Food poisoning refers to severe gastroenteritis that occurs due to the consumption of contaminated and stale food items in hotels, restaurants and picnics. The inner lining of the stomach and the small intestine gets inflamed, followed by passing of watery stools, vomiting and abdominal cramps. The stool contains blood and mucous, and there is a burning sensation in the rectum due to frequent passing of stools. This results in huge loss of fluids from the body causing dehydration and shock. Both adults and children get affected by this disease, and severe cases may call for emergency.
Symptoms
Food poisoning can be serious and life threatening. This can be diagnosed by the following symptoms -
1. Diarrhea and vomiting.
2. Cramps in the abdomen.
3. Dehydration
4. Patient may suffer from severe shocks.
Causes
Germs like Staphylococcus bacteria produce toxins in the food items like meat, fish, milk, custards and other dairy products, consumption of which results in food poisoning.
Home Remedies
Food poisoning can be life-threatening, and so it demands immediate treatment. Some home remedies are widely practiced in curing this disease.
1. The patient must be given Oral Re-hydration Solution (ORS) in little amounts to prevent dehydration and shock. The solution can be prepared by mixing 1 teaspoonful of sugar and a pinch of salt in a glass of water.
2. Drinking water must be boiled and cooled to prevent the aggravation of this disease.
3. Tea, rice water, water from tender coconut, barley etc. can also be given to the patient after the vomiting subsides. This also prevents dehydration.
4. A mixture is prepared from one tablespoon of poppy seeds, one tablespoon cardamom powder and one teaspoon of edible gum, half teaspoon of nutmeg powder and two tablespoons of sugar. The whole mixture is ground into fine powder and is given to the patient after every two hours.
5. Herbal tea prepared from chamomile, mint, raspberry and blackberry are useful in treating food poisoning.
6. Make a paste of ginger and add buttermilk to it. Having this mixture 2-3 times a day helps in curing this problem.
7. Taking ginger extract with lemon juice also provides fast relief from vomiting.
8. Mix 2-3 tablespoons of ginger and lemon extract and add a little amount of black pepper powder. This mixture should be taken 2-3 times daily to get relief from food poisoning.
9. Prepare a mixture by adding 2-3 tablespoons of basil leaf extract in half cup of curd. Sprinkle a little amount of salt and black pepper powder in it. Taking this mixture 3-4 times a day reduces the symptoms of food poisoning.
Read more useful Home Remedies for Food Poisoning. Also know effective Home Remedies for Hemorrhoids.
