Symptoms
Typical food poisoning symptoms can start anywhere from hours to 48 hours after eating an affected food. One of the first symptoms can be a head or stomach ache, which then progresses to vomiting or diarrhea. These symptoms strike quickly and severely and are often accompanied by body aches and chills or a fever. Diarrhea caused from food poisoning can sometimes be bloody. If symptoms persist for more than 24 hours or the person cannot retain fluids, or more than one person in the family is affected, seek medical treatment.
Treatment
The most important treatment is to restore lost fluids to the body. Diarrhea and vomiting causes a person to become dehydrated very quickly, especially in small children and the elderly or individuals with compromised immune systems. Diluted juice, sweetened teas or electrolyte enhanced water are all good options for a person with food poisoning. Drink liquids at least every hour or every two hours to keep from dehydrating. Once foods can be kept down, plain, non-greasy foods like dry crackers and light soups are the best options. Boiled chicken breasts or lean meats can also be eaten sparingly.
Duration
How long food poisoning symptoms last will depend on the source of the contamination and how much was ingested. Shellfish and other types of seafood are highly perishable, especially at room temperature or in hot weather. If the person with food poisoning only ate a small amount, for example one spoiled shrimp, food poisoning symptoms will go away within a day. However, there are many types of food poisoning, such as salmonella or botulism, which can take up to four days to several weeks to completely disappear. Travelers who suffer diarrhea from local cuisine require antibiotics and should see improvement within a week. Again, any symptoms of food poisoning that last more than a day should be treated by a doctor.
Prevention
It has often been said that prevention is the best medicine. Never eat any meat or seafood that has an unpleasant off smell. Fish and shellfish should have little or no odor when fresh. Mayonnaise spoils quickly, so store mayonnaise-based potato or egg salads in a cooler or refrigerator and only remove them for serving. When traveling to destinations with questionable the water, or while camping, only drink boiled or bottled water. Brush your teeth with boiled or bottled water as well. Don't accept ice in soft drinks and only eat cooked vegetables or fruit you can peel. Taking these precautions can protect you from food poisoning.
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