Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/2461/-1/133/
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ASK YOUR DOCTOR: Food Poisoning by Dr. Brett Hodge
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Many individuals have suffered from food poisoning at one time or the other in their lives. In many countries the incidence of food poisoning appears to be increasing especially during the warmer months of the year. Food poisoning can be a very serious illness although in most instances it is just a mild illness and clears up within a few days.
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Dr. Brett Hodge
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What is food poisoning?
Food poisoning is an illness that occurs after eating or drinking anything that is contaminated. Usually it is the germs on the food that cause illness, but sometimes it can be chemical. The main organisms that cause food poisoning are Campylobacter, Salmonella and E. coli.
What are the signs and symptoms of food poisoning?
The signs and symptoms depend on the kind of germ or chemical that causes the illness, but diarrhoea and abdominal (stomach) pain are common symptoms. Other symptoms include:
Nausea and vomiting
• Bloody diarrhoea or pus in the stool
• Fever that lasts longer than 24 hours
• Dizziness, fainting, rapid heart rate
• Weakness, numbness or tingling in the legs, arms and mouth
When should you see your doctor?
Although some cases of food poisoning settle on their own without any complications, in other cases the symptoms can be very severe and complications can occur. You should see you doctor or health care provider if you have the following:
• Symptoms and signs lasting more than two days
• There is a fever with other symptoms
• There is severe diarrhoea
• There is blood in the stool
• You have signs of dehydration (e.g. have intense thirst, dry lips and tongue, increased heart rate, breathing fast, feeling week and dizzy).
Treatment
Treatment will depend on the cause of the food poisoning, the signs and symptoms. Some cases may require hospitalization but most cases do not. Most hospitals have a written protocol for dealing with patients with food poisoning. Your doctor may arrange for blood and stool tests to confirm the diagnosis and find the exact organism causing the food poisoning. All cases of food poisoning should be reported so the public health officials can carry out an investigation so as to prevent spread of the illness to other members of the public. Employees of food establishments should inform their employer if they are suffering from a food poisoning illness and should not work until they are fully recovered from their illness.
What can you do to prevent food poisoning?
Food poisoning is related to unsafe food, dirty kitchen and dirty kitchen appliances. Children, pregnant women and individuals who are immuno suppressed are at an increased risk of getting food poison.
Most raw meats and poultry contain bacteria which can cause food poisoning. To avoid contamination you should do the following:
• Store raw and cooked foods apart.
• Raw meats should be kept at the bottom of the fridge so that they do not drip blood or juices onto other foods.
• You should use separate utensils and chopping board for raw and cooked foods.
• You should wash your hands before and after handling foods.
• Do not smoke or eat when handling food.
You should kill germs before you eat the food by thawing all frozen poultry and meat completely before cooking and then cook them thoroughly.
You should keep other germs off your food by doing the following:
• Avoiding foods made from raw eggs
• Wash your hands after using the toilet
• Wash your hands before and after preparing food
• Avoid preparing food for other people if you have diarrhoea
• Keep food covered up
The warmer summer months always show an increase in the number of cases of food poisoning. This may be due to poor temperature control of chilled high risk foods and inadequate supervision of cooking practices. If everyone follows the safety rules for cooking many cases of food poisoning can be prevented.
Conclusion
Food poisoning is a growing public health problem which requires the involvement of everyone if we are going to see a decline in the number of cases in Anguilla. Greater attention to food safety rules and greater public education on food poisoning can make a difference. The expected increase in the number of food poisoning cases associated with the hot summer months and the summer holidays can be decreased if more individuals follow the simple food safety rules.
Ask Your Doctor is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. Dr. Brett Hodge is an obstetrician/gynaecologist and family doctor who has over twenty years in clinical practice. Dr. Hodge has a medical practice in the Johnson Building in The Valley.