Q: How do you know when you have food poisoning? What are the symptoms and how do you treat it?
A: One of the more common bacterial poisons is staphylococci. It’s found in food left at room temperature, which allows bacteria to grow and produce toxins. Symptoms include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, beginning two to eight hours after the contaminated food is eaten.
Prevention is key. All food should be prepared under the cleanest conditions and by people using good personal hygiene. A cooler should be used during picnics to keep the food cold.
Treatment usually is limited to drinking water or sports drinks that replace body fluids and electrolytes lost as a result of diarrhea and vomiting.
Traveler’s diarrhea is a common problem that results from the ingestion of food or water that normally is contaminated with more bacteria than we are used to. The usual symptoms are watery stools with accompanying cramps, bloating and nausea. The illness often is mild and short-lived (lasting three days or so); it responds well to rehydration plus over-the-counter antidiarrheal drugs to slow intestinal movement.
Botulism is a rare but life-threatening poisoning caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum. These are among the most potent poisons–they affect the nerves and muscles.
The first symptoms appear 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. They include dry mouth and vision problems; sometimes vomiting and diarrhea are seen as well. Then the toxins cause difficulty swallowing and muscle weakness. This is a serious poisoning. Anyone who suspects botulism should get to a hospital immediately.
Home-canned food is the most common cause, but commercially prepared foods also can become contaminated. Poisoning can be limited by avoiding food from swollen or leaking containers and cooking all foods enough to kill the organisms.
Chemical food poisoning is less common but often more severe. The more common foods with chemical poisons include mushrooms, plants and seafood. Many species of mushrooms are poisonous, with severity varying greatly.
Symptoms begin soon after eating and include tearing, salivation, sweating, cramps, diarrhea, dizziness, confusion, coma and sometimes convulsions.
Some wild and domestic plants and shrubs have toxins in their fruits, leaves or roots. Fortunately, many of these toxic plants have a bitter or otherwise unpleasant taste, so healthy adults are rarely poisoned by eating those plants; inquisitive children are more at risk.
Seafood (shellfish and bony fish) can contain toxins produced by the small sea organisms they eat, or by contaminating chemicals.
Histamine poisoning can occur when that chemical is produced as the fish flesh begins to break down after being caught. Shellfish poisoning can be severe for those sensitive to shellfish toxins.
———-
Write to Dr. Douma in care of the Chicago Tribune, Room 400, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.
