Defective foods ruin your stomach

Defective foods ruin your stomach

Symptoms of food poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fever and malaise.
Food poisoning in the summer is a common occurrence. This can happen to us in our own kitchens, fast food restaurants, pastry shops ... after eating some defective foods that, instead of refrigerated, were kept warm.

Due to the high temperatures and high humidity that are conducive to the development of harmful microorganisms, all types of food are more susceptible to degradation in the summer. Particularly risky ones are those of animal origin, meat, eggs, milk and dairy products, fish and seafood, but also vegetables and fruits, if not washed well before use. Foods infected with microorganisms that cause gut infection lead to poisoning. Causes of infectious diseases: bacteria, viruses or parasites, as well as toxins - products that they secrete, transmitted and some insects - explains Dr. Snezana Radivojevic, specialist in epidemiology.

The most common causative agents of intestinal infections are Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria, which enter the body through insufficiently processed foods, first of all, meat products, milk, cheeses, eggs and products prepared from them - creams, cakes, cakes, ice creams. Minced meat, mushy foods and sweets are most suitable for staphylococcal reproduction.

The first problems can occur after a few hours of a meal, and sometimes several days pass, depending on the amount of toxins introduced, the type and ability of the micro-organism to cause the disease and the susceptibility of the host organism. Particularly sensitive stomachs have young children, pregnant women, the elderly who have a chronic illness and people with impaired immunity.

Symptoms of food poisoning include nausea, vomiting, frequent fluid stools, abdominal pain and cramps, headache, fever and malaise.

The clinical picture of poisoning can go from mild to severe. In more severe cases, dehydration occurs, fluid loss, which is recognized by dry mouth and dry tongue, which is coated with white deposits, darker urine and rapid heartbeat. The deterioration of the health condition occurs when frequent fluid stools and vomiting lead to great loss of fluid and electrolytes.
EXPERT WORD: Dr. Snezana Radivojevic, epidemiologist

Sip by sip - all day long

Treatment should not be carried out on its own, especially if the problems are severe. Then a doctor should be contacted who will administer the therapy depending on the cause and the severity of the clinical picture - warns primarius Dr. Snezana Radivojevic, specialist in epidemiology, head of the Unit for Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases at the City Institute for Public Health in Belgrade.

In most patients, the disease lasts for several days and, with appropriate rehydration, spontaneous healing occurs. Only in severe cases is hospital treatment necessary. In severe forms of food poisoning, therapy is in the form of fluid and electrolyte replenishment, by mouth or by infusion - intravenously.

When the virus is the cause of the virus, it is not necessary to take antibiotics, and in severe bacterial intestinal infections antibiotics are used in strictly controlled conditions. They are usually given to babies and young children, elderly patients who have a chronic condition and persons with less immunity.

During the infection, patients should rest and rehydrate by ingesting small amounts of liquid, the best water or tea, not at once, but sip by sip every ten minutes throughout the day. It is also useful to take probiotics that regulate the intestinal flora and shorten the duration of the disease. It is also necessary to carry out a diet regimen. For the first days, only light soup and coleslaw are allowed, and when the stomach is calm cooked rice, potatoes and white meat are recommended. The usual diet should be resumed only after the stool has returned to normal.

Rescue: clean hands and - fridge

- Proper storage of food is necessary to prevent poisoning. It is best to keep them in a suitable, preferably glass container, store them only for a specified shelf life and to keep the rooms clean.
- Hygiene measures in the process of food preparation are also important: good washing of fruits and vegetables, hands and utensils for processing foodstuffs, working surfaces on which food is stored and keeping the dishes clean.

- Food should be heat treated at a temperature above 70 degrees Celsius and eaten for a maximum of two hours after preparation or stored in the refrigerator at a temperature below eight degrees.

- It is mandatory to protect against contact with insects and rodents.
- Eat only well-baked and cooked eggs.
- Avoid making mayonnaise, fillets, creams and ice creams from live, thermally untreated eggs.
- Use hygienically correct - inspected foods that have a declaration. Avoid buying groceries at street and beverage counters, as well as at kiosks and fast food restaurants.
- When buying groceries, the appearance, shelf life and storage method must be controlled. Only buy meat and milk products if they have been refrigerated.