Home > Wellness > Wayne UNC Health Talk Blog > Health Talk > When Food Rebels: What You Need to Know About Food Poisoning
So what causes food poisoning, and how can you prevent it?
The most common cause of foodborne illnesses in the United States is norovirus. It is most commonly associated with cruise ship outbreaks, where many individuals are grouped together in close quarters and may eat similar food items that can become contaminated from an ill person. People typically develop symptoms 12 to 72 hours after exposure to the norovirus.
Staph bacteria creates an immediate reaction and is usually caused by eating foods that have been sitting out, such as deli meats that are not cooked after handling.
After norovirus, salmonella is most common, and symptoms such as stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea and fever occur within 72 hours of exposure. Salmonella can be found in raw meats, eggs, fruits and vegetables. Bloody diarrhea can be a sign you have salmonella or other bacterial foodborne infections.
If you experience symptoms of food poisoning, what can you do?
Often, you can treat yourself at home. If you have stomach cramps but no vomiting or diarrhea, you can take a medicine for upset stomach such as Pepto-Bismol. Over-the-counter medicines such as Imodium also can be taken for diarrhea, which should resolve in one to two days if caused by a viral infection.
If you are vomiting or have diarrhea, it’s important to stay hydrated, so drink lots of fluids. Norovirus can cause watery diarrhea several times a day, so keeping hydrated is very important, especially for children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. These populations can experience more severe symptoms and often need to be hospitalized.
Symptoms can also include dizziness or lightheadedness. If you have these symptoms and just can’t keep fluids down, then it’s very possible that you need to go to the emergency room for intravenous hydration.
Take these steps to help prevent foodborne illnesses: