Hyderabad: The cases of foodborne illness and digestive problems mostly increase during summer. One of which is also food poisoning. Food poisoning, usually occurs due to excessive heat, eating or drinking contaminated food or juice kept outside in the open, and eating food contaminated by bacteria and other insects, moths, or flies-mosquitoes around.
Dr Sukhbir Singh, a physician from Chandigarh, says that a contaminated diet and unhygienic conditions are usually responsible for food poisoning or other food-borne illness. He explains that it is not that such problems are not experienced during other seasons. Food poisoning cases are seen in every season, but germs, bacteria, or parasites become more active in the summer season, and due to this the food gets spoiled or contaminated quickly. At the same time, insects like flies, mosquitoes or cockroaches, etc. become more troubling in this season and they also contaminate the food. In such situations, the consumption of contaminated food sometimes becomes the cause of problems like food poisoning.
He explains that food poisoning is a type of stomach infection for which Staphylococcus, E. Coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Clostridium, etc. caused by many viruses or bacteria are responsible. In most cases, food poisoning is also attributed to the excessive production of a toxin called botulism in the body, which is made in our body by the consumption of bacteria or virus-borne food or food containing toxic elements. Botulism is also considered the most common type of food poisoning.
At the same time, people whose digestive system is weak also often have this problem. In this condition, it usually gets cured automatically by taking some precautions. Dr Sukhbir explains that sometimes weak immunity is also responsible for this type of disease. If the body's immunity is strong, then in most cases, either the bacteria or virus reaching the body due to diet does not show much effect on the digestive system or other systems of the body. Whereas even if such a problem occurs, the patient does not have to face its more serious effects.
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He explains that generally, unhealthy diet, unhealthy lifestyle, and negligence in cleanliness are responsible for problems like food poisoning. Some of the reasons which are generally considered to be mainly responsible for this are as follows:
- Eating contaminated, undercooked, or stale food.
- Using unclean or contaminated water for cooking. Not washing vegetables properly with clean water before cooking or eating fruits.
- Consuming spoiled dairy products like stale curd, stale milk, etc.
- Not washing meats properly before cooking them, or undercooking them.
- Not covering food items properly.
- Not taking care of necessary hygiene in the kitchen, while cooking, eating, and where food is eaten.
- Consuming food from roadside carts or places where food items are not covered, where there is a lot of dust and dirt, and where there are more flies and other insects.
- Drinking juice or any beverage from an unhygienic place.
- Not washing hands properly before preparing food or eating anything, etc.
He says that abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea are considered the most common symptoms of food poisoning. But apart from these, there are some symptoms that can be noticed when this problem occurs, which are as follows:
- Indigestion with severe abdominal pain or cramping.
- Chills and low or high fever.
- Feeling very tired and weak.
- Blood in stool.
- Headaches.
- Dry mouth.
- Dehydration.
- Decreased or no urination, etc.
Dr Sukhbir explains that to avoid food poisoning or any other type of food illness, it is necessary to take care of some things related to diet and hygiene. Some of these are as follows:
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap before preparing and eating food.
- Make sure that all vegetables are thoroughly washed before cooking, and fruits should also be washed well before consumption. Fruits like mango, apple, watermelon, melon, grapes, and papaya must be soaked in water for some time before eating.
- The kitchen should be clean and there should be no cockroaches and flies around.
- Food should be well cooked.
- Always keep food in a clean container. And never leave food uncovered on the kitchen table.
- Whether at home or outside, do not eat stale food or food that has been kept in the open for a long time and has passed its expiry date.
- If there are pets in the house, then take more care of cleanliness and hygiene.
- Consume water, fresh juice, buttermilk, coconut water, and decaffeinated tea as much as possible during the summer season. If you are going to a shop to drink juice or shakes, then make sure the place is clean.
- As far as possible, eat only fresh, light, and digestible homemade food in your regular diet.
Dr Sukhbir explains that sometimes negligence or not getting timely treatment can cause serious conditions for patients with food poisoning. Food poisoning can become a serious problem, especially for the elderly, children, pregnant women, and people whose immune systems are weak. This is why it is very important that on seeing its common symptoms, a doctor should be consulted immediately. Along with the treatment, the diet and other necessary precautions prescribed by the doctor should be adopted.
