Blog Marco

I'm getting better now, but two days ago I felt sick - very sick. I had a headache, dizziness, light headed, a bloated feeling in my stomach and slight diarrhoea (that was hard to spell! haha had to fetch my dictionary there for all I know it could have been spelt diorea, diorrea or diorrhea). I felt okay in the morning but towards the afternoon I was feeling tired and sleepy and I had a short nap - which is unusual as I don't usually take afternoon naps. When I woke up I still felt dizzy and especially light headed when I stood up. I suspected food poisoning. There was no other reason why I should be feeling this way - I haven't done anything strenuous or haven't been around very sick people recently.

Anyway, I was at my cousin's so I asked my uncle to drop me off home and then I ate a 'normal lunch'. Everything was ok - I still felt dizzy with a headache and that strange bloated feeling in the stomach. Then suddenly I had the urge to just hurl... that was it - I ran to the toilet and vomited everything I basically ate that day. The first time I vomited for a few years now... anyway, it made me feel a little better - I think vomiting is a way for the body to purge all the bad stuff out - and my headaches and dizziness and that bloated feeling was just a signal to me that something wanted out of my system. I'm telling you it's food poisoning.

I still felt dizzy, light headed with a slight headache - but it wasn't as bad as before I vomited. All I could do is lie on my back with my feet raised. Even so - my legs kept getting pins and needles. And when I sat up I would get dizzy and then my arms would get pins and needles!

First it was sunburn and now food poisoning... what next?

I think I've had a food poisoning before... and of course it could be prevented. Maybe I should watch what I eat - in the food handling sense - more carefully in future. I should follow these steps:

1. The first step in preventing food poisoning is to assume that all foods may cause food-borne illness. Follow these steps to prevent food poisoning:
2. Wash hands, food preparation surfaces and utensils thoroughly before and after handling raw foods to prevent recontamination of cooked foods.
3. Keep refrigerated foods below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) - make sure your fridge stays below or at this temperature - keep in mind the number of times the fridge is opened and the loading of the fridge).
4. Serve hot foods immediately or keep them heated above 140 degrees F (60 degrees Celsius).
5. Divide large volumes of food into small portions for rapid cooling in the refrigerator. Hot, bulky foods in the refrigerator can raise the temperature of foods already cooled.
6. Remember the danger zone is between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius).
7. Follow approved home-canning procedures.
8. Heat canned foods thoroughly before tasting.
9. When in doubt, throw it out

It was about a day and a half after the day I ate dodgy food - perhaps this was the "incubation period" for the food poisoning stomach virus (or more correctly stomach bacteria) that I caught. And during this incubation period the CDC says: "the microbes pass through the stomach into the intestine, attach to the cells lining the intestinal walls, and begin to multiply there. Some types of microbes stay in the intestine, some produce a toxin that is absorbed into the bloodstream, and some can directly invade the deeper body tissues."

And the Treatment for Food Poisoning?
"There are many different kinds of foodborne diseases and they may require different treatments, depending on the symptoms they cause. Illnesses that are primarily diarrhea or vomiting can lead to dehydration if the person loses more body fluids and salts (electrolytes) than they take in. Replacing the lost fluids and electrolytes and keeping up with fluid intake are important. If diarrhea is severe, oral rehydration solution such as Ceralyte*, Pedialyte* or Oralyte*, should be drunk to replace the fluid losses and prevent dehydration. Sports drinks such as Gatorade* do not replace the losses correctly and should not be used for the treatment of diarrheal illness. Preparations of bismuth subsalicylate (e.g., Pepto-Bismol)* can reduce the duration and severity of simple diarrhea. If diarrhea and cramps occur, without bloody stools or fever, taking an antidiarrheal medication may provide symptomatic relief, but these medications should be avoided if there is high fever or blood in the stools because they may make the illness worse. "

No wonder the doctor recommends flat lemonade - it's basically to keep you hydrated and provide electrolytes - as lemonade is simply 'sugared water' when it's flat...

Luckily this Food Poisoning case is nearly over for me - but for other with the following symptoms - you must consult your doctor:
* high fever (temperature over 101.5 F, measured orally)
* blood in the stools
* prolonged vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down (which can lead to dehydration)
* signs of dehydration, including a decrease in urination, a dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy when standing up.
* diarrheal illness that lasts more than 3 days

More Information about Food Poisoning:
Bacterial Food Poisoning
Food poisoning - Medicine Plus
CDC: Food Poisoning

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