When to seek medical attention for food poisoning

Posted by: OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers

Food poisoning can make you very sick and, depending on the type of pathogen you are exposed to, it can have long-lasting effects on your health. If you believe you have food poisoning, you should go to a doctor right away. This might also lead to a trip to the emergency room if you become very ill.

Once you recover from serious symptoms of food poisoning, you may be unsure of what to do next. You should contact an experienced food safety attorney who can help you get compensation for your damages. Call OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers at (888) 828-7087 or use our online contact form today.

When Should I Go To the Emergency Room?

The emergency room, or ER, is for, well, emergencies. You should go if you feel like you are in a dangerous health situation. You should immediately go to the ER if you are experiencing any of the following:

• Blood in your vomit or stool
• Green or yellow vomit
• Severe dehydration symptoms, which include dry mouth, extreme thirst, headache, dizziness, dry skin, and clamminess
• Fever above 101°F
• Severe abdominal pain
• Diarrhea lasting longer than three days
• Frequent vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down

Even if you don’t have one of these immediate symptoms, if less acute symptoms are prolonged or last an extended period of time, you should consider going to the ER.

Typical Symptoms of Food Poisoning

Although there are different types of bacteria that can make you sick in the form of food poisoning, most of them progress similarly.

In the first six hours, you may experience nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. This is common with Staphylococcus aureus (Staph). Staph infects foods that are improperly handled.

Between six hours and 24 hours, you may continue to experience diarrhea and stomach cramps. Vomiting and fever are uncommon, and if you experience them, you should consider going to the ER. Food poisoning that shows up within this time period is often Clostridium perfringens, which is typically found in raw meat, gravies, and dried or precooked foods.

If your food poisoning symptoms like diarrhea, nausea/stomach pain, and vomiting last between 12 and 48 hours, you may have Norovirus. This often infects foods like leafy greens, fresh fruits, and shellfish. It can also contaminate water, and spreads very easily.

If your symptoms last between 12 and 72 hours, you may have Salmonella, which is commonly found in raw meat, eggs, milk, juice, and vegetables. Although Salmonella is not typically life-threatening to an otherwise healthy person, it is easy to become dehydrated. You should seek medical treatment if you suspect Salmonella poisoning.

For food poisoning that lasts between 18 and 36 hours and is accompanied by doubled or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, or slurred speech, you should seek emergency medical attention as soon as possible. The culprit might be Clostridium botulinum or Botulism. This is common in improperly canned or fermented foods.

Within 24 hours and 10 days, you may have symptoms that indicate E. coli, which typically lives in the intestines of animals. It can be found in contaminated foods like unpasteurized milk, apple cider, soft cheezes, and unclean water.

It can take one to two weeks for Cyclospora symptoms to appear. Cyclospora is a parasite that is often ingested through contaminated food or water. Symptoms include diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, body aches and headaches, and more.

Get Medical and Legal Help if You Get Food Poisoning

Let the medical experts treat your illness if you get food poisoning, and let the legal professionals help you with a claim to get compensation. You will likely have significant losses, such as medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. Call OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers today at (888) 828-7087 or use our online contact form to reach out.

Even the healthiest foods can become unhealthy if improperly handled, cooked or stored. CDC estimates that each year 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die.

Food poisoning can be caused by several different bacteria, such as salmonella or botulism. Although certain types of food poisoning can be fatal, most cases run their course in a couple of days.

Symptoms of food poisoning are similar to those of the flu, except for fever, which is more likely to occur with the flu, and should be treated the same. They usually begin from two hours to two days after eating the tainted food and include:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Diarrhea and/or vomiting
• Stomach cramps or pain

More serious symptoms can include blurred vision, fatigue and a dry mouth.

Sip water or diluted juice as soon as vomiting has decreased. If symptoms continue for more than 24 hours, or if you are unable to tolerate any fluids, contact your primary care doctor or visit the emergency department. Also seek emergency care if you become dehydrated. Most adults can handle one day without nutrition, but continued vomiting to the point of dehydration requires medical attention. Finally, be aware that adults can handle dehydration better than small children and that high fever also can indicate a more serious illness.

Anyone who thinks they're having a medical emergency should not hesitate to seek care. Federal law ensures that anyone who comes to the emergency department is treated and stabilized, and that their insurance provides coverage based on symptoms, not a final diagnosis. 

Read more Know When to Go

Food poisoning — also referred to as foodborne disease or foodborne illness — from contaminated food is one of the more common illnesses. It affects about one in six Americans every year. In most cases, people recover at home with rest and fluids. But severe food poisoning can lead to serious illness.

If you’re searching for the closest emergency room to treat food poisoning in the Sacramento region, all six Dignity Health hospitals of Greater Sacramento offer expert, comprehensive emergency services. If you think you have food poisoning symptoms from a food-borne illness, call 911 or visit your nearest Dignity Health ER as soon as possible.

Signs of Food Poisoning: When to Go to the ER

In serious cases, food poisoning can lead to life-threatening dehydration and organ damage.

Seek emergency medical care or call 911 if you see these signs of food poisoning:

• Change or loss of consciousness
• Confusion
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Dizziness
• High fever (higher than 101°F)
• No urination, or very dark-colored urine
• Seizures or muscle cramps
• Severe diarrhea and vomiting, which may be bloody or very dark
• Vision changes

Food Poisoning Symptoms

The symptoms of food poisoning vary depending on the type of contaminating bacteria, virus, or parasite. The symptoms may begin within a few hours of eating or drinking the contaminated item, but they may not start for several days or weeks.

Most people with mild or moderate food poisoning experience:

• Symptoms of mild dehydration, including headache, fatigue, and dry mouth
• Stomach pain and cramps
• Nausea and vomiting
• Frequent diarrhea
• Fever

Preventing Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is usually the result of:

• Foods being left at room temperature too long
• Unwashed vegetables and fruits
• Undercooked poultry and other meat
• Eating foods prepared by people carrying germs

We recommend follow these tips to prevent food poisoning:

• Wash your hands frequently.
• Wash all foods thoroughly before you eat them.
• Throw away expired food and food that looks or smells bad.
• Heat foods to their proper temperature when cooking, and throw them away after they’ve been out (unrefrigerated) for two hours.
• Clean and dry all kitchen surfaces and items you use to handle raw meat, seafood, and eggs.

Food Poisoning Treatment at Dignity Health

Fortunately, most bouts of food poisoning are not severe. They typically last one to 10 days and go away on their own. For mild symptoms, you should rest, not eat solid foods until symptoms go away, and drink water or electrolyte drinks to stay hydrated. Call your doctor at Dignity Health if your symptoms get worse.

At our state-of-the-art emergency rooms, our highly trained emergency care teams will treat you for dehydration and may test your blood and stool for the source of poisoning.

Different treatments include:

• Rehydration with intravenous fluids and electrolytes for severe dehydration
• Monitoring for complications such as kidney or nerve damage
• Antibiotics for severe food poisoning from bacteria, such as E. coli, Salmonella, or Listeria

Dignity Health provides emergency services to treat food poisoning in Sacramento, CA and the surrounding areas.