What is Food Poisoning?
Scroll down on some reels with interesting travel content on Instagram, and you will notice influencers telling you about “Bali Belly” or “Delhi Belly”. It is another catchy term for diarrhea caused by specific bacteria that are found in spoilt or uncooked food. This condition is not fatal but can cause great distress in a short span of time. Another example you can commonly find is of children getting affected after eating their inadequately prepared mid-day meals.
Why is Food Safety Important?
Preparation of food in a hygienic manner is key, but storage afterward also matters. Using fresh ingredients is also super important. This aspect is often ignored, but we think it helps in determining the health and productivity of a group of individuals. Food can get affected by a host of bacteria, viruses, or parasites if basic food safety rules are not followed.
Food Poisoning and its Symptoms-
Keep an eye on these symptoms!
If you think you may have ingested some food that was not freshly prepared or was exposed and raw then please consider refraining from doing so in the future. Some of the most common symptoms people face include the following-
- Severe abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea or loose stools
- Nausea
- Dehydration
- Vomiting or emesis
- Fever
- Extreme weakness or no vitality
- Pounding migraines at times
Some people may present with a combination of these symptoms, but always watch out for these factors-
- High fever (greater than 38.9°C)
- Blood in urine or hematuria
- Loose stools for more than 3 days
- Dehydration is harmful. So watch out for it.
Rush to a medical practitioner if you have any of these symptoms persisting for longer than 3 days.
Treatment methods for food poisoning-
The good news is that this normally goes away in about a week, without any need for specialized treatment. Most of us will feel lousy for the first 2-3 days and then recover when we hydrate adequately or take an IV and take simple OTC medications like loperamide. Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics and parasitic ones with antihelminthics.
Remember this- our body is smart enough to identify a toxin and will then try to get rid of it in any way possible- diarrhea or vomiting. So, though this is a natural mechanism which is helpful, it may end up masking the real problem and make the situation worse in a few days.
Preventing food contamination is key to avoiding all of these issues. This issue is exacerbated in the summer because of heat and humidity. Let us talk about how we can prevent foodborne illnesses in 10 different ways-
- Wash your hands thoroughly. Remember the 20 second rule from the pandemic era? Use that, and be a stickler for it!
- Separate containers and surfaces (if possible) for raw food and cooked food. Wash, wash and wash again.
- Ditch the old dishcloth or wash it well and then use it.
- Listen to Gordon Ramsay- cook all foods thoroughly. You don’t want to eat raw food now, do you? Get a kitchen thermometer while you are at it.
- Planning a barbeque or a biryani feast? Then make sure to marinate the meat in the fridge and NOT on the countertop.
- Hot stays hot- if you get a hot takeaway, then ensure you finish it within 2 hours, and if you are going to reheat it, then do it well.
- Cold food needs to stay just like that-cold! Ice is your friend here.
- Refrigerate or freeze food promptly. Never leave it out unattended.
- This is a no brainer but please check expiration dates.
- Lastly, only healthy people handle food. If you have the flu for example, stay away!
Conclusion-
Food safety is crucial to maintain peak health, especially during the summers. A great trip can get ruined if we fall prey to a foodborne disease. Imagine missing out on all the interesting places and foods you could have tried otherwise? That would be a bummer. Be vigilant and stay safe. Happy travels and have a smashing summer!
