Signs and Symptoms of food Poisoning, Food Poisoning Prevention

Maybe you've gone out to enjoy a meal with a loved one. You place your order and soon after your meal of choice arrives. It’s hot, fresh and highly flavorful, probably one of the best things you've ever tasted.

After your meal you head home and call it a night but a few hours into your sleep, your stomach lurches you awake. You dash out of bed barely making it to the bathroom stricken with vomiting and diarrhea. What happened?!

Well, sadly your delicious meal could have been the culprit of your distress. And although it looked and tasted wonderful, something occurred in the cooking process to that has made you seriously ill.

What is food poisoning?

Food poisoning is the result of eating contaminated food. This can be due to bacteria, virus, parasite or any form of toxin. Food poisoning is not just something that occurs in restaurants, though. It can very well happen any place food is prepared and stored.

Any type of food item, but meat especially, should be stored and prepared properly. This means being kept at appropriate temperatures to maintain freshness as well as being cooked thoroughly.

Bacteria, for example, can get into food items either through contaminated water, not properly washing the food item, using dirty utensils, handling food with unwashed hands, or cross contamination which can happen by keeping raw chicken and vegetables together. Food also can get contaminated by leaving it out for too long and in higher temperatures, especially if the item is frozen. Defrosting and reheating an item can also lead to contamination as well.

Germs which cause food poisoning

There are many different types of viruses and bacteria’s which can lead to food poisoning, some more easily treatable than others as well. Here are some common bacteria and germs which cause food poisoning:

• E. coli
• Salmonella
• Shigella
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Cholera
• Botulism.

These germs can contaminate food if they are stored improperly, handled poorly, or even not cooked properly. Therefore, it’s of utmost importance to handle all raw food items with care.

Signs and symptoms of food poisoning

Depending on the type of contamination, food poisoning can occur within six hours or less or even take up to a day for signs and symptoms to show. How long does food poisoning last? Well, once again that depends on the bacteria or virus.

Here are some of the most common signs and symptoms of food poisoning:

Read more at http://www.belmarrahealth.com/food-poisoning-causes-and-treatment/