Food poisoning (food poisoning) is poisoning from food that appears inedible or toxic to human digestion due to infection, bacteria, germs and pathogens, and heavy metals.
What is food poisoning?
Schematic diagram of first aid for food poisoning and salmonella poisoning. Click to enlarge. Food poisoning, or food poisoning, is caused by ingesting contaminated or poisoned food. Often the food is past its expiration date or is bacterially infected. Food poisoning can cause a variety of symptoms that can lead to illness and even death. Therefore, it is important to know what type of food poisoning it is in order to act quickly. However, food poisoning must be distinguished from food allergy. Typical signs of food poisoning are mostly abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. A doctor should be consulted in any case to rule out complications.
Causes
Metals such as zinc, copper, cadmium, or lead often play a role in food poisoning. These toxins may be present in the enamel or glaze of cooking utensils, for example. Often acidic foods dissolve these metals from pots and pans, which are then directly absorbed by the food. Thus, when the food is consumed, food poisoning occurs as a result. The metals aluminum, chrome–nickel steel and nickel have been classified as safe as triggers for food poisoning by official tests. In addition to chemical poisons, there are also natural poisons that can trigger food poisoning. These include toxins from fish, berries, or mushrooms (see Mushroom Poisoning. Bacterial food poisoning is the most common. The cause here is a bacterial infection caused by germs and microorganisms. These bacteria are found primarily in milk and dairy products. Eggs, salads, soft ice cream and drinking water are also contaminated, especially in southern vacation areas (see salmonella poisoning). Germ multiplication is additionally promoted by warm temperatures. But even in our latitudes, a gap in the cold chain of food is sufficient to become infected with salmonella. Contaminations with the pathogen Clostridia Shigella or Bacillus are less frequently responsible as causative agents of food poisoning. Decayed and infected food can still spread life-threatening infections such as tuberculosis, cholera, and anthrax.
Symptoms, complaints, and signs
When considering the symptoms of food poisoning, it is necessary to distinguish the two forms of such poisoning. Thus, the symptoms are different and that depends on whether the poison was directly ingested or it comes through ingested bacteria to an infection. Nevertheless, there are a few symptoms that almost all forms of food poisoning have in common. For example, in most cases there is severe nausea with vomiting. Abdominal cramps and severe pain are also common. Cramps in other parts of the body may occur. The stool usually turns into watery diarrhea, sometimes with blood mixed in. The process may be acute or accompanied by fever with some delay. Most symptoms in acute food poisoning are very severe but not particularly long lasting. Further symptoms depend on the toxins ingested. For example, some mushrooms or plants cause hallucinations, but have less effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Puffer fish toxin causes paralysis, which can lead to respiratory failure. Foodborne infections – infections caused by pathogens found in food – usually result in symptoms that last for days. These are usually concentrated in the gastrointestinal tract and result in diarrhea and cramps. There may also be days of nausea with vomiting.
Course of the disease
Food poisoning can occur a few minutes to a few hours after ingestion. There are usually typical gastrointestinal symptoms. Typical features of food poisoning include diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps. A metabolic toxin, Clostridium botulinum, causes one of the worst types of food poisoning.This bacterium causes classic food poisoning, often via infected meat or sausage. These botulinum toxins are among the most violent biological poisons. They often cause central respiratory paralysis, resulting in death. Immediate use of an antitoxic botulism serum is needed to counteract food poisoning.
Complications
Severe diarrhea and vomiting in food poisoning result in fluid and electrolyte deficiencies if the lost fluid is not replaced with appropriate drinks or IV fluids. The onset of dehydration is manifested by drowsiness, dizziness, and dry skin and mucous membranes. If left untreated, it can lead to cramps, kidney and circulatory failure. Babies and the elderly are particularly at risk. As a secondary disease of bacterial food poisoning, joint inflammation, meningitis and inflammation of the inner lining of the heart (endocarditis) can occur. Depending on the pathogen, further complications are possible: an infection with Clostridium botulinum is often accompanied by visual disturbances, difficulty swallowing and signs of paralysis; without treatment, cardiac and respiratory arrest can be the result. Listeria is particularly dangerous for immunocompromised people and pregnant women; it can lead to blood poisoning (sepsis) and cause miscarriages or stillbirths. Infections with Salmonella are usually uncomplicated, but in about five percent of all cases the pathogens enter the bloodstream and settle in internal organs or the skeletal system. This can result in lung, kidney or liver abscesses as well as joint and bone inflammation. The Campylobacter jejuni bacterium is considered to cause Guillain-Barré syndrome, in which sensory disturbances occur due to inflammation of the nerve tracts. Reiter’s syndrome, characterized by inflammation of the joints, conjunctiva, and urinary tract, is a rare complication of food poisoning.
When should you see a doctor?
If food poisoning is suspected, a doctor should be consulted in any case. This is especially necessary if symptoms occur several hours after eating raw fish or poultry. If further signs of illness develop, such as fever or diarrhea, medical advice is needed. If there is blood in the stool or severe circulatory problems, seek the nearest hospital. Food poisoning can cause serious complications if it is not treated early. That is why the first symptoms must be clarified. The family doctor should be consulted at the latest after one or two days of persistent symptoms. Infants should be taken to the doctor if diarrhea and/or vomiting persist for more than six hours. Infants should be seen by a physician after no more than 10 to 12 hours of persistent symptoms. Pregnant women and the elderly or immunocompromised must also seek medical attention when the above symptoms occur. After recovery, another checkup should be done to ensure that the illness has been completely cured.
Treatment and therapy
Just as the causes of food poisoning can be varied, so too must different therapies be adopted to treat food poisoning. For symptoms of illness such as diarrhea and vomiting, fluid loss must first be compensated. The therapy can be supported by the additional administration of antibiotics, if this is considered necessary by the doctor. In the case of butolism, on the other hand, an antitoxin must be given. Furthermore, shock control is part of the therapy of this food poisoning. In extreme cases, such as mushroom poisoning from tuberous leaf fungi, blood exchange may be necessary. First and foremost, proper food hygiene and proper drinking water treatment are important in preventing food poisoning. Both of these can contain food poisoning. For milk, care should be taken to use pasteurized products. Proper food storage is also important. This includes uninterrupted refrigeration. Paying attention to the expiration date of food is also crucial to preventing food poisoning. Likewise, food that has been frozen and then thawed should not be refrozen. In tropical countries, such as India, special attention must be paid to the hygiene of drinking water and food.The stomachs of European tourists are usually not used to the food in these countries. Even with perfect food, symptoms such as diarrhea can occur without food poisoning being the cause. So check with your family doctor regarding a preventive first-aid kit.
Outlook and prognosis
Although food poisoning is very unpleasant for the affected patient, in most cases it passes without major complications. Especially if the disease manifests itself only by diarrhea and further symptoms such as fever or bloody diarrhea are absent, the chances of recovery are quite good. Already after a few days, the typical symptoms recede. The prognosis is favored, of course, if the lack of fluids due to the diarrhea is compensated for by adequate fluid intake. To avoid a possible electrolyte deficiency, children and elderly people in particular should drink plenty of fluids, otherwise hospitalization may become necessary. If food poisoning can be classified among the more serious poisonings (for example, botulism due to contaminated meat products), the prognosis is sometimes unfavorable. This is especially the case if the symptoms are not recognized early and treated appropriately. If a serious food poisoning such as botulism is not treated in time, respiratory paralysis resulting in death from the botulism pathogens can occur within a period of three to six days in the worst case. However, even with early diagnosis as well as treatment, the mortality rate is still about ten percent. Poisoning caused by the venom of a puffer fish has a mortality rate of about 60 percent. Salmonella poisoning, on the other hand, is rather harmless, but complications can arise here, especially in older people.
Follow-up
Food poisoning is a sometimes serious infection of the gastrointestinal tract with various pathogens. Depending on the type of germs, the severity of the illness, and the duration of food poisoning, the stomach and intestines may be affected for several weeks to months after the illness. This is why adequate aftercare is so important, focusing in particular on the choice of food, its preparation and compliance with hygienic standards. To rebuild the affected intestinal flora after food poisoning, patients can, for example, follow a course of treatment with lactic acid bacteria. The doctor should always be consulted after cured food poisoning if pain in the stomach and intestines or other digestive complaints such as renewed diarrhea and vomiting are indicated. Since the immune system is weakened by the food poisoning, the susceptibility to germs is increased and food poisoning can occur again more quickly. Sufferers can also have a stool sample tested by a doctor for follow-up care, which can detect the presence of certain pathogens. In general, aftercare for food poisoning involves avoiding foods with elevated levels of germs for at least a few weeks. Patients should avoid raw fish and raw meat, for example. The physician can also determine whether gastritis has developed after the food poisoning, which should be treated accordingly.
What you can do yourself
If food poisoning is suspected, a doctor should be consulted first. Some measures and home remedies help to quickly cure the disease. First, it is recommended to drink enough – preferably still water or tea. The mineral balance is best balanced with electrolyte solutions from the pharmacy. Alternatively, bananas, grated apples, broth or rusks are suitable. Probiotic yogurt can also be tried. The food helps the body to form microorganisms and also regulates the intestinal tract. An effective home remedy is papaya juice, preferably with seeds and drunk several times a day. Or very classic: warm milk with honey. In addition, bed rest applies. In case of food poisoning, the body needs a lot of sleep and rest, because only in this way it can eliminate the toxins quickly and without complications. Various natural remedies accelerate this process: the homeopathic preparation Eupatorium perfolatium, zinc or colloidal silver. The patient’s own urine is also said to help in cases of food poisoning.However, the use of these remedies should always be in consultation with the doctor. The medical professional can give further tips to quickly cure food poisoning.
