Food poisoning
Food poisoning occurs when you swallow food or water that contains bacteria, parasites, viruses, or toxins made by these germs. Most cases of food poisoning are from common bacteria such as Staphylococcus orE. coli.

Causes
Food poisoning can affect one person or a group of people who all ate the same contaminated food. It more commonly occurs after eating at picnics, school cafeterias, large social functions, or restaurants.
The germs may get into the food you eat (called contamination) in different ways:
*.Meat or poultry can come into contact with bacteria from the intestines of an animal thatis being processed
*.Water that is used during growing or shipping can contain animal or human waste
*.Food handling or preparation in grocery stores, restaurants, or homes
Food poisoning often occurs from eating or drinking:
*.Any food prepared by someone who does notwash their hands properly
*.Any food prepared using cooking utensils, cutting boards, and other tools that are not fully cleaned
*.Dairy products or food containing mayonnaise (such as coleslaw or potato salad) that have been out of the refrigerator too long
*.Frozen or refrigerated foods that are not stored at the proper temperature or are not reheated properly
*.Raw fish or oysters
*.Raw fruits or vegetables that have not been washed well
*.Raw vegetables or fruit juices and dairy products (look for the word "pasteurized," which means the food has been treated to prevent contamination)
*.Undercooked meats or eggs
*.Water from a well or stream, or city or town water that has not been treated

Many types of germs may cause food poisoning, including:
*. Campylobacterenteritis
*. Cholera
*. E. coli enteritis
*. Fish poisoning
*.Staphylococcus aureus
*. Salmonella
*. Shigella

Infants and elderly people are at the greatest risk for food poisoning. You are also at higher risk if:
*.You have a serious medical condition, such as kidney disease or diabetes
*.You have a weakened immune system
*.You travel outside of the United States to areas where you are exposed to germs that cause food poisoning
Pregnant and breastfeeding women have to beespecially careful to avoid food poisoning.

Symptoms
Symptoms from the most common types of food poisoning usually start within 2 - 6 hours of eating the food. That time may be longer or shorter, depending on the cause of the food poisoning.
Possible symptoms include:
*. Abdominal cramps
*. Diarrhea(may be bloody)
*. Feverand chills
*. Headache
*. Nausea and vomiting
*. Weakness(may be serious)

Exams and Tests
Your health care provider will examine you for signs of food poisoning, such as pain in the stomach and signs your body does not have asmuch water and fluids as it should. This is called dehydration.
Tests may be done on your stools or the food you have eaten to find out what type of germ is causing your symptoms. However, tests maynot always find the cause of the diarrhea.
In more serious cases, your health care provider may order a sigmoidoscopy. A thin, hollow tube with a light on the end is placed inthe anus to look for the source of bleeding or infection.

Treatment
You will usually get better in a couple of days. The goal is to make you feel better and make sure your body has the proper amount of fluids.
Getting enough fluids and learning what to eatwill help keep you or your child comfortable. You may need to:
*. Manage the diarrhea
*. Control nausea and vomiting
*.Get plenty of restIf you have diarrhea and are unable to drink orkeep down fluids, you may need fluids given through a vein (by IV). This is especially true for young children.
If you take diuretics, ask your health care provider if you need to stop taking the diureticwhile you have diarrhea. Never stop or change medications without first talking to your health care provider.
For the most common causes of food poisoning, your doctor will NOT prescribe antibiotics.
You can buy medicines at the drugstore that help slow diarrhea.
*.Do not use these medicines without talking to your health care provider if you have bloody diarrhea, a fever, or the diarrhea is severe.
*.Do not give these medicines to children.
Outlook (Prognosis)
Most people fully recover from the most common types of food poisoning within 12 - 48hours. Serious complications can occur, however, from certain types of food poisoning.
Death from food poisoning in people who are otherwise healthy is rare in the United States.

Possible Complications
Dehydration is the most common complication. This can occur from any causes of food poisoning.
Less common, but much more serious complications depend on the bacteria that are causing the food poisoning. These may include:
*.Arthritis
*.Bleeding problems
*.Damage to the nervous system
*.Kidney problems
*. Swelling or irritation in the tissue around the heart

When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you have:
*.Blood or pus in your stools
*.Diarrhea and are unable to drink fluids due to nausea or vomiting
*.A fever above 101°F, or your child has a fever above 100.4°F along with diarrhea
*.Signs of dehydration (thirst, dizziness, light-headedness)
*.Recently traveled to a foreign country and developed diarrhea
*.Diarrhea that has not gotten better in 5 days (2 days for an infant or child), or has gotten worse
*.A child who has been vomiting for more than12 hours (in a newborn under 3 months you should call as soon as vomiting or diarrhea begins)
*.Food posoning from mushrooms, fish, or botulism

Preventing food poisoning
To prevent food poisoning, take the following steps when preparing food:
*.Carefully wash your hands often, and always before cooking or cleaning. Always wash them again after touching raw meat.
*.Clean dishes and utensils that have had any contact with raw meat, poultry, fish, or eggs.
*.Use a thermometer when cooking. Cook beef to at least 160°F, poultry to at least 180°F, and fish to at least 140°F.
*.DO NOT place cooked meat or fish back onto the same plate or container that held the rawmeat, unless the container has been completely washed.
*.Promptly refrigerate any food you will not be eating. Keep the refrigerator set to around 40°F and your freezer at or below 0°F. DO NOT eat meat, poultry, or fish that has been refrigerated uncooked for longer than 1 to 2 days.
*.Cook frozen foods for the full time recommended on the package.
*.DO NOT use outdated foods, packaged food with a broken seal, or cans that are bulging or have a dent.
*.DO NOT use foods that have an unusual odoror a spoiled taste.
*.DO NOT drink water from streams or wells that are not treated. Only drink water that has been treated or chlorinated.
Other steps to take:
*.If you take care of young children, wash yourhands often and dispose of diapers carefully so that bacteria can't spread to other surfaces or people.
*.If you make canned food at home, be sure to follow proper canning techniques to prevent botulism.
*.DO NOT feed honey to children under 1 year of age.
*.DO NOT eat wild mushrooms.
*.When traveling where contamination is morelikely, eat only hot, freshly cooked food. Drink water only if it has been boiled. DO NOT eat raw vegetables or unpeeled fruit.
*.DO NOT eat shellfish that has been exposed to red tides.
*.If you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system, DO NOT eat soft cheeses, especially soft cheeses imported from countries outside the U.S.
If other people may have eaten the food that made you sick, let them know. If you think the food was contaminated when you bought it from a store or restaurant, tell the store and your local health department.

Source:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001652.htm

Food poisoning and its complications has been in existent since time immemorial. Recently, over 20 school pupils died in India after eating contaminated food.
Likewise, the Nigerian First Lady, PEJ, dramatically lost her life and miraculously woke up from the land of the dead after undergoing series of treatments and operations in abroad. Food poisoning was the causal precedent of the first mother and lady of Nigeria predicament.

Thousands of people still lose theri life or limb due to food poisoning, let's get healthwise. Even if you are OPA OR SANYERI or EBAMMA, the treatnent and prevention measures enunciated above are practical and cost-efficient when symptoms are noticed on self-prognosis.

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Nausea and vomiting are very common symptoms that present in different types of medical conditions. They can also be caused by several conditions. Most often, nausea and vomiting are due to viral gastroenteritis or the morning sickness of early pregnancy. Click on the link below to read more.
http://www.gigihealth.com/nausea-and-vomiting-causes-of-nausea-and-vomiting/

Food poisoning symptoms vary with the source or sources of contamination. Some of the signs and symptoms include watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting etc. Click on the link below to read more.
http://www.gigihealth.com/food-poisoning-symptoms-how-long-does-food-poisoning-last/