A 39-year-old member asked:
how difficult is it to catch food poisoning?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Stephen Southard answered
Internal Medicine 15 years experience
Not at all: Difficult. It's actually somewhat common. As each year one in six persons suffers from a bout of food poisoning, according to the CDC! Just try to be as good as you can about safe home food preparation and eat at restaurants you trust their hygiene. Also try to avoid undercooked/raw meats and seafood.
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Similar questions
A 26-year-old member asked:
Can you get food poisoning from chili?
2 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Sidney Vinson answered
Gastroenterology 27 years experience
Yes: You can get food poisoning from any contaminated food.
6260 views
A 29-year-old member asked:
Can you get food poisoning from couscous?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Gurmukh Singh answered
Pathology 49 years experience
Yes: Any food can be contaminated by bacteria, toxins or chemicals.
6058 views
A 46-year-old member asked:
What are the causes of food poisoning?
3 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Gurmukh Singh answered
Pathology 49 years experience
Bugs and toxins: 1. Live bacteria that grow in the body, e.g., salmonella, shigella, toxigenic e coli.
2. Toxins in the food: e.g., staphylococcus toxin, botulinum toxin
3. Some foods may be "toxic" for some people, e.g., shellfish.Peanuts
4. Chemicals: exogenous chemicals or chemicals from food spoilage can be toxic.
6058 views
A 50-year-old member asked:
What do you eat when you have food poisoning?
4 doctor answers • 8 doctors weighed in
Dr. Arthur Heller answered
Gastroenterology 43 years experience
Bland, fluids: Assuming it is true "food poisoning" (gastroenteritis), not active inflammatory disease, etc., brat diet, bananas, rice(white), applesauce, tea, toast; fluids, not just h2o. Go easy on fruit juices (sorbitol content can cause cramps, diarrhea); miso soup, broths. Add boiled, broiled chicken, fish; baked/boiled potato. Fever, bleed, pain, xs vomit, diarrhea, prolonged course, complex pmh, see md.
6130 views
A 27-year-old member asked:
Why does it take a couple of hours before you start feeling ill from food poisoning?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. James Ferguson answered
Pediatrics 46 years experience
Germs require time: Sevreal variables can delay the onset of symptoms in food poisoning.The amount of germs ingested may vary & stomach acid may destroy them before they can get thru. The host body may also be tolerate the toxin up to a point.Any left over germs require time to make enough toxin in the gut to trigger symptoms.Occasionally the germs have made enough toxin before intake that symptoms come sooner.
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Last updated Jan 20, 2015
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