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Food Poisoning

Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is incredibly uncomfortable, and can sometimes be severe. At Express Urgent Care, we provide comprehensive food poisoning treatment to our patients. Even if you only have a mild case of food poisoning, you can simply walk into our clinics without an appointment to receive care. This is especially beneficial if you’re in too much discomfort to wait for an appointment with your primary care doctor (or don’t have a primary care doctor).

What is food poisoning?

Food poisoning occurs when you eat food that has been contaminated by infectious organisms, such as bacteria, parasites or viruses. Contamination often occurs when food isn’t handled or cooked properly.

Symptoms

Symptoms of food poisoning include:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Watery or bloody diarrhea
  • Abdominal pain and cramps
  • Fever

Most food poisoning is mild and will resolve without treatment, but in some cases it can be severe and treatment may be necessary.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of food poisoning is usually based on a detailed history of the problem, such as how long you’ve been sick, what your symptoms are and the types of food you’ve recently eaten. Doctors will perform a physical examination that includes searching for signs of dehydration.

Doctors may also perform a diagnostic test, such as stool cultures or blood tests, in order to identify the cause of your symptoms and to confirm the diagnosis. However, even though the diagnosis may be food poisoning, more often than not the specific cause of food poisoning cannot be identified.

Treatment

Treatment for food poisoning depends a lot on the severity of the symptoms as well as the source of the illness – if it’s even known. For the majority of food poisoning cases, the illness will resolve itself within a couple of days. However, even if this is the case, you may want treatment to deal with the discomfort of the symptoms. Treatment typically involves:

  • Fluid replacement – Food poisoning generally causes dehydration due to the loss of fluids through persistent vomiting and/or diarrhea. Medical professionals will often recommend drinking lots of fluids in order to maintain the proper balance of fluids in the body. In severe cases of food poisoning and dehydration, the patient may need to be provided with fluids intravenously.
  • Antibiotics – If your symptoms are severe or if you have a certain type of bacterial food poisoning, you may be prescribed antibiotics. Antibiotics can also help prevent the infection from affecting a baby in a patient that is pregnant. In extremely severe cases of food poisoning, such as food poisoning that’s caused by listeria, antibiotics may need to be provided to the patient intravenously.

Emergency Warning Signs: When should I see a doctor?

You should see a doctor immediately if you have any of the following symptoms:

  • Frequent episodes of vomiting and inability to keep liquids down
  • Bloody vomit or stools
  • Diarrhea for more than three days
  • Extreme pain or severe abdominal cramping
  • An oral temperature higher than 100.4 F (38 C)
  • Signs or symptoms of dehydration: excessive thirst, dry mouth, little or no urination, severe weakness, dizziness, or lightheadedness
  • Neurological symptoms such as blurry vision, muscle weakness and tingling in the arms

If you think that you have food poisoning and you have any of the above symptoms (or are just too uncomfortable to wait for it to pass), head to Express Urgent Care. You can walk in when it’s convenient for you, or check in online to save time.

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