Food poisoning

FOOD POISONING

Often we hear people say,”I think I ate something unusual that I got food poisoning ,” People call it food poisoning while medical community calls it FOOD BORNE ILLNESS. We actually are not being poisoned by food but we are infected by something that lives on food.

CAUSES OF FOOD POISONING:

Commonly food poisoning is caused by microorganisms that we can't see and thus we end up eating food that’s infected by or poisoned by microbes.And there are number of microbes that thrive on the food that we consume and they are Bacteria, Viruses, Molds, Parasites and Allergens.They may range from well known E.Coli and Salmonella to the form less known Campylobacter, Toxoplasma, listeria  and Clostridium perfringens.

Most often food poisoning happens due to Food that is mishandled or not cooked properly, or it is left uncovered too long( you must have noticed this in the market where the fruits are cut and kept open, even food is uncovered), If the food is not refrigerated properly or It can also be handled by a person who didn’t wash their hand or may be touched a surface that wasn’t cleaned.

ITEMS THAT GET EASILY POISONIED:

Food items most commonly associated with food poisoning include-

1.	Eggs

2.	Fish

3.	Milk

4.	Meat

5.	Dairy products

6.	Poultry

7.	Rice

8.	Meat products

9.	Nuts

SYMPTOMS OF FOOD POISONING: First sign of food poisoning is frequent vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration .Even before that we experience an abdominal pain. Fever is also a sign of food poisoning.Every contaminant has an ideal condition and they vary from bacteria to virus. Well some of the food borne illnesses can strike days or weeks after exposure. It takes a while for organisms to replicate in our body and strike. This period is called as INCUBATION PERIOD. The most common pathogens like C.perfingens, Salmonella and Norovirus have short incubation period ranging between 6-72 hours. All three can cause DIARRHEA while Salmonella and Norovirus also cause VOMITING while C.perfingens doesn’t. E.coli and Campylobacter incubate for several days before striking and both result in severe DIARRHEA containing blood and vomiting. Toxoplasm can incubate for weeks and produce no symptoms at all while Hysteriacan live in ur body from 3-70 days before showing flue like symptoms. Some cases of food poisoning are even mistaken for flue because they cannot remember when they ate any infected food.

These microorganisms cause diarrhea because they are inhibiting our body from absorbing nutrients and water or they causing more water to be added into the stools.

HOME MADE REMIDIES OF FOOD POISONING:

Most food borne diseases do not have lasting effect and are not life threatening if there is not much dehydration. However some microbes like E.coli O157.H7 causes kidney failure and leads to death. But not all microbes are life taking and hence most of the times the food borne diseases can be cured by simple home made remidies like-

1. GINGER: Ginger is an excellent home remedy for curing almost all types of digestive problems, including those caused by food poisoning.Drink one cup of ginger tea after eating            lunch or dinner to stop heartburn, nausea and other symptoms associated with food poisoning.

2. LEMON: The anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial properties in lemons can give you much relief. The acid in lemons helps kill bacteria that cause food poisoning.Just add a pinch of sugar to one teaspoon of lemon juice and drink it two to three times a day.

3. GARLIC: Garlic is also very effective in fighting food poisoning due to its strong antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. It also relieves symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain.Eat one fresh garlic clove, swallowing it with water. If you can tolerate the smell of garlic, you can also try garlic juice.

4. APPLE CIDER VINEGAR: Just mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a cup of hot water and drink it before eating your food. Alternatively, you can drink two to three teaspoons of undiluted apple cider vinegar.

5. HONEY:  Honey as a natural remedy can be taken in its pure form or added to tea. A teaspoon of honey three times a day can do wonders to heal an upset stomach. It also controls the formation of excess acid in the stomach.

However under severe conditions you are recommended to consult docter.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES:
 * 1) wash your hands before eating
 * 2) avoid eating food that is kept open
 * 3) cook food throughly
 * 4) donot leave the food uncovered
 * 5) refrigate the food properly
 * 6) wash work tops and dish clothes