All types of c contain certain amount of bacteria. However, more bacteria get into the food due to poor handling, poor cooking or unhygienic storing. Food may also contain parasites, toxins, viruses and chemicals that can cause an illness. This makes it necessary for a person to be able to carry out food borne illness first aid because the illnesses can occur at any time unexpectedly. Symptoms and signs of food poisoning differ depending on the source of contamination and the cause of the illness. Some of the major symptoms of food poisoning include:
- Nausea
- Dehydration
- abdominal pain
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
With severe dehydration, the victim develops rapid heartbeat or may even faint. The extent of the illness resulting from poisoning is determined by organisms, the amount of toxin one is exposed to, age and the health status of an individual. The most vulnerable groups of people include:
- Elderly. As a person gets older, the immune system of the body becomes weak and may fail to respond or fight infectious organisms as when a person is younger.
- Infants. The high vulnerability of infants is because their immune system is still weak.
- Patients with chronic illnesses. People with chronic conditions such as AIDS, diabetes or those receiving radiation or chemotherapy for cancer have a weak immune system that makes them prone to food illnesses.
Food Borne Illness First Aid
If you realize that a person has developed an illness because of food, you should make the person rest and give him or her lot of fluids. You should never give anti-diarrhea medications when giving food borne illness first aid because they tend to slow the process of bacterial elimination from the body system.
When to call for EMS?
Even as you give food borne illness first aid, it is advisable to call for emergency in case of the following.
- The victim develops severe symptoms, for instance, bloody stool within twenty four hours.
- If the patient you are giving first aid belongs to one of the above high risk groups.
- In case you suspect that the poisoning may have been as a result of botulism because this is a fatal poison that can cause death immediately. As you give food borne illness first aid, you need to be able to detect symptoms such as weakness of the muscles, blurred vision, headache and paralysis. These are signs that require immediate medical attention.