In the summer, the weather starts to get hotter, creating favorable conditions for bacteria that cause food poisoning to develop. 

According to the Department of Food Safety, Ministry of Health, high temperatures make food very susceptible to spoilage, fungal and bacterial contamination, which is the main cause of gastrointestinal diseases and a very high risk of food poisoning.

If you are unlucky enough to get food poisoning, you should not worry too much. For mild food poisoning, symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea will go away on their own without treatment within 24 hours, but it should be noted that some types of food poisoning can last longer.

1. How to deal with food poisoning

In cases of mild poisoning (only nausea, vomiting, mild diarrhea...) it can be treated at home by rehydrating with electrolyte solution (ORS), giving the patient 5-10g of activated charcoal (if available) to absorb some of the poison.

 

Some symptoms of food poisoning

In mild cases of poisoning, vomiting should be induced to remove the toxic food. In cases of convulsions or impaired consciousness, vomiting should not be induced because it can be life-threatening. After inducing vomiting, if the patient vomits most of the food, let the patient rest, but monitor closely and if the patient has any unusual symptoms, take the patient to the hospital as soon as possible.

 

Food poisoning can make you feel weak and exhausted. It is extremely important to rest and rehydrate regularly to replace lost fluids. If the patient has diarrhea and vomiting, give them an oral rehydration solution (mixed properly according to the instructions) or 1 teaspoon of sea salt in 1 liter of boiled and cooled water and give them to drink throughout the day to prevent dehydration.

As you feel better, gradually start eating bland, low-fat, easily digestible foods such as toast, pasta, crackers and rice. Stop eating if the nausea returns.

 

When food poisoning, contamination with residual pesticides in food can easily lead to fever, numbness of the lips and tongue, coma (for example, eating puffer fish, blue-ringed octopus, and so on containing the very dangerous toxin tetratodoxin), the patient must be taken to the emergency room immediately.

According to Dr. Le Ngoc Duy - Head of the Department of Emergency and Anti-Poisoning, National Children's Hospital, when there are signs of food poisoning, it is necessary to temporarily stop using food and drugs suspected of causing poisoning, keep all leftover food, feces, vomit, and used drugs for testing and immediately report to the medical agency.

2. What should you eat and drink if you have food poisoning?

Many people after food poisoning often tend to fast for reasons such as: continuing to have stomach pain after eating, fear of "weak stomach"... if fasting is prolonged, the body will become more exhausted. When suffering from food poisoning, the patient often vomits or has diarrhea, possibly vomiting with diarrhea to eliminate toxins. This causes the body to lose water and electrolytes necessary for cell activities.

Therefore, at this time, the patient needs to eat properly, replenish nutrients for the body to recover faster. At this time, the digestive system is still weak, so avoid solid, difficult-to-digest foods until diarrhea and vomiting stop, and avoid foods high in fat.

 

To prevent unpleasant reactions in the stomach, people with food poisoning should avoid eating foods that are easily irritating such as spicy foods, foods high in fat, milk, cheese, foods high in sugar and processed foods. Avoid taking stimulants such as alcohol, beer, caffeine, nicotine...

 

 

Quickly replace lost water and electrolytes by drinking ORS mixed according to instructions.

 

When suffering from food poisoning, you should eat soft, liquid foods such as soup, porridge, and broth to provide adequate nutrition and ease of digestion. Your diet should include enough green vegetables and fruits to provide the vitamins and minerals your body needs to recover quickly.

Fruits contain complex carbohydrates and natural sugars that provide energy for the body. However, not all fruits are suitable for the body when suffering from food poisoning. You should eat ripe bananas, which will help soothe your stomach and reduce nausea thanks to their potassium content. Potassium helps maintain fluid in the body and regulates the movement of nutrients and waste out of cells.

 

When feeling uncomfortable or nauseous, try sucking on fresh ginger and honey or mixing warm water with ginger and honey to drink in small sips. Ginger and honey are both foods that are beneficial for the intestines after food poisoning. Chewing and sucking on a little fresh ginger reduces the symptoms of food poisoning and helps kill bacteria.

According to Master. Dr. Dang Ngoc Hung - Institute of Nutrition Research and Consulting, when suffering from diarrhea or vomiting, drinking coconut water is very good to compensate for lost electrolytes. Coconut water has a very suitable electrolyte supply and has a delicious taste.

When suffering from food poisoning, in addition to symptoms of abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea, the patient also has symptoms of fatigue and loss of appetite. Therefore, meals should be divided into many small meals a day, processed into liquid forms such as porridge, soup, etc. to help digestion easier. When symptoms subside, patients can eat white rice and bread containing high carbohydrate content, providing energy for the body without irritating the stomach, helping to recover faster.