Acıbadem Fulya Hospital Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Ozan Kocakaya told the most important rules that you should pay attention to when food poisoning occurs.
Microbes that cause food poisoning; It can be a virus (norovirus or rotavirus), bacteria (salmonella, E.coli) or parasite (like small worms). Dr. Ozan Kocakaya said the following about how microbes are transmitted to foods:
“Ill people can transmit microbes to food through their hands while preparing and serving food. If prepared foods are stored in inappropriate conditions, microbes can still be transmitted.
Microbes can live on food. If the food is not washed well or the bacteria on it are not cooked until they die, it can cause disease. Microbes can pass from one food to another. Therefore, if the cutting board or knives used in the preparation of the food are not cleaned properly, the microbe in the food can infect others.”
Dr. Ozan Kocakaya lists the most common symptoms as follows:
- Nausea
- Mumps
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea (watery or bloody)
- Fire
Rarely, neurological findings such as visual impairment, drowsiness, numbness and tingling in the hands and arms may also occur.
Immediately if you are in the at-risk group for food poisoning, if you are not:
If your fever exceeds 38.5 degrees
If you had to go to the toilet more than 24 times in 6 hours
If you saw blood in the toilet
If you have severe abdominal pain
If you can't eat or drink even though you've lost a lot of fluids, if you develop symptoms of thirst such as fatigue, dry mouth, muscle cramps, and dark urine, it is vital to seek medical advice immediately.
The diagnosis of food poisoning is made by questioning the patient's symptoms and the foods he consumed about a week ago. The disease is usually short-lived and the patient recovers within days. For this reason, it is not possible to find out exactly which bacterium causes the disease, and it is not considered necessary. Your blood pressure, pulse, temperature, weight are measured, and in some cases, blood and stool tests are performed. If there is a lack of fluid in the body, it is supplemented and treatment is planned for the symptoms. Food poisoning rarely requires antibiotics.”
Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Ozan Kocakaya lists the precautions you should take against food poisoning as follows:
- Contact with dirty hands can easily lead to the transmission of microbes to food. So make it a habit to wash your hands frequently with soap for at least 20 seconds after using the toilet, changing a diaper, or coming into contact with animals.
- Do not consume raw milk, do not eat ice cream and soft cheese containing raw milk.
- If you are pregnant, pay special attention to dairy products, consume enough aged dairy products or fresh dairy products labeled 'made from pasteurized milk'.
- Wash fruits and vegetables under running clean water, not soaking them in water.
- Make sure the temperature setting of the refrigerator is 4 degrees Celsius or below, and the freezer is set to at least -18 degrees.
- Make sure the meat is well cooked to eliminate germs.
- Consume cooked food as soon as possible. Do not leave for more than 2 hours at room temperature, immediately place in the refrigerator.
- Keep uncooked meats away from other foods when preparing or storing them.
- Clean cutting boards, knives and tongs that come into contact with uncooked meat immediately after contact. Do not allow the water flowing from these to pollute the environment.
- Do not consume the waiting salads.
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