Causes:
Food poisoning is caused by foreign, infectious, bacteria, fungi, or parasites present in food or drink. The organism either aggravates your intestinal lining or produces a toxin that leads to various symptoms that can affect your entire body. Escherichia coli (E. coli) 0157:H7, Salmonella, and Staphylococcal (Staphylococcus aureus), and Clostridium botulinum are common culprits.
E. coli occurs naturally in the digestive tract of cattle. When improperly slaughtered, cattle feces comes into contact with raw meat, causing contamination. Ground meat results in the bacteria being incorporated throughout the food. As a result, hamburgers are another common source of E. coli.
Salmonella is found in raw chicken, raw meat, and eggs. Sufficient cooking typically destroys salmonella. The bacteria thrives in livestock that have been fed antibiotics and at least 1/3 of all chickens are infected with Salmonella. Salmonellosis is the primary cause of deaths due to food poisoning in the United States.
Staphylococcal contamination occurs when food handlers with skin infections improperly handle food at room temperature. The bacteria emits an enterotoxin that specifically targets intestine cells. Staphylococcal is responsible for 25% of all food poisoning cases.
Clostridium botulinum is found in the soil in the form of harmless spores. However, when introduced to your body, it produces a toxin that attacks your central nervous system and blocks muscle nerve impulses, paralyzing the muscle. This form of poisoning is referred to as botulism. Improperly canned foods are the most common sources of botulism. Bulging lids and cans likely harbour this bacterium.
Custards, cream-filled pastry, milk, processed meat, and fish are common foods that harbour suspect bacteria. Refrigerated foods left at room temperature also develop bacteria.
A weakened immune system also makes you more susceptible to the effects of infectious organisms. However, pre-existing health may also be irrelevant, as some organisms will cause discomfort regardless of the condition of your immune system.
What to Expect:
As previously mentioned, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting typically accompany food poisoning as your body eliminates the poison(s) causing the problem. You may also experience a fever and excess sweating.
Symptoms last from two to forty eight hours after ingestion, depending on the type and severity of poisoning. The situation is rarely comfortable, but is relatively short in duration. Once your immune system deals with the invader and your body expels the foreign organism(s), you will feel remarkably better.
