Home Remedies To Treat Food Poisoning Quickly

What Is Food Poisoning?

Food poisoning is one disease or medical condition can catch a man or a woman or even a child very easily. It is mainly attributed to consumption of eating or drinking food that is contaminated or one that becomes stale. If the food is not stored under favorable and hygienic conditions, there is every chance for bacteria or other microbes to be present in the food. If you consume the food that has microbes or bacteria in it, then the bacteria can cause infection to your body. It is a very mild illness that can be easily treated and there are also quite a few home remedies for mild food poisoning. Sometimes the highly contaminated food can cause a lot of problems in your stomach and intestines
resulting in severe illness which needs immediate medical attention. It is revealed that one in every six person gets sick after eating contaminated food. The bacteria or the microbes will work on your stomach to infect you with diarrhea and vomiting, which are the two main symptoms of food poisoning. You can also get food poisoning from chemicals, but this is really rare.

Causes Of Food Poisoning

A person suffers from food poisoning whenever he or she ingests contaminated water or food. The food poisoning can occur at any stage of growing or obtaining food. It can occur during growing of food or harvesting of food or processing of food or during the storing of foods. The foods get contaminated if they are left open and are prepared in unhygienic conditions. The bacteria, viruses and parasites are the organisms that cause the contamination of food that result in mild to severe food poisoning.

• Bacteria: There are a lot of bacteria that van cause food poisoning either through the toxins that they produce or directly. The most common food poisoning bacteria are: E.coli, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens and Shigella. Some of the foods that can be easily contaminated by bacteria are: eggs, dairy products, custards, fish, uncooked meat, processed meat, cream pies and contaminated water.
• Parasites: These are organisms that get their protection and nourishment from other living organisms. They depend on hosts for their survival. Some of the most common food borne parasites are:  roundworm, tapeworm and protozoa.
• Viruses: There are a few viruses that cause food poisoning like norovirses. They affect the uncooked or raw meat and other produces and also contaminate the unprocessed shell fish.
• Allergens: There are a few of the food allergens that can cause an abnormal response to a food by the immune system of the body. Some of the foods like milk, eggs, cheese, seafood or mushrooms can cause allergy in people.
• Toxins And Food Contaminants: There are a certain food toxins or chemical toxins that can cause contamination of the food.
• Mushrooms And Toadstools: There are a lot of species of mushrooms and toadstools that causes muscarine poisoning which can attack your nervous system and can even cause partial or complete paralysis in severer cases.
• Insecticides: There are a lot of poisonous substances that are found in insecticides that are sprayed on the fruits and vegetables. They can also trigger food poisoning easily in humans. It is important for you to clean all foods and vegetables thoroughly before eating them to prevent food poisoning due to insecticides.
• Shell Fish: Some of the most common shell fishes like prawns, mussels, oysters, clams and scallops can cause poisoning in humans when they are not cleaned or cooked properly. These shellfish produce a toxin saxitoxin which is responsible for causing food poisoning.

Some of the other causes of food poisoning are:
• Berries and flowers
• Lead and acids used in pottery
• Cadmium from food containers
• Under ripe tubers
• Botulism

Signs And Symptoms Of Food Poisoning

The symptoms of food poisoning depend on the type of contaminant that causes food poisoning and the amount of contaminated food eaten by the person. The signs and symptoms can develop slowly in humans or even after an hour or in half of the day or in some cases it can occur even after a few days. There are also some symptoms of food poisoning that shows up only after a few weeks time.
Some of the most common symptoms of food poisoning are:
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Dehydration
• Slight pain  the abdomen
• Fever and headache
• Facial pain and itching
• Blood in the stool
Some of the symptoms that you can come across due to the consumption of shellfish are:
• Alternating hot and cold sensations
• Headache and itching
• Skin rashes and pain
• Pain due to pressure on organs like the stomach and intestine
Some of the symptoms that you may encounter due to mushroom food poisoning are:
• Frothing at the mouth
• Excessive salivation
• Sweating
• Coma and vertigo
• Seizures
Viral Symptoms
Some of the common symptoms caused by virus attacks in contaminated food are:
• Low grade fever
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Vomiting
• Watery diarrhea
• Stomach pain
• Feeling tired
• Loss of appetite
• Yellowness in eyes and skin
Symptoms From Bacteria
• Crampy diarrhea
• Joint pains
• Muscle pains
• Cramping of the abdomen
• Bloody diarrhea
• Constant urge to have bowel movements
• Diarrhea with blood or mucus
• Blurred vision
• Meningitis
• Overall body weakness
• Fever with chills
Symptoms Of Parasite Food Poisoning
• Watery diarrhea
• Eye pain and headache
• Blurred vision
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Stomach cramps
• Fatigue

When Do You Need Medical Care?

It is very important for you to seek help from a physician or a doctor if:
• Nausea, vomiting, fever or diarrhea last for two to three days
• If it affects a child who is less than 3 years of age
• Other family members who consumed the same food are also sick
• Cannot stay away from liquids
• Condition does not improve even after taking lots of fluids for two to three days
• Cannot take prescribed medicines due to vomiting
• The ill patient is pregnant
If you are suffering from mild bouts of nausea or fever or diarrhea, then you can try a few of the common home remedies to fight food poisoning.
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Top Home Remedies For Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is a medical condition that cannot be ignored. If you are suffering from mild diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dehydration or dizziness, then you can take a few of the following home remedies for food poisoning to eliminate the problems.

Ginger

If you are suffering from any digestive problems, then ginger is the best home remedy you always have at hand. All you need to do is to add a few drops of ginger juice with a tablespoon of honey and the pain in your stomach or inflammation will start to reduce.

Basil Leaves

Basil leaves are an excellent remedy for throat as well as stomach problems. You need to smash and strain the juices of a few basil leaves and add it to a tablespoon of honey. You will feel relieved of stomach ramps and stomach pain in a matter of 2 to 3 hours.

Lemon Juice

One of the best known home remedies to fight the ill effects of bacteria is lemon juice. It has the acidic properties that can kill bacteria that are agents of food poisoning. You can squeeze and extract the juice of one or two lemons in a small bowl and add it with a pinch of sugar. Drink it like you drink any other syrup. You can also add a few drops of lemon juice to a cup of black tea.

Cumin Seeds

You can use cumin seeds in your soup or even boil cumin seeds in hot water and consume it to reduce the stomach inflammation and will also help in healing stomach cramps.

Bananas

Bananas are a rich source of potassium and will work wonders on your stomach to reduce inflammation as well as reduce the effects of food poisoning. You can mash a couple of bananas and apple and consume it to fight food poisoning.

Peppermint Leaves

Peppermint leaves are not just used for aromatherapy. It has a lot of healing properties. It is one of the best home remedies for food poisoning and people with mild stomach cramps. It will provide your stomach with a soothing effect. You can add a few drops of the peppermint juice extracted from crushing a few peppermint leaves in your black tea and you can feel your cramps disappear in a couple of hours time.

Water

If you are suffering from food poisoning symptoms, then it is very important to keep yourself hydrated as your body will be loosing a lot of water due to diarrhea. So, the best option for you is to drink lots of water so that you maintain the fluid level in your body. Also, the water will help to flush out the toxins and bacteria from your body and will help in early recovery from bouts of food poisoning.

Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal is one of the best remedies that will absorb all the unwanted substances and gases that cause harm to the stomach lining. It will help in speedy recovery from stomach cramps.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Vinegar has alkaline properties and apple cider vinegar is the best vinegar that soothes the stomach lining. It will help in speedy recovery from food poisoning as it will create a cloud inside your stomach where bacteria cannot breed easily.

Apples

Apples are found to be really effective in reducing heartburns and reflux in humans. It is a fruit that produces enzymes that has the power to inhibit the growth of bacteria in your stomach and will help in quick relief from stomach ache and diarrhea.

Tulsi Leaves

Tulsi leaves have excellent medicinal properties and is known to be used for ages to reduce stomach ulcers, stomach aches and diarrhea. One way to stop vomiting is to chew three to four tulsi leaves with cardamom. You can also prepare one teaspoon of tulsi juice extracted from the tulsi leaves and mix it with powdered cardamom and a pinch of powdered cloves, mix them well and consume it directly. This will help in curbing vomiting.

Aerated Drinks

Drinking clear soda or soda with orange or lemon extract or even peppermint leaf extract can work wonders on your stomach and will reduce the stomach cramp symptoms to a greater extent. This helps in reducing your stomach pains as well.

Slowly Return To Normal Eating

It is ideal for you to ease back on your eating once you have got rid of the food poisoning problems. It would be better to first try out easy to digest foods like bananas, rice, soda crackers, toast and then move on to other foods after a few days.

Foods To Avoid

If you are suffering from mild to moderate symptoms of food poisoning, then it is important for you to avoid foods like alcohol, nicotine, sugar, diary products, fatty foods and even highly seasoned foods till you feel better and lighter. You need to consume mild foods like soft fruits, soup, broths, fruit juices and vegetables for a few days.

BRAT Diet

One of the well known foods suggested for people with the food poisoning problem is the BRAT diet that includes applesauce, toast, rice and bananas. You can also go for bland foods like crackers, potatoes and cooked carrots.

Herbs

You can take a lot of herbs to combat food poisoning. Some of the herbs that offer excellent home remedies for food poisoning are: licorice, Asian ginseng, chamomile, Oregon grape, cinnamon bark, peony root, bitter vine and barberry.
Are you finding it difficult to curb your stomach pain cue to food poisoning? Do you want to read the home remedies that will help in reducing food poisoning symptoms effectively? Then, you can go through the above mentioned easy home remedies and see which one would work wonders on your body.