Aren’t we all food lovers? But why? What is food? Food is the ultimate source of energy. All living things earn their energy from food, which also provides them with other vital nutrients. In addition to this, food also contains a variety of various essential components as well like, proteins, minerals, and carbs. Food that makes people sick will often have these characteristics like bad taste, any physical difference in appearance, etc. Now, these changes occur due to different nutrients present in the food.
Unhealthy and contaminated food might result in food poisoning. There is an extreme sickness sensation in your body that makes you feel extremely lethargic. If you take any treatment right away, it will still take a lot of time to recover, but even once you get better, those symptoms might last a little longer.
Food intolerance is pretty common. Anyone who is food intolerant might go through difficulty digesting food. It should be noted that food intolerance and food allergy are two separate things. People with weak immune systems are more likely suffer to from food that is not okay, this is what food allergy is whereas food intolerance is dependent on the digestive system rather than the immune system.
Symptoms of sickness caused by food:
Four main symptoms occur when a person feels sick after having food that is not okay due to several reasons.
- Stomach ache
- Diarrheahea
- Vomiting
- Nausea
Food that makes people sick will often have the following characteristics:
- Not well cooked
A properly cooked meal is extremely important. Taste is important too but hygiene and the way the entire cooking process goes on is the key. The temperature at which the food is cooked, the time, etc should also be kept in mind.
- Odd color and looks bumpy
A Big fat no for such food. This type will not only be weird in its physical appearance but will also taste very bitter. The odd color is because of the presence of fungus as such food is very unhealthy to consume. These two conditions occur when the food is left out or not eaten for quite a while, the ingredients in it will start reacting and oxidizing, which will lead to the formation of yeast on the food giving it an odd color and bumps on the surface.
- Smelly
The first thing that attracts anyone to their meal is its look, smell, and taste. Fresh food and good quality are the main signs of good food. If you feel fishy about the smell of your food, then better throw it out right away. Bacterial development in food indicates the bacteria inside the food are growing hysterically. This gas is responsible for the odor. If anything smells strange when you smell it, don’t eat it!
Prevention of food poisoning at home:
- Make sure to wash your dishes, and utensils used in the kitchen thoroughly with warm water and soap. Wash the utensils, chopping boards, and other surfaces with hot and soapy water. Uncooked meat and ready-to-eat ones should be kept separately. This helps to avoid cross-contamination.
- Cook meals till they hit a reasonable temperature. Food thermometers are the best way to check if meals are cooked to a safe temperature. Cooking most meals to the proper temperature kills hazardous microbes.
- Once you purchase the food, refrigerate it within two hours maximum. If the indoor temperature rises, then refrigerate it within one hour.
- Safely defrost food. Defrosting food in the refrigerator is the safest approach. If you microwave frozen food, use the “defrost” or “50% power” preset, and cook it right away.
- When in doubt, toss it out. If you are unsure about the preparation of the food served, or kept, don’t eat it. Food that has been kept at room temperature for longer hours may contain germs or poisons that cannot be removed by cooking. Do not taste food that you are dubious about; instead, discard it. Regardless of how it seems
Treatment
Food poisoning or sickness caused by food is treated normally determined by the cause of the sickness if known, and the severity of your symptoms. Most patients recover without therapy after a few days, however, some kinds of food poisoning might linger longer. Food poisoning treatment may include, the replacement of fluids lost. Fluids and electrolyte elements such as sodium, potassium, and calcium that maintain your body’s fluid balance that is lost due to recurrent diarrhea must be supplied. Some children and adults with chronic diarrhea or vomiting may require hospitalization so that salts and fluids can be administered through a vein (intravenously) to avoid or treat dehydration.
Antibiotics: If you have a specific form of bacterial food poisoning and your symptoms are severe, you may require antibiotics. Listeria food poisoning requires hospitalization and treatment with intravenous antibiotics. The sooner you start therapy, the better. Prompt antibiotic therapy during pregnancy may help protect the illness from damaging the baby. Antibiotics may aggravate symptoms in some cases of viral or bacterial food poisoning. Discuss your alternatives with your doctor.
If you’ve already caught a foodborne infection and are searching for some at-home treatment, try one or more of the following:
Water and sports drinks: If you have trouble swallowing beverages, try sucking on ice chips or taking little sips.
If your infection is caused by E. coli or another bacterium, apple cider vinegar’s natural antibacterial capabilities can be beneficial.
Both oregano and thyme oils have antibacterial characteristics. Simply add a few drops to your water.
Ginger tea can help your body absorb critical nutrients while also soothing your stomach.
Eat a garlic clove if you don’t mind the scent. Its antibacterial and antifungal characteristics may aid in the treatment of diarrhea and stomach discomfort.
It is important to stay healthy, and your main focus comes from the food you eat. Hygiene, smell, and taste all are very important factors. Let us focus on taking care of ourselves so we can have a happy, healthy future.