Food is very important to life as quality food increases the amount of essential nutrients and fills your body with energy. However, food can also make your body sick. If we are not careful and eat food that isn’t clean and hygienic but contaminated, we get sick with “food poisoning”. What are the symptoms? How can we avoid it? Let’s take a look.
What is the function of the stomach?
The stomach is part of the digestive system which is responsible for managing the food we eat by turning it into energy and absorbing useful nutrients. The rest is waste that the body excretes through the urethra. The stomach, which resembles a sac with strong muscular walls, serves as a resting point for food and food mixes. There are also enzymes that aid digestion by reducing large molecules into smaller ones. These are then passed on and absorbed in the small intestine. An acidic state exists in the stomach which can destroy some germs, making it the first layer of defense against germs from food.
What is food poisoning?
Food poisoning is a disorder caused by eating food or beverages contaminated with germs. The germs may be contaminated by food itself or food containers and cannot be destroyed by stomach acid. This can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or stomach pain. Most of these symptoms aren’t serious. However, if the symptoms are so severe that the body becomes dehydrated, it can be life threatening.
Food poisoning can happen to people of all genders and ages, especially in countries where the weather is almost always hot like Thailand. This is because hot weather is a great factor in making germs grow and multiply. So, if you are not careful and don’t pay enough attention to making clean and hygienic food choices, you may catch a bout of food poisoning.
Germs causing food poisoning
As we know, food poisoning is caused by consumption of food contaminated with germs such as:
· Salmonella
o Food groups: raw meat, raw eggs, milk, dairy products.
o Symptoms: diarrhea, runny nose, nausea, vomiting and fever within 4-7 days.
· Escherichia Coli (E. Coli), such as Enteropathogenic E. Coli, Enterotoxic E.Coli (ETEC), and Shiga toxin-producing E. strains. Coli etc.
o Food group: raw meat
o Symptoms: watery diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting within 1-10 days.
· Clostridium Botulinum thrives in a low oxygen environment.
o Food groups: foods packed in sealed containers, canned foods with unhygienic production processes such as pickled bamboo shoots, pickled vegetables, processed meats, and others.
o Symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, blurred vision, double vision, muscle weakness. Can be so severe as to cause respiratory failure and may even lead to death.
· Shigella can be transmitted from person to person through direct contact with a sick person.
o Food groups: fresh food products, unclean drinking water
o Symptoms: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain after eating contaminated food within 7 days
· Norovirus
o Food groups: fresh foods, shellfish and unclean drinking water
o Symptoms: symptoms appear within 1-2 days.
· Hepatitis A virus
o Food groups: fresh foods that have been in direct contact with infected persons.
o Symptoms: appear within 2-3 weeks.
5 warning signs of food poisoning
· Feeling bloated, nauseous, vomiting, diarrhea several times potentially with blood.
· Persistent twitching abdominal pain due to twisting of the intestines.
· Dehydration symptoms such as feeling tired, lethargic, lacking energy, dry mouth, frequent thirst, low urination, and others.
· High fever, chills, headache, body aches.
· Tired of eating or eating less.
Severe symptoms that require immediate medical attention
o Signs of severe dehydration such as dry mouth, extreme thirst, dark colored urine, fast heartbeat, low blood pressure, fatigue, dizziness, lightheadedness, and others.
o Diarrhea for 3 consecutive days with no signs of improvement.
o Frequent vomiting or vomiting for more than 12 hours.
o Blood in vomit or stool.
o Blurred vision.
o Severe abdominal pain that doesn’t decrease even after going to the toilet.
o Diarrhea with fever over 38 degrees Celsius.
Possible complications
Although the symptoms of food poisoning are mild, it can result in dehydration and electrolyte dehydration from diarrhea and vomiting. Some patients, especially vulnerable groups such as young children, the elderly, and those with chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and others, may even be unable to eat, causing shock and death. In addition, Shiga Toxin-Producing E. Coli causes hemolysis and kidney failure which can be life threatening.
How to treat food poisoning
Food poisoning symptoms usually go away on their own within 24 to 48 hours. This calls for symptomatic treatment as follows:
· Gradually sip Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) along with your normal diet to prevent dehydration and electrolyte conditions (do not take mineral salt water for athletes)
· Take anti-nausea and anti-diarrhea medication under the guidance of a doctor.
· Avoid eating spicy foods, high fat diet, dairy, fruit, raw foods and fermented foods.
· Eat freshly cooked and easy-to-digest food such as congee or boiled rice.
· Drink plenty of clean water.
· Refrain from strenuous activities such as exercise and heavy housework.
· Avoid carbonated soft drinks and beverages that contain alcohol or caffeine.
· Get enough rest.
What foods can cause food poisoning?
· Fresh, undercooked or under-heated food.
· Very spicy, sour or salty food.
· Fermented foods such as pickled vegetables, fermented rice flour noodles, canned foods with unclean production processes or food from dented, leaking or rusting cans.
· Foods that are not separately processed or properly cooked such as sharing a chopping board for raw meat and blanched vegetables, etc.
· Food swarming with flies.
· Food that is cooked in the morning and left all day without re-heating.
· Foods mixed with coconut milk and left for several hours in hot weather.
· Water and ice that are not properly produced.
Protecting yourself from food poisoning
· Wash your hands every time before eating and after touching dirt or surrounding areas such as handrails and elevator buttons, and when in contact with patients.
· Adhere to the “cooked, hot, clean” eating principle.
· When there’s food left over, put it in the refrigerator. Do not leave it out at room temperature as germs will grow quickly. Heat it up before serving it next time.
· When going out to eat, choose a clean restaurant.
· Always read product labels and expiration dates before eating canned food.
· Organize food storage so as to separate fresh meat from other food and avoid bacteria sticking to raw meat, wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly and store perishable foods at appropriate temperatures.
· Clean the kitchen regularly.
· Keep food away from insects, rodents, cockroaches, etc.
· Use clean water for consumption and cooking.
Good food benefits the body but poor-quality food can cause disease and make us sick. Especially in Thailand where the weather is hot all year-round, choosing and storing food hygienically is key to protecting everyone from germs and illnesses. That way we can enjoy our meals with peace of mind so we don't have to face the "delicious in the mouth but difficult on the stomach" peril.
Krungthai-AXA Life Insurance customers who experience nausea, vomiting, fever and dysentery abdominal pain can consult an online doctor with Krungthai-AXA Telehealth service. Just download Emma by AXA application and press the “TeleHealth” button to confirm your policy number when you use it for the first time. For more details, click https://www.krungthai-axa.co.th/th/telehealth.
References
· Ramkhamhaeng Hospital
https://www.ram-hosp.co.th/news_detail/1892
· Vibhavadi Hospital
https://www.vibhavadi.com/Health-expert/detail/274
· King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Thai Red Cross Society
https://bit.ly/3DX5hD1
· Sikarin Hospital
https://bit.ly/3E08ku8
· Pobpad website
https://bit.ly/3SGZh5o
https://bit.ly/368aWar
