An estimated one in six Americans will experience food poisoning. Out of those 48 million people, at least 128,000 need hospital treatment, and another 3,000 die. Food poisoning can be serious, with many people experiencing uncomfortable symptoms like vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and fever from food poisoning-causing organisms like norovirus, salmonella, and campylobacter. While most people recover quickly after food poisoning, it can take a toll on your body. Fortunately, you may be on your way to full health by taking some of these actions:
It can be frustrating to learn that businesses not taking food safety seriously can be responsible for you feeling unwell. They might not use inspection equipment from leading providers like tdipacksys.com to detect foreign matter, or simply have poor food handling practices.
While you can take time to be frustrated, it’s also important for you to take time to rest. Whether you lie down on the sofa or relax in bed, you need to give your body a chance to fight the bacteria in your body.
As soon as you start noticing food poisoning symptoms, refrain from eating or drinking for a few hours. When you start feeling better and regain your appetite, you can try bland foods that are gentle on your stomach. Many healthcare professionals recommend the BRAT diet; bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. After three days of recovery, transition to a regular diet with soft foods like stewed fruit, soft-cooked eggs, and white meat like chicken.
Just as you might hydrate with electrolytes while working out due to all the liquid lost through sweat, you should do the same when experiencing food poisoning. Due to vomiting and diarrhea, it’s easy for us to become dehydrated. In fact, dehydration is among the most common complications arising from foodborne illnesses.
While drinking lots of water when you’re feeling unwell can be challenging, you have other options for hydrating. Suck on ice chips and drink sports drinks like Gatorade with electrolytes. You can also add electrolyte tablets to water.
Managing diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting can be overwhelming. You might not think you’ll see the end of it. While symptoms do typically become less frequent with time, that doesn’t mean you can’t try different remedies to alleviate them while your body recovers.
Talk to your local pharmacists about the best symptom management medications, such as Pepto-Bismol for nausea and Imodium for stopping diarrhea. Your healthcare provider may also recommend Tylenol if you have a fever.
Food poisoning can take a toll on your body. It has the potential to affect gut health by disrupting the balance of good and bad gut bacteria. Bring that bacteria back into balance with probiotics. Probiotics are organisms that can help your gut biome and possibly even strengthen your stomach to prevent food poisoning in the future.
Regaining your health after a bout of food poisoning can take time. However, by hydrating, eating a bland diet, treating your symptoms, and resting, you may be feeling like your old self in no time.