condition, such as kidney disease, diabetes, cancer, or HIV and/or AIDS.
- You have a weakened immune system.
Signs & Symptoms of food poisoning
Symptoms vary
depending on the source of the infection. Common cases of food poisoning
usually include the following symptoms:
- abdominal pain
- diarrhea
- vomiting
- mild fever
- weakness
- nausea
- headaches
Symptoms of
potentially life threatening food poisoning occur when:
- you cannot keep fluids down
- your diarrhea persists for more than three days
- you have a fever higher than 38.6 oC
- you are extremely thirsty and have a dry mouth
- you pass little or no urine
- you are unable to speak or see
Diagnosis of Food Poisoning
Most times, the diagnosis of food poisoning is made by history and physical examination. Often, the patient volunteers the diagnosis when they come for medical care. For example, "I got sick after eating potato salad at a picnic" or "I drank a raw egg protein shake".
Routine blood tests are not usually ordered unless there is
concern about something more than the vomiting and diarrhea. In patients with
significant dehydration, the health care professional may want to check
electrolyte levels in the blood as well as kidney function. If there is concern
about hemolytic uremic syndrome, a complete blood count (hemogram, CBC) to check the red blood cells, white
blood cells, and platelet count may be ordered. If there is concern about
hepatitis, liver function tests may be ordered.
Stool samples may be useful especially if there is concern about
infections caused by Salmonella, Shigella and Campylobacter,
the common non traveler's diarrhea. This is especially true when the patient
presents with bloody diarrhea, thought to be due to infection. If there is
concern about a parasite infection, stool samples can be examined also for the
presence of parasites. Some parasites may be very difficult to see under the
microscope, including Cyclospora, because it is so tiny.
Depending on the suspected cause of the food poisoning, there are
some immunological tests (for example, detection of Shiga toxins) that the CDC
recommends. Cyclospora DNA may be detected in the stool using
molecular testing called polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Other methods may be used (for example, detection of prions in
tissue samples).
How to Prevent and Treat Food Poisoning ?
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
Food Hygiene
Purchase of Food
- Select fresh meat and vegetables
- Purchase food from hygienic, reliable and reputable sources to ensure quality
- Do not patronize unlicensed hawkers or food stalls selling cooked food
- Read and follow the storage instructions and pay attention to the “use by” or “best before” date on food labels when buying pre-packed food
- Do not buy any food that is abnormal in appearance, e.g. canned food in rusty, expanded or dented can
Handling of Food
- Food should be thoroughly washed before storage or cooking. Meat and seafood must be thoroughly cooked
- Food should be consumed as soon as it is served. Hot food should be eaten when it is still hot and cold dishes should be stored in the refrigerator until consumption
- Use different sets of chopping blocks and knives for cutting raw and cooked food
Storage of Food
- Raw and cooked food should be stored separately to avoid cross contamination. Place cooked food in the upper compartment of refrigerator.
- Cooked food, unless consumed at once, should be kept below 4ºC or above 63 ºC. Do not store food under room temperature to avoid multiplication of bacteria.
- Leftover food should be stored in the refrigerator and re-heated thoroughly before consumption.
- Refrigerator should be cleaned properly and regularly and its temperature should be kept below 4 ºC.
- Do not store excessive amount of food in the refrigerator to avoid affecting cold air circulation.
Personal Hygiene
- Wash hands with soap and water after going to the toilet and before handling food
- Anybody who suffers from diarrhea or vomiting should not handle or touch any food to avoid bacteria contaminating the food
- Bandage wounds with waterproof plasters before handling any food
Environmental Hygiene
- Put all rubbish & food remains into a dustbin and cover it up tightly. Dustbin must be emptied frequently and regularly
- Clean the kitchen frequently and regularly to prevent harbouring rats and insects.
In most cases, food poisoning can be treated at home without seeking medical advice.
It is very important that you do not become dehydrated because it will make you feel worse and slow down your recovery.
Dehydration is a risk because you will lose fluid through vomiting and diarrhea.
You should try to drink as much water as possible, even if you're only able to sip it, particularly after you pass diarrhea.
Oral rehydration salts (ORSs)
Oral rehydration salts (ORSs) are recommended for people vulnerable to the effects of dehydration, such as the elderly and those with a pre-existing health condition.
ORSs are available in sachets from pharmacies. You dissolve them in water to drink and they help replace salt, glucose and other important minerals your body loses through dehydration.
If you have a kidney condition, some types of oral rehydration salts may not be suitable for you. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for further advice about this.
Other self care advice
To cope with your symptoms and speed up your recovery you should also:
- rest
- eat when you feel up to it (the gut sometimes needs time to recover and food may cause diarrhea even if you feel better)
- stick to foods that are easily digested, such as toast, crackers, bananas and rice until you begin to feel better
- avoid alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine and spicy and fatty foods because they will make you feel worse
Further treatment
Visit your doctor or accident and emergency (A&E) department if you are severely dehydrated – for example, if you have sunken eyes and you are unable to urinate.
Doctor may admit you to hospital so that you can be given fluids and nutrients through a tube inserted into a vein (intravenously).
Antibiotics may be prescribed if test results show the source of your food poisoning was bacterial, and your symptoms are severe or last longer than 3–4 days.
Antibiotic tablets are usually used, although you may be given injections if your symptoms are severe or if you are struggling to keep tablets down.
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