Your HealthFood Poisoning
What is Food Poisoning?
Food poisoning (also called foodborne illness) can happen if you eat or drink something that has germs, parasites, mold, or harmful chemicals in it.
You can help prevent food poisoning by using safe food safety practices.
Common Symptoms:
- Feeling sick to your stomach (nausea)
- Throwing up (vomiting)
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Headache
- Stomach pain or cramps
- Dehydration (not having enough water in your body)
These symptoms can start just a few hours or sometimes a few days after eating or drinking something that’s not safe. It depends on what kind of harmful substance was in the food or drink.
At-Risk Groups
Getting sick from food can be very serious. Some people are more likely to have worse symptoms, like:
- Older adults
- Infants
- People who have weaker immune systems (like those with certain diseases or taking some medicines)
- People who are pregnant
I Think I Have Food Poisoning
If you think you got food poisoning, talk to your doctor or healthcare provider. They can do tests to see if your sickness came from something you ate or drank.
Make sure to get lots of rest and drink plenty of water so you don’t get dehydrated.
If you think the food poisoning came from a restaurant or food place in Chatham-Kent, contact us so we can look into it.