Food poisoning is an illness caused by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated beverages. Bacteria, viruses, parasites or toxins in food can lead to symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever.
Most cases are mild and improve within a few days, but some types of food poisoning can cause serious complications and require medical care.
It’s often hard to know exactly which food made you sick. Food poisoning symptoms sometimes start within 30 minutes, but it can also take up to two weeks before you get sick. Occasionally, multiple people eat the same food, but don’t all get sick. It depends on how each person’s body reacts.
There are many different ways foods can get contaminated:
More than 250 different germs and toxins can cause food poisoning.
Some foods are more likely to cause food poisoning than others. It’s a good idea to be especially careful with:
Soft cheeses and unpasteurized dairy products may carry harmful bacteria such as Listeria, E. coli or salmonella. Pregnant women, older adults, young children and people with weakened immune systems should avoid these products unless clearly labeled pasteurized.
Food can be contaminated at any stage, including processing, storage and preparation. To lower your risk of food poisoning, you should:
Some types of food poisoning are contagious (can be passed from person to person). It depends on what’s causing the infection. Certain germs can survive on hands or surfaces and spread to other people. If someone with food poisoning prepares food in a restaurant, grocery store or home kitchen, they could contaminate the food they are making.
If you suspect food poisoning, schedule a same day visit at Banner Urgent Care to determine if the infection could spread to others.
Your symptoms can vary depending on what you ate and how it’s affecting your body. Common symptoms of food poisoning include:
The symptoms can feel the same. The difference is the source. Food poisoning happens after eating contaminated food. Stomach flu (viral gastroenteritis) spreads from person to person or contaminated surfaces.
If you think you have food poisoning but aren’t sure where you got it, there is a good chance it is the stomach flu. It is possible that something infected you when you touched a contaminated surface or were swimming or exposed to outdoor water. You can also be infected by animals.
Symptoms can start within 30 minutes of eating contaminated food, but they may take several hours or even days to appear. Most cases improve within 1 to 3 days. Severe infections may last longer.
Most of the time, you can treat food poisoning at home. You should feel better within a few days, and sometimes it clears up within hours. If you’re vomiting, have diarrhea or have a fever, you can lose a lot of water. It’s important to prevent dehydration. Stay hydrated by sucking on ice chips or taking small sips of fluids. Good choices are:
You’ll want to get plenty of rest and gradually introduce small portions of bland foods when you feel ready to eat. Start with things like:
Avoid fizzy drinks, fatty foods, spicy or strongly flavored foods, dairy, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. Take a break from eating if your symptoms return.
Some over-the-counter (OTC) medications can help with your symptoms. Loperamide (Imodium A-D) can treat diarrhea and bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) can help with nausea and vomiting. You’ll want to talk to a health care provider or pharmacist for help on using these medications since vomiting and diarrhea are your body’s ways of getting the contaminants out. These medications aren’t recommended for children.
As you return to a regular diet, be sure to practice good food hygiene habits and be cautious about your food choices. That will help reduce the odds that you get food poisoning again.
Sometimes, food poisoning can cause serious complications. If your food poisoning symptoms are severe or last more than a few days, contact a health care provider.
For children, contact your pediatrician if your child has:
For adults, contact your primary care provider if you have:
These people should be especially cautious and seek medical advice promptly. They are more likely to get food poisoning and more likely to develop complications:
If you think you or someone in your family may have a case of food poisoning and you're concerned about symptoms, visit a Banner Urgent Care near you for advice and help.
Most cases of food poisoning improve at home within a few days. The most important step is preventing dehydration.
Take small, frequent sips of fluids such as water, broth or oral rehydration drinks. Sports drinks can help replace electrolytes but avoid beverages with caffeine or alcohol.
Get plenty of rest and slowly return to eating bland foods once you feel ready. Start with simple options like toast, rice, bananas or crackers.
Avoid fatty, spicy or heavily seasoned foods until your symptoms improve.
Over-the-counter medications such as loperamide (Imodium A-D) or bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) may help relieve diarrhea or nausea. However, these medications are not recommended for children and may not be appropriate in certain infections. Talk to a health care provider or pharmacist before using them.
While food poisoning usually goes away without complications, in rare cases it can cause more serious, long-term problems such as:
If you think you got food poisoning from a restaurant, grocery store or other food establishment, you should report it to your local health department. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you should report it even if you don’t know what made you sick. Reporting can help officials identify an outbreak, notify the public and take steps to stop it.
Food poisoning often causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and sometimes fever. Symptoms usually begin within hours or days after eating contaminated food. If multiple people who ate the same meal become sick, food poisoning is more likely.
Most cases improve within 1 to 3 days. Mild symptoms may clear up within 24 hours. More severe infections can last longer and may require medical treatment, especially if dehydration develops.
Symptoms can begin as soon as 30 minutes after eating contaminated food, but they may take several hours or even a few days to appear. The timing depends on the type of bacteria, virus or toxin involved.
Seek emergency care if you have signs of severe dehydration, bloody diarrhea, high fever (102°F or higher), severe abdominal pain, confusion, difficulty breathing or symptoms that affect your nervous system, such as blurred vision or muscle weakness.
Some types of food poisoning, especially those caused by viruses like norovirus, can spread from person to person. Proper handwashing and avoiding food preparation while sick can help prevent spreading the infection.
Most people recover fully, but certain infections can lead to complications such as kidney problems, nerve disorders, arthritis or irritable bowel syndrome. These complications are rare but may require medical care.
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