Your whole body hurts with food poisoning because your immune system releases inflammatory substances (cytokines) to fight the infection, causing widespread muscle aches, while fever, dehydration, and the stress of vomiting/diarrhea further exhaust your body, leading to overall weakness, chills, and deep aches, notes this Healthline article and this ABC article.
The Symptoms
According to Ketan Shah, food poisoning and gastroenteritis share most symptoms, which include abdominal cramps, fever, chills, nausea, decreased appetite, diarrhea , muscle or joint aches, headaches , and, of course, vomiting.
Symptoms of food poisoning include:
The excess fluid and electrolytes in the gut lead to watery diarrhoea, which has a beneficial role of flushing out the bacteria and their toxins. It can, however, cause dehydration. Some bacteria don't cause vomiting, but Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins do.
If you think you have food poisoning:
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.
Five key warning signs during pregnancy needing immediate medical attention include vaginal bleeding, severe headaches with vision changes, decreased baby movement, severe abdominal pain/cramping, and signs of preterm labor like regular contractions or fluid leakage, as these can signal serious issues like miscarriage, preeclampsia, placental problems, or infection. Always contact your healthcare provider or seek emergency care for these symptoms.
If you think someone has food poisoning, advise them to lie down and rest. Encourage them to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
Severe food poisoning symptoms in adults include:
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.
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.
So, choose electrolyte-rich liquids (such as broths or sports drinks) or an oral rehydration solution instead. When you do drink, take little sips. That will make it easier to keep liquids down. Stay away from coffee and other caffeinated drinks, as well as milk and other dairy drinks.
When to see a doctor
Reactive arthritis can happen after having an infection that's usually in your stomach (such as food poisoning), or a sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as chlamydia. Your joints later become swollen because your immune system begins to attack them by mistake.
Food poisoning timelines vary widely, with symptoms appearing from 30 minutes to several weeks after eating contaminated food, depending on the germ, but usually starting within hours to days (e.g., Staph aureus in 1-6 hrs vs. E. coli in 2-8 days) and lasting from a day to a week or more, with recovery involving rest, fluids, bland foods, and avoiding anti-diarrheals to help the body flush the pathogen out.
Because the virus causes gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach or intestines, patients may expect several days of vomiting and diarrhea — often at the same time — as well as body aches, fever and chills.
If you're experiencing one of the symptoms below, seek medical emergency attention immediately: Blood in stool or vomit. Green or yellow colored vomit.
Replace lost fluids and electrolytes
You should drink plenty of liquids. If vomiting is a problem, try sipping small amounts of clear liquids. Replacing lost fluids and electrolytes is the most important treatment for food poisoning. Eating saltine crackers can also help replace electrolytes.
Salmonella: This is the most common cause of food poisoning in the U.S. It also causes the most hospitalizations and deaths.
Anything colder may lead to foodborne illness. Bacteria lives in the “danger zone” of 40°F to 140°F. Refrigerate your leftovers within 2 hours of serving to prevent bacteria from growing.
Get rest. Food poisoning can make you tired as your body goes to work to fight infection and restore balance. A loss of appetite and dehydration caused by vomiting and diarrhea can also contribute to food poisoning fatigue. Rest is crucial for your body's recovery.
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.
The "3-2-1 Rule" in pregnancy is a guideline for first-time mothers to know when to call their midwife or doctor for active labor: consistent contractions that are 3 minutes apart, lasting 2 minutes each, for 1 hour (or sometimes cited as 3-1-1, meaning 3 minutes apart, 1 minute long, for 1 hour). For subsequent pregnancies, the 5-1-1 Rule (5 minutes apart, 1 minute long, for 1 hour) is often used, indicating labor is progressing more quickly.
Top 5 Conditions of Abnormal Pregnancy
Babies are very aware of any friction between the people around them. Arguments and upsets are not good for your baby's brain development, both before and after they are born. It makes it harder for them to feel safe and secure and build strong bonds.