Food Poisoning: Causes, Prevention, and Treatment

Some people suffer from food poisoning due to exposure to various food contaminants, whether chemical, physical, or biological. Prevention methods vary, but the most important is protecting food from contamination to avoid food poisoning.

Causes of Food Poisoning:

• Exposure of food to harmful contaminants such as:

  • Chemical contaminants (e.g., pesticides, storing food in plastic bags made of chemicals).

  • Biological contaminants (e.g., mold, bacteria, worms).

• Frequently eating outside the home, especially in restaurants that do not maintain hygiene, such as:

  • Leaving food uncovered.

  • Leaving food unrefrigerated for long periods after cooking.

  • Exposure to flying or crawling insects.

  • Placing food on unclean surfaces.

• Poor hand hygiene or unclean utensils used in cooking.

Age Groups Most at Risk:

• Children under five years old.

• People with weakened immune systems.

• Pregnant women.

• Elderly people over 65 years old.

• Newborns.

Symptoms of Food Poisoning:

• Diarrhea.

• High fever.

• Presence of blood spots in stool.

• Nausea and vomiting.

How to Avoid Food Poisoning:

• Maintain personal hygiene, especially washing hands and clean clothing during food preparation.

• Wash hands thoroughly after touching raw foods like meat and poultry.

• Separate cooked food from raw food, especially meats, poultry, and fish.

• Do not leave cooked food exposed to air without covering it.

• Refrigerate cooked food within two hours.

• Keep cooking materials and utensils clean (spoons, knives, containers).

• Avoid storing hot food in plastic containers or bags to prevent chemical reactions that can be harmful, sometimes even increasing cancer risk.

• Keep food away from garbage bins and dispose of garbage daily.

Treatment of Food Poisoning:

Treatment depends on symptom severity and cause, according to experts from Mayo Clinic:

• Fluid replacement: To compensate for fluids lost through vomiting and diarrhea. Electrolytes like sodium, calcium, and potassium are essential for fluid balance. If the patient cannot drink enough fluids, hospitalization might be needed for intravenous fluids and electrolytes.

• Antibiotics: Only helpful if bacteria cause the poisoning, and must be prescribed by a doctor, usually for severe cases or vulnerable patients.

• Antiparasitic drugs: Prescribed for parasitic infections.

• Probiotics: Help restore healthy gut bacteria.

• Anti-diarrheal or stomach medicines: May be prescribed by doctors for non-bloody diarrhea without fever.