How Long Food Poisoning Symptoms Last And How To Prevent It

Before we talk about how long food poisoning last, you must first know, “what is food poisoning?”

Food poisoning is a health condition that always makes people feel uncomfortable. Usually, food poisoning is not a serious issue. The severity of food poisoning will be affected by how much you were exposed to the “poison” and the strength of your immune system to fight the “poison” off.

The non-popular term for food poisoning is “foodborne illness”. In a nutshell, food poisoning is an illness that happens when people eat contaminated food. Viruses, bacteria, germs, parasites, or toxins are the most common causes of food poisoning. Food contamination can occur when food is incorrectly handled, stored, or cooked.

So, how long will food poisoning symptoms last?

Most of the time, people who experience food poisoning get better after a few days. 

If you think you get food poisoning, you can choose to treat yourself at home or go to the doctor for better treatment. 

What are the symptoms of food poisoning in adults?

The most common symptoms of food poisoning are fever, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, nausea, or cramps. These symptoms are usually within hours of eating contaminated food. 

If you experience these symptoms, you don’t need to worry because food poisoning can be resolved without any treatment. But you need to go to the hospital if your food poisoning symptoms last for more than a week. Especially if you get severe symptoms of food poisoning.

What should I do when I experience food poisoning?

First of all, panicking because of food poisoning will not resolve any issue. So, don’t panic. 

If you start to have a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, nausea, or cramps try to drink plenty of liquid. This is because you don’t want to be dehydrated. Drinking more liquid will hydrate your body. Please remember to not only drink water. You can drink tea, ginger, juice, or even soup and broth to give some nutrition to your body.

Next, you can rest, wait, and let your body to the natural healing process from the food poisoning for you. But if your condition stays the same for more than a week, you must go to the doctor. Let the professional handle the food poisoning in your body.

Should I see a doctor for food poisoning?

As mentioned before, go to the doctor if the condition lasts for several days. Or, if you experience severe food poisoning symptoms, you must immediately go to the doctor. These are the severe symptoms of food poisoning: 

• Vomiting too much in 1 day
• Diarrhea or vomiting with blood
• Blurry vision and tingling in the arms
• Diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days
• Extreme dizziness or lightheadedness
• Severe pain and cramps in abdominal
• High fever with a temperature over 39 Celsius

You also should see a doctor immediately if you’re pregnant or an older adult. Some types of food poisoning can affect pregnancy in a negative way. For an older adult, you can get complications from food poisoning. So go to the doctor before your condition is getting worse.

What can I eat when I get food poisoning?

Always choose healthy, simple, and easy-to-digest food when you have food poisoning symptoms. You can try to eat egg white, honey, banana, applesauce, or plain bread. Or if you’re craving warm food, you can eat rice porridge, broth, chicken soup, oatmeal, and boiled potato. For snacks, you can eat crackers or oatmeal cookies. Stay away from food that is hard to digest or cooked with too much oil and spice.

What can I drink when I get food poisoning?

Again, always choose a healthy, simple, and easy-to-digest drink when you have food poisoning symptoms. You can drink room-temperature water or juice. Remember to hydrate yourself but not over-hydrate yourself. For juice, avoid citrus juice and choose apple, grape, cherry, or cranberry juice instead. But if you’re craving a hot beverage, try to drink tea. Ginger tea is especially good because ginger is known to soothe an upset stomach.

Try to drink more and stay hydrated, especially if you vomit a lot because too much vomiting and diarrhea cause dehydration. Liquid intake is very important to increase immunity from food poisoning effects. You also need to avoid drinking alcohol, coffee, soda, citrus juice, and milk because it might worsen your food poisoning symptoms. 

How to prevent food poisoning?

You can get food poisoning at home or when you’re eating outside at a restaurant. If you’re cooking at home by yourself, you can do these things to prevent yourself from food poisoning.

• Wash everything frequently. Wash your hands, cooking utensils, and any surface in the kitchen and dining room. Always wash your hands with soap before and after preparing and cooking the food. 
• Separate raw food from ready-to-eat foods. Raw food such as raw meat, chicken, and seafood should never be close to fresh fruit or vegetables. This can prevent cross-contamination.
• Make sure the food is not undercooked. You have to cook every food to a safe temperature. You can use a food thermometer to tell if the food is cooked well at a safe temperature. Cooking food to the right temperature will kill harmful organisms that can contaminate the food you eat.
• Throw out the suspicious food. Yes, when in doubt just throw out any suspicious food to be safe. If you think the food is not prepared, served, or stored safely it is better to throw them out. For example, food that is left at room temperature for too long might contain bacteria that can’t be destroyed by heat. Don’t consume any food that you’re unsure about. It is okay to throw out food that might make you get food poisoning. Better safe than sorry.

How about when you’re outside? How to prevent food poisoning when you’re traveling? Or, how to prevent food poisoning at a restaurant? Here are some tips for you!

• Drink safe water. If you’re in a new city or country that you’re not familiar with, don’t risk your health by drinking tap water. It is better to drink bottled water. You also want to avoid icy drinks because the ice might be made from tap water. 
• Choose street food wisely. I know it is very tempting to eat affordable street foods. Especially if you’re traveling to a new area. But, any food that is being prepared in an open area might carry a greater risk for food poisoning. Especially if the surrounding environment is not clean enough.
• Choose a good restaurant.You can see the restaurant’s reviews and photos before visiting them. If a restaurant has a lot of good reviews, it most likely carries less chance of food poisoning. If you’re still not sure, you can ask the locals. They would definitely recommend a restaurant that doesn’t give them food poisoning.
• Wash your hands.Whether you’re at home or outside, it is always good to wash your hand before eating. If there is no place to wash your hand with soapy water, at least use hand sanitizer before eating to avoid food poisoning.

In conclusion, you don’t need to panic when you get food poisoning. Drink plenty of liquid to hydrate yourself and go to the doctor if the condition lasts for more than a week.