Steer Clear of Food Poisoning This Holiday Season | AFC Urgent Care Memphis
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around one in six people living in the United States get sick from food poisoning each year. Our team at AFC Urgent Care Memphis doesn’t want you to be one of them.
We want to share some information about food poisoning, including steps you can take to prevent it and how it’s treated. Read on as we take a look.
The Truth About Food Poisoning
Food poisoning is caused by eating or drinking food and/or water contaminated with viruses, bacteria and/or parasites.When a person experiences food poisoning, he or she can have:
- Pain in abdomen
- Chills
- Dehydration
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Malaise
- Sweating
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Indigestion
- Headache
- Weakness
The aforementioned symptoms of food poisoning will typically appear within a few hours of eating or drinking something that was contaminated. Depending on the severity of food poisoning, you can expect to feel sick anywhere from a few hours to a few days
What to Do If Food Poisoning Strikes
When it comes to food poisoning, you just have to let the illness run its course, as unpleasant as that may be. You want to make sure you are preventing dehydration by sipping on water throughout the day. When you feel up to eating, stick to bland foods at first as your body recovers.
Of course, the best type of treatment is prevention when it comes to food poisoning. Therefore, it is important to make sure you are washing your hands when handling food, as well as disinfecting worktops and dishcloths used before, during and after cooking.
You want to keep chopping boards separate and keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat foods. Also, pay attention to those use-by dates on food items. They are there for a reason!
Do you think you might have a case of food poisoning? Visit AFC Urgent Care Memphis for a thorough medical evaluation and treatment plan. No appointment is necessary!