Saturday, 22 October 2011

Food poisoning-frequency, symptoms and prevention


Food poisoning might have been a joke back on your College days when using it as a cover-up for a really poor remnant, but the reality is very disappointing. According to the US Centers for disease control, 76 million Americans get food poisoning each year. Of those, over 300,000 require hospitalization and 5,000 die actually. This is as many deaths from food poisoning by alcohol poisoning or asthma.

What is the scariest is that while we may like to believe that they are second-class restaurants that make us sick, most cases of food poisoning come at home. The condition is a fair weather friend, too: most cases occur in the summer when warmer temperatures make it easier for bacteria to grow food.

Food poisoning symptoms

These usually include vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps. They usually start 4-36 hours after eating foods that are affected, but have been reported to appear already to 30 minutes to less than 30 days after eating.

Different types of food poisoning will provide different kinds of symptoms. If your vision is affected, you probably botulism (which is one of the worst conditions around, by the way), especially if you are having difficulty talking, breathing problems and paralysis that starts near the top of your body and moves downward. Salmonella poisoning would deliver bloody diarrhea along with fever and chills. If you see a lot of blood in your diarrhoea, may have the famous e. coli. If you have any of these symptoms to yourself in an emergency room immediately.

How to prevent food poisoning

The first thing to do is understand that the bacteria that causes food poisoning needs warmth. So, keeping your food at suitable temperatures will help too. This means that when you buy food, bringing home, storage, cooking and eating.

1) While they are not all food poisoning comes from meat and dairy products, these types of foods that are more likely to grow the bad bugs that make us sick. To keep food cool only after you have bought a home, and bring cooler a few packets of frozen cold. Position at the meat and dairy products in the dark, cold cuts your risk of cooler.

2) another thing to know when you buy food is the expiration date. Just because something is on the shelves of grocery store does not mean it is not before the expiration date. Many items are exactly their finish dates. It's like MOM and now back to dig for information to get the piece of food is the expiration date that is farthest from.

3) Cook your food at the temperatures it is recommended that, within two days of buying. Eat immediately or store it securely. If you have even a whisp of doubt about whether a food is alright to eat, take this. This is especially important if your diet for children and the elderly, as these two groups are particularly vulnerable to food poisoning.

4) Wash your hands. Again, it's like your mother. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds under running water. Keep clean towels.

5) thoroughly wash all vegetables and fruits. Briefly account for vegetables in two tablespoons of vinegar bath for a pint of water to get the dirt, pesticides, bacteria and waxy residue. You will not be patient and vegetables will taste much better.

6) To your kitchen sponge in the microwave at least every other day. That sponge is the dirtiest thing in the kitchen. Outrage, but your toilet seat can be cleaner. And microbial soap is good, but not enough. 30 Seconds in the microwave will kill all germs on the sponge.







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