“Understanding Food Poisoning: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment”

‘Symptoms of poisoning such as acute gastroenteritis and neurological disorders caused by toxic substances in water or food… Symptoms that cause abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, etc. within 72 hours when microorganisms such as bacteria or viruses enter the body through contaminated food.’ When asked what food poisoning is, doctors explain: Anyone who has suffered from food poisoning knows this. Once you get food poisoning, you become so exhausted that you can’t even read the causes and symptoms of food poisoning for so long.

It is forbidden to be reluctant to go to the hospital because of poor hygiene

The most embarrassing concern faced by patients suffering from food poisoning is whether or not to go to the hospital in the early stages of the onset. Once caught, you have to go to the bathroom, your body loses strength, and your daily life becomes impossible. Even so, I am worried about whether I should endure with symptomatic treatment by drinking enough water, whether I should overcome it by taking antibiotics or antidiarrheal drugs, or whether I should go to the hospital and see a doctor. From an early age, people are taught that food poisoning = a disease that occurs when hygiene is poor, so if food poisoning is regarded as one’s own fault for not maintaining good hygiene, it is even thought that going to the hospital is too much.

However, there are not one or two external factors that cause food poisoning, and depending on the severity of symptoms, active measures such as visiting a hospital emergency room or a local hospital may be required. Do Jae-hyeok, professor of gastroenterology at Chung-Ang University Hospital, warned on the 23rd, “If food poisoning symptoms develop after 12 to 24 hours after eating contaminated food, severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, chills may occur, and in severe cases, death may occur.” did. This means that even though it is not common in this day and age, food poisoning can also be included in the category of ‘disease leading to death’.

●Various causes… possibility of a serious situation

Jeong Ji-won, professor of infectious medicine at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, explained that there are various bacteria that cause food poisoning, such as staphylococcus, salmonella, dysentery, and vibrio enteritis. Food poisoning caused by Staphylococcus aureus is the earliest symptom to appear. Professor Jeong said, “If you eat food contaminated with staphylococcal toxin, you will have vomiting and diarrhea within one to six hours.”

In contrast, typhoid infection has an incubation period of 1 to 2 weeks. A high fever of around 40 degrees, headache, and diarrhea, shaking the body and sore joints in the head and limbs are symptoms of typhoid fever. It is easy to think of symptoms similar to a cold, but in severe cases, complications such as intestinal bleeding and meningitis may occur.

The most common source of Salmonella infection is poultry, such as chickens and ducks. Eggs can also be a source of infection. Salmonella bacteria are vulnerable to heat and are killed by heating at 62-65 degrees for 30 minutes. After all, if you eat cooked eggs, you can avoid infection.

Dysentery is transmitted through contaminated water and contaminated food. A particularly contagious disease, Shigella can live for 2 to 6 weeks in water and several months in soil. Shigella is a bacterium that is difficult to kill even with stomach acid, and even a small amount on your hands can cause dysentery. Initial symptoms such as nausea and vomiting are followed by diarrhea several times a day for 3 to 6 weeks. In the case of children and the elderly, there is a risk of dehydration and falling into a coma.

Vibrio sepsis is a terrible disease in which more than half of patients die even with treatment. Vibrio bacteria, which live in seawater, proliferate rapidly in summer when the seawater temperature rises. In Korea, Vibrio sepsis occurs in patients with chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis who mainly ate raw seafood such as sashimi or raw oysters. Therefore, people with this chronic disease must eat seafood cooked.

Be careful of moving frequently after shopping in the summer

Cholera is a representative infectious disease to be aware of at the end of the rainy season. It is transmitted through feces, vomit, contaminated water or food. You can get infected when you cook or eat with contaminated hands. When infected with cholera bacteria, there is usually an incubation period of 2 to 4 days, and after that, severe diarrhea and thirst appear. Over time, your blood pressure drops, which can turn your skin blue and make you feel uneasy.

Few diseases are treated as critically important as food poisoning. As much as you eat carefully and practice good hygiene, you can lessen your worries about food poisoning. Da-hye Sohn, a professor of family medicine at Yonsei University Gangnam Severance Hospital, said, “We need to make efforts to manage hygiene throughout our daily lives.” Purchased meat, shellfish, milk, eggs, etc. are at risk of spoiling easily, and in this case, preparations such as using an ice box are necessary,” he pointed out.

In summer, fish and shellfish should be especially careful. You need to carefully check the country of origin and distribution conditions, and carefully select and purchase fresh products. When thawing frozen fish and shellfish for use, take out only as much as you need and make sure not to refreeze the thawed fish and shellfish.

●Knives and chopping boards should be used separately.

Heat the food thoroughly before eating, and be careful not to store leftovers for a long time. It is also important to wash and cook the ingredients well. Knives and chopping boards should be used separately as much as possible, and hygienic management should be thorough to prevent the growth of bacteria. Hand hygiene while cooking is also important. The more you wash your hands, the farther away you are from the risk of food poisoning.

The reason why people hesitate to visit a hospital when suffering from food poisoning is because the fundamental treatment is to replenish water loss in the body due to vomiting or diarrhea. In other words, symptomatic treatment and doctor’s prescription have something in common. However, as we have seen, it is important to keep in mind that the causative bacteria of food poisoning are diverse, and in severe cases, there is a possibility of death. If symptoms are severe or prolonged, seek medical attention.

In case of food poisoning, sugar in boiled water is effective

Professor Sohn said, “Patients with food poisoning may have damaged intestinal mucosa and reduced digestion and absorption, so if they eat food without receiving proper treatment, diarrhea may worsen due to digestive and absorption disorders.” “Water containing glucose or electrolytes is absorbed faster than plain water, so if you have food poisoning, it is helpful to drink boiled water with sugar or salt or drink commercially available ionic beverages,” he added.

If diarrhea is reduced, you should start with foods that are not greasy, such as rice porridge or rice porridge. If you are so dehydrated that you are weak or cannot drink water because of vomiting, it is also necessary to receive intravenous fluids at a medical institution. If bloody stool or fever is severe, it is good to find a hospital and get a prescription for antibiotics.

Reporters Lee Eun-joo and Hong Hee-kyung