Food Poisoning and Safe Food Handling

Call 911 or other emergency services right away if:

• You have signs of severe dehydration. These include little or no urine; sunken eyes, no tears, and a dry mouth and tongue; fast breathing and heartbeat; feeling very dizzy or lightheaded; and not feeling or acting alert.
• You think you may have food poisoning from a canned food and you have symptoms of botulism (blurred or double vision, trouble swallowing or breathing, and muscle weakness).

Call your doctor immediately if:

• You have severe diarrhea (large amounts of loose stool every 1 to 2 hours) that lasts longer than 2 days if you are an adult.
• You have vomiting that lasts longer than 1 day if you are an adult.
• You are pregnant and believe that you have been exposed to Reference listeriosis or Reference toxoplasmosis Opens New Window. To learn more, see the topic Reference Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy.
• You have sudden, severe belly pain.

Talk to your doctor if:

• You have symptoms of mild dehydration (dry mouth, dark urine, not much urine) that get worse even with home treatment.
• You have a fever.
• You aren't feeling better after 1 week of home treatment.

If you think you have eaten contaminated food, your local Poison Control Center can answer questions and provide information on what to do next. Poison Control Centers are usually listed with other emergency numbers in your telephone book.

Children, pregnant women, and people with long-lasting (chronic) conditions, such as Reference diabetes Opens New Window, are more likely to have severe dehydration and should be watched closely for symptoms.

Watchful waiting

Watchful waiting is a period of time during which you and your doctor observe your symptoms or condition without using medical treatment.

Watchful waiting may be appropriate if you have diarrhea, stomach cramps, and other symptoms of stomach flu (Reference gastroenteritis Opens New Window). Most people recover from these gastrointestinal illnesses at home in several days without medical treatment. Likewise, some cases of bacterial food poisoning are mild and pass in several days. But if diarrhea is severe or lasts longer than a week, call your doctor for advice.

Who to see

Health professionals who are able to diagnose and treat food poisoning include:

• Reference Family medicine doctors Opens New Window.
• Primary care doctors.
• Reference Internists Opens New Window.
• Reference Pediatricians Opens New Window.
• Reference Physician assistants Opens New Window.
• Reference Nurse practitioners Opens New Window.

You may be referred to a Reference gastroenterologist Opens New Window if your symptoms are persistent or severe.

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Reference Making the Most of Your Appointment.

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This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Reference Terms of Use. Reference How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.