Overview
Food poisoning is caused by consuming contaminated food. In most instances, the food hasn’t been cooked appropriately and is contaminated by microorganisms such as salmonella or Escherichia coli (E. coli), which are located predominantly in meat.
Somebody might feel the effects of food poisoning within a few hours, and will often be nauseous or have diarrhoea. Though, in some instances it can take up to three days.
The effects of food poisoning can make somebody feel very ill. The most vital thing is for you to keep reassuring the person to have water so they don’t get dehydrated. Most individuals will recover without requiring treatment.
What To Look For – Food Poisoning
If you think somebody might have food poisoning, these are the five important things to look for:
- Feeling nauseous
- Vomiting, occasionally bloodstained
- Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhoea
- Headache or a high temperature
What you need to do – Food Poisoning
- If you see any of these symptoms, tell the individual to lie down and rest.
- Give them lots of water and a container to use in case they are sick.
- Encourage them to consume as much water as they can, even if they can only manage steady small sips. If they have diarrhoea, it’s even more vital that they drink water to substitute any lost liquids.
- Giving them an oral rehydration solution is good to way to replace fluids lost through diarrhoea and vomiting. This solution can replace salt and other minerals which they have lost. You can buy it in a pharmacy as a sachet which you dissolve in water.
- If the individual gets worse, then instruct them to phone their GP or phone for medical assistance.
Related Video On Food Poisoning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyplH6fUBDQ