Food sickness symptoms

Food Poisoning Symptoms | CDC

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• When to See a Doctor
• Serious Health Problems
• How Soon Symptoms Start
• Report Food Poisoning

You can get sick with food poisoning after swallowing certain germs, like Salmonella or E. coli. Your symptoms may vary, depending on the germ you swallowed. Symptoms can range from mild to serious and can last for a few hours or several days.

The most common symptoms of food poisoning are:

• Diarrhea
• Stomach pain or cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fever

If you have diarrhea or vomiting, be sure to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration (not having enough water in your body).

Should I See a Doctor for Food Poisoning?

See a doctor if you have any symptoms that are severe, including:

• Bloody diarrhea
• Diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days
• High fever (temperature over 102°F)
• Vomiting so often that you cannot keep liquids down
• Signs of dehydration, which include not urinating (peeing) much, a dry mouth and throat, feeling dizzy when standing up

See your doctor if you are pregnant and have a fever and other flu-like symptoms. Some mild infections can cause problems with pregnancy.

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Serious Health Problems and Long-Term Effects From Food Poisoning

Most people have mild illnesses, but some infections spread by food are serious or even life-threatening. Some people may need to be hospitalized, and some illnesses lead to other health problems, including:

• Meningitis
• Kidney damage
• Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can cause kidney failure
• Arthritis
• Brain and nerve damage

For some people, these health problems can last for weeks or months after recovering from the foodborne illness. For others, they never go away.

How Soon Do Symptoms Start?

Some germs make you sick within a few hours after you swallow them. Others may take a few days to make you sick. This table provides details about the symptoms caused by different germs, when they usually start, and common sources for those germs. Search the table for symptoms you are having.

Some germs make you sick within a few hours after you swallow them. Others may take a few days to make you sick. This list provides details about the symptoms caused by different germs, when they usually start, and common sources for those germs. Review the list for symptoms you are having.

30 minutes to 8 hours

Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea

• Germ: Staphylococcus aureus (Staph food poisoning)
• Common food sources: Foods that are not cooked after handling, such as sliced meats, puddings, pastries, and sandwiches

Within 24 hours

Watery diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, fever, chills

• Germ: Vibrio
• Common food sources: Raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters

6 to 24 hours

Diarrhea, stomach cramps that last for less than 24 hours—vomiting and fever are not common

• Germ: Clostridium perfringens
• Common food sources: Meat, poultry, gravies, and other foods cooked in large batches and held at an unsafe temperature

6 hours to 6 days

Diarrhea (can be bloody), fever, stomach cramps, vomiting

• Germ: Salmonella
• Common food sources: Raw or undercooked chicken, turkey, and other meats; eggs; unpasteurized (raw) milk and juice; raw fruits and vegetables
• Other sources: Many animals, including backyard poultry, reptiles and amphibians, and rodents (pocket pets)

12 to 48 hours

Diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain—fever, headache, and body aches are also possible

• Germ: Norovirus
• Common food sources: Leafy greens, fresh fruits, shellfish (such as raw oysters), contaminated water
• Other sources: infected person, touching surfaces that have the virus on them

18 to 36 hours

Difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, and difficulty moving eyes – symptoms start in the head and move down as the illness gets worse

• Germ: Clostridium botulinum (Botulism)
• Common food sources: Improperly canned or fermented foods, homemade illicit alcohol (pruno).

2 to 5 days

Diarrhea (often bloody), fever, stomach cramps

• Germ: Campylobacter
• Common food sources: Raw or undercooked poultry, raw (unpasteurized) milk, contaminated water
• Other sources: Pets (including cats and dogs)

3 to 4 days

Severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), vomiting

• Germ: E. coli (Escherichia coli)
• Common food sources: Raw or undercooked ground beef, raw (unpasteurized) milk and juice, raw vegetables (such as lettuce), raw sprouts, and contaminated water
• Long-term effects: Around 5­­–10% of people diagnosed with E. coli develop a life-threatening health problem called hemolytic uremic syndrome

1 week

Watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, bloating, increased gas, nausea, fatigue

• Germ: Cyclospora
• Common food sources: Raw fruits or vegetables and herbs

2 weeks

Fever and flu-like symptoms (such as muscle aches and fatigue), headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and seizures

• Germ: Listeria (invasive illness)
• Common food sources: Queso fresco and other soft cheeses, raw sprouts, melons, hot dogs, pâtés, deli meats, smoked fish, and raw (unpasteurized) milk
• People who are pregnant: Infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn. Call the doctor right away if you have a fever and feel more tired and achy than usual.

* Most often older adults and people with weakened immune systems

• People With a Higher Risk of Food Poisoning
• Foods That Can Cause Food Poisoning
• How to Prevent Food Poisoning
• Foodborne Outbreaks

If you think you or someone you know got sick from food, please report it to your local health department. Report it even if you don’t know what food made you sick. Reporting an illness can help public health officials identify a foodborne disease outbreak and keep others from getting sick.

Staphylococcal (Staph) Food Poisoning | Food Safety

What is Staph food poisoning?

Staph food poisoning is a gastrointestinal illness caused by eating foods contaminated with toxins produced by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (Staph) bacteria.

About 25% of people and animals have Staph on their skin and in their nose. It usually does not cause illness in healthy people, but Staph has the ability to make toxins that can cause food poisoning.

How do people get Staph food poisoning?

• Food Poisoning Symptoms
• Four Steps to Food Safety
• People at Risk
• Preventing Food Poisoning
• Wash Your Hands

People who carry Staph can contaminate food if they don’t wash their hands before touching it. If food is contaminated with Staph, the bacteria can multiply in the food and produce toxins that can make people ill. Staph bacteria are killed by cooking, but the toxins are not destroyed and will still be able to cause illness.

Foods that are not cooked after handling, such as sliced meats, puddings, pastries, and sandwiches, are especially risky if contaminated with Staph.

Food contaminated with Staph toxin may not smell bad or look spoiled.

What are the symptoms of Staph food poisoning?

• Staph food poisoning is characterized by a sudden start of nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. Most people also have diarrhea.
• Symptoms usually develop within 30 minutes to 8 hours after eating or drinking an item containing Staph toxin, and last no longer than 1 day. Severe illness is rare.
• The illness cannot be passed from one person to another.

How do I know if I have Staph food poisoning?

You can suspect Staph food poisoning based on the type of symptoms and their fast resolution. Although laboratory tests can detect toxin-producing Staph in stool, vomit, and foods, these tests are usually not ordered except during an outbreak. If you think you might have Staph food poisoning and are experiencing severe symptoms, contact your health care provider.

How is Staph food poisoning treated?

The most important treatment is drinking plenty of fluids. Your healthcare provider may give you medicine to decrease vomiting and nausea. People with severe illness may require intravenous fluids.

Antibiotics are not useful in treating this illness because the toxin is not affected by antibiotics.

How can I prevent Staph food poisoning?

The best way to avoid food poisoning by Staph is to prevent food from being held at an unsafe temperature (between 40°F and 140°F) for more than 2 hours.

Bacteria can multiply rapidly if left at room temperature or in the “Danger Zone” between 40°F and 140°F. Never leave perishable food out for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if it’s hotter than 90°F outside).

Remember to always follow these food safety tips:

• Use a food thermometer and cook foods to their safe minimum internal temperature.
• Keep hot foods hot (140°F or hotter) and cold foods cold (40°F or colder).
• Store cooked food in wide, shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours (or 1 hour if it’s hotter than 90° F outside).

The following tips that are part of the four steps to food safety – clean, separate, cook, and chill – also can help protect you and your loved ones from food poisoning:

• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water before, during, and after preparing food, and before eating.
• Do not prepare food if you are ill with diarrhea or vomiting.
• Wear gloves while preparing food if you have wounds or infections on your hands or wrists.

This page focuses on food poisoning caused by Staphylococcus aureus. You also may be interested in learning about skin and other infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staph infections in healthcare settings..

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Food poisoning - symptoms, causes, signs, diagnosis and treatment in the "SM-Clinic"

This disease is treated by Gastroenterologist

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• What is food poisoning?
• Causes of poisoning
• Treatment of food poisoning
• Prophylaxis
• Doctors

Causes of poisoning

Damage to food by harmful microorganisms and their toxins can occur for various reasons. Products may become contaminated due to non-compliance with sanitary and technological standards during production, transportation, storage and sale.

Animal products (meat, eggs, fish) can be affected even during the life of the animal. However, eating contaminated foods does not always cause food poisoning. The disease occurs when the amount of accumulated toxins is especially large. In favorable conditions, for example, at high temperatures, microorganisms develop most actively, which explains the increase in food poisoning in the summer.

Get advice

If you experience these symptoms, we recommend that you make an appointment with your doctor. Timely consultation will prevent negative consequences for your health.

To learn more about the disease, prices for treatment and sign up for a consultation with a specialist, you can call:

+7 (495) 292-39-72

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Why SM-Clinic?

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Treatment is carried out in accordance with clinical recommendations

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Comprehensive assessment of the nature of the disease and treatment prognosis

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Modern diagnostic equipment and own laboratory

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Treatment of food poisoning

When poisoning occurs, first of all, it is necessary to determine its cause, since treatment depends on the nature of the poisoning. The most effective method is gastric lavage, for which the patient should drink a large amount of liquid (pure water or in the form of a solution of permanganate or baking soda). Periodically, you should induce vomiting - this will help remove toxins from the body.

It should be remembered that the patient's condition may worsen after 10-12 hours after the moment of poisoning, which may be due to the presence of complicating side effects. In this case, you must immediately consult a doctor.

Prophylaxis

Prevention is ensured by compliance with the following safety rules:

• refuse to eat unknown, damaged or expired products;
• do not store cooked food, especially containing acids (sauerkraut, sour-milk products), in artisanal earthenware, glazed, galvanized or damaged enameled, as well as copper;
• store canned food in metal containers for no more than two years; do not buy canned food in a crumpled jar without a label.

The primary task in this case is hygiene in the preparation and use of food. The kitchen and cooking utensils must be kept clean. Products must be thoroughly cooked.

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Diseases referred to Gastroenterologist

Helicobacteriosis Esophageal ulcer liver abscess Avitaminosis Atrophic gastritis Achalasia Crohn's disease Gastritis gastroptosis Gastroenteritis Gastroenterocolitis Helminthiasis Hepatomegaly hiatal hernia Dysbacteriosis Dyspepsia Duodenitis Jaundice Cholelithiasis Fatty hepatosis Heartburn intestinal candidiasis liver cyst pancreatic cyst intestinal colic Colitis Blood in stool Bowel obstruction pancreatitis Pancreatic necrosis Intestinal pneumatosis Polyps of the stomach Gallbladder polyps Intestinal polyps gallbladder cancer Liver cancer Esophageal carcinoma Reflux esophagitis (GERD) Spasm of the esophagus Toxic hepatitis cholestasis Cholecystitis Chronic gastritis Chronic cholecystitis celiac disease Cirrhosis of the liver Enteritis Enterocolitis Erosive gastritis Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum

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