Food poisoning is one of the common illnesses that increase, especially in the summer months
MANY foods create a suitable environment for the reproduction of microorganisms. Microorganisms can contaminate foods from various sources and at all stages from production to consumption. Diseases resulting from the consumption of contaminated food and/or water are generally referred to as “foodborne infectious diseases”.
The severity of developing foodborne illnesses can be seen in a wide spectrum, ranging from mild abdominal pain to poisoning and death.
Food poisoning can sometimes also be caused by toxins from chemicals or pesticides. Because there may not have been any change in appearance, smell and taste, it’s difficult to tell if a food or drink is spoiled. Food poisoning can affect a single person or a group of people who have eaten the same spoiled food.
The incubation period is different for each case of food poisoning. In some poisonings, symptoms appear within 30 minutes to an hour, while in most cases symptoms occur within 12-48 hours. In other species, it may take a few days to a week for symptoms to appear.
Poisoning by different chemicals (heavy metal, arsenic, mercury, copper, zinc, antimony, lead, cadmium) in foods can also occur (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain occur within five to 15 minutes).
Food poisoning is a public health concern. It is one of the common illnesses that increase especially in the summer months. They are mostly mild and short-term illnesses but foods that cause poisoning and some factors related to the person may cause the disease to progress more severely or even be fatal from time to time.
Anyone can get a foodborne illness but some people are more susceptible: infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.
With the rising heat in summer, people’s need for fluid increases and they consume more water. Hot summer days facilitate the proliferation of microorganisms, so food sold in the open spoils more quickly. “Food poisoning” which develops as a result of drinking liquids or eating foods contaminated with microorganisms progresses with vomiting and diarrhoea and is among the most common ailments.
Although there is not enough data on food poisoning in Turkey and our country, various studies have shown that two to 21 per cent of poisoning cases are food poisoning.
What are the symptoms of food poisoning?
The most common symptoms are vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea caused by the digestive tract (stomach and intestines) being affected. Depending on the cause, symptoms may include fever and chills, bloody stool, muscle aches, weakness and fatigue. In rare cases, food poisoning can be serious enough to damage the nervous system. In severe cases, it can cause paralysis or even death.
When should you consult a doctor?
Consult a physician immediately if you have bloody diarrhoea, neck stiffness with diarrhoea, severe headache or fever or if your symptoms persist for more than two days.
Food poisoning treatment
Most cases of food poisoning go away within a few days without seeing a doctor.
However, you should seek medical advice if the discomfort lasts for more than a few days, if you have blood or yellow or green mucus in your stool or if you are pregnant. In addition, if the person who has food poisoning is very old or a baby, a doctor should be consulted. Sometimes you may be given antibiotics for certain bacterial infections. Recovery time depends on the type of infection, your age, state of health and whether you have any other illnesses. Do not eat anything if you feel nauseous or are vomiting. If you feel nauseous, rest your stomach for an hour and then try drinking small sips of water. Make sure you drink water regularly.
How do we protect ourselves from food poisoning?
Buy food from reliable places. When purchasing various types of food, read the information on the label, check the production and expiry date, see whether there is a production permit from the agriculture and health ministries and make sure storage conditions are followed. Unpasteurised milk and dairy products should never be used.
Broken, cracked or contaminated eggs should not be purchased and eggs should be washed just before use.
When buying canned food, those with swollen upper and lower lids, damaged boxes, loose lids and that are past their expiry date should not be purchased.
Care should be taken to purchase drinking water from reliable sources. If you’re unsure about its reliability then boil it before drinking.
Avoid consuming food that is sold outside and in the open, especially in the summer months. After the food is purchased, it should not be left open and at room temperature; it should be kept at refrigerator temperature until consumption. Raw foods and cooked foods should be kept covered so that they do not come into contact with each other. Vegetables and fruits should be consumed after washing them thoroughly.
If possible, meals should be prepared daily and if reheating is required for leftover meals, it should not be done more than once.
Easily perishable and risky foods such as red meat, chicken, fish, milk and milk products should be cooked at appropriate times and temperatures and cooked meals should not be kept at room temperature for more than one hour.