Food poisoning (from contaminated food) and an upset stomach (often viral gastroenteritis or "stomach flu") share symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, but differ in origin, onset, and duration: food poisoning hits fast (hours) after a specific meal, potentially affecting groups, while stomach flu develops slower (days) and spreads person-to-person, but both need hydration and rest, with severe cases warranting a doctor.
Symptoms of food poisoning depend on the type of germ you swallowed. The most common symptoms include diarrhea, stomach pain or cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Severe food poisoning can cause bloody diarrhea, diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days, fever over 102°F, frequent vomiting, and dehydration.
Your healthcare provider may suspect food poisoning based on your symptoms. They might ask you about what you've recently eaten to try and identify the source of the toxin. If you have certain symptoms, they may want to check for specific parasites or bacteria. They might take a poop sample or give you a blood test.
Symptoms of food poisoning
feeling sick or being sick. diarrhoea. tummy pain. a high temperature.
In most cases, people with food poisoning get better on their own without medical treatment. You can treat food poisoning by replacing lost fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration. In some cases, over-the-counter medicines may help relieve your symptoms.
The 4 C's of preventing food poisoning are Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill, fundamental food safety practices to stop germs from spreading and multiplying, ensuring food remains safe to eat by washing hands/surfaces, keeping raw foods apart, heating food to the right temperature, and refrigerating promptly.
Food poisoning symptoms can look like the symptoms of stomach flu (gastroenteritis). Many people with mild cases of food poisoning think they have stomach flu. The time it takes food poisoning symptoms to start can vary.
Different treatments include:
Watery, usually nonbloody diarrhea — bloody diarrhea usually means you have a different, more severe infection. Nausea, vomiting or both. Stomach cramps and pain. Occasional muscle aches or headache.
You wake up in the middle of the night to stomach pain, nausea, a fever, headache and/or diarrhea, and you realize you likely have a case of food poisoning. And these symptoms can be downright miserable.
Diarrhea is common; other symptoms include bleeding, bloating, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and even features of complete abdominal obstruction. Some infections have characteristic features.
abdominal (tummy) cramps. nausea (feeling sick) vomiting.
You should not ignore sudden, severe, or worsening stomach pain, especially if accompanied by fever, persistent vomiting (especially blood), bloody/black stools, inability to pass gas or stool, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest/neck/shoulder pain, or if you're pregnant and experiencing pain/bleeding, as these can signal serious issues like appendicitis, bowel obstruction, ectopic pregnancy, or aneurysms, requiring immediate emergency care. Don't ignore pain that lasts over a few days, doesn't improve, or is accompanied by jaundice or significant swelling.
Signs or symptoms of poisoning may include:
For most people, symptoms of food poisoning, a type of foodborne illness, improve without treatment within 48 hours. To help relieve symptoms and prevent fluid loss, called dehydration, focus on replacing lost fluids.
The first signs of food poisoning often include nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting, sometimes accompanied by fever, chills, headache, or weakness, appearing from a few hours to several days after eating contaminated food. These initial symptoms can be mild or severe, signaling the body's reaction to harmful bacteria, viruses, or toxins, and prompt hydration is crucial.
This disorder can be caused by toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The toxins are found in contaminated foods. Typical symptoms include severe nausea and vomiting starting about 30 minutes to 8 hours after the contaminated food is eaten.
The most common types of food poisoning are: bacterial eg Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli and Listeria. viral eg Norovirus, Rotavirus and Hepatitis A.
Sometimes it could look like food poisoning—just that food poisoning also is very short. But if it lasts longer than 24 hours, like 2 to 3 days, most likely norovirus.
ChemSee's at-home detectors utilize well-known laboratory techniques for the detection of poisons in foods. These state-of-the-art chemistries are packaged together in small, easy-to-use formats which easily can be used by any person can easily use to test their food immediately before eating.
For most adults, Dr. Gordon Spratt recommends showering just once a day at most. For elderly adults, she says one shower every 2 to 3 days is sufficient, since skin tends to be drier and frequent bathing can exacerbate it.