Food Poisoning – When To Call A Doctor

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Can you differentiate a simple case of diarrhoea from severe food poisoning? Do you know that some people need special care and that a call to a doctor is must if not an emergency?

With a normal case of food poisoning, the symptoms – cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness – will disappear in a day or two. “But for the very young, the elderly or someone suffering a chronic condition or immune disorder, food poisoning can be very serious. These people should contact a doctor at the first signs of food poisoning.”

Even if you don’t fall into this category call a doctor immediately if your symptoms are also accompanied by:

•                Difficulty in swallowing, speaking, or breathing; changes in vision, muscle weakness, or paralysis, particularly if this occurs after eating mushrooms, canned food, or shellfish.

•             Fever above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

•             Severe vomiting – meaning you can’t even hold down any liquids.

•             Severe diarrhoea for more than a day or two.

•             Persistent, localized abdominal pain.

•             Dehydration – you have extreme thirst, a dry mouth, or decreased urination, and when you pinch the back of your hand, the skin stays pinched.

•             Bloody diarrhoea.

When it comes to food poisoning, there is no middle ground for it. Call the doctor immediately!