Food Poisoning
What is Food poisoning?
Food poisoning is a usually short term illness caused by ingesting poorly-prepared or virally/bacterially contaminated food.
What causes Food poisoning?
Usually food poisoning is caused by ingesting food contaminated by some type of bacteria or virus such as salmonella or norovirus. Food poisoning can also be caused by improper storage or by being contaminated by somebody ill despite proper preparation.
What are the symptoms of Food poisoning?
There are a range of gastrointestinal symptoms of food poisoning such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, cramps and a number of more systemic symptoms such as a fever, aches, chills and a loss of strength and energy.
The actual length and severity of the symptoms can vary greatly depending on the individual and the exact virus or bacterium causing the condition.
How is Food poisoning treated?
The overwhelming majority of cases will resolve themselves with little outside intervention and treatment is largely centred around managing the symptoms. Fluids, rest, avoiding alcohol and smoking and generally practicing hygiene in the home all contribute to treating and reducing the incidence of food poisoning.
