Sunday, August 18, 2013

Summer Food Poisoning Cures


Food poisoning is a common illness. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 1 in 6 people in the US get sick from bad food or drink. In 2001, they reported about 48 million illnesses, resulting in 128,000 Americans hospitalized, and over 3,000 deaths each year from food poisoning. Food poisoning is also common in the summer because of picnic foods being left out too long in the sun. Before looking at food poisoning cures, we should become familiar with symptoms and causes.

Causes:

  1. Infectious Agents- viruses, bacteria, and parasites are the most common of these agents

  2. Toxic Agents- poisonous mushrooms, improperly prepared exotic foods (for example, barracuda), pesticides on fruits and vegetables, also poor sanitation in food preparation or improperly packaged or food stored at wrong temperatures can promote contamination.

Salmonella is the most common type of food poisoning. It is seldom fatal; however, it is contagious, easily leading to multiple cases (outbreak).

Typical symptoms of food poisoning are:

  • Nausea

  • Vomiting

  • Abdominal pain and cramping

  • Diarrhea quickly developing within 48 hours of eating or drinking the contaminated food or drink.

If food poisoning is not treated early, further complications can become very serious and life-threatening:

  • Fever

  • Chills

  • Bloody Stools

  • Dehydration

  • Nervous system damage

You should seek immediate medical help if any of the following situations occur:

  • If you have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea for longer than 2 days

  • If the ill person is a child under the age of three

  • If the ill person is pregnant or nursing

  • If abdominal symptoms are accompanied by a low-grade fever

  • If the symptoms appear after foreign travel

  • If other family members or friends who ate the same thing as you are also sick

  • If you cannot keep any liquids down

  • If you are drinking lots of fluids, but your condition has not improved in 2 days

  • If the ill person has a condition that weakens the body's immune system

  • If you can't take your regular prescription medications due to vomiting

  • If the ill person shows symptoms of nervous system disturbance, such as slurred speech, double vision, muscle weakness, or difficulty swallowing

  • If the ill person passes out, is dizzy, or has vision problems

  • If a fever is greater than 101 degrees and includes abdominal symptoms

  • Sharp or cramping pain lasting longer than 10 - 15 minutes

  • If the stomach or abdomen is swollen

  • If the eyes or skin appear yellow (jaundice)

  • Bloody stool or vomiting blood

  • Decreased or no urination, or dark-colored urine

  • Problems breathing, swallowing, or speaking

  • Joints swell or a skin rash appears

Often, minor food poisoning will pass within a few days, and there may be relief from many of the symptoms by doing some of the following:

  • Clear liquid only diet. Avoid food for a few days, and also avoid sugary liquids, as they will make diarrhea worse. Some of the children's electrolyte-replacement fluids, such as Pedialyte, are good for this. Most of the sport drinks are too sugary.

  • Antibiotics, in some cases, will make it worse; sometimes complicating the illness.

  • With toxic agent poisoning, often medical treatment is required: IV fluids, emergency intervention for life-threatening situations (such as stomach pumping), and antidotes, like activated charcoal

  • Stop eating all solid foods. Drink plenty of purified water.

  • Take one or more of the following:

  • Natural Cellular Deference (NCD)- Zeolites: this is a diuretic/detoxification liquid. Put 3-5 drops in juice.

  • Drink plenty of these very acidic juices:

Apple cider vinegar - 2 tablespoons on an empty stomach

Lemon juice- drink the juice from 4 lemons straight

Camu camu- 翻 Tablespoon in 翻 cup of purified water.

You must rinse your teeth with baking soda immediately after drinking any of these juices, as they will damage tooth enamel.

3. Grapefruit seed extract- a few drops in one of the above juices

4. Garlic- cut up 1 clove and swallow with lots of water

5. Coloidal silver- This is a natural antibiotic. Take as directed.

6. Goldenseal Root- 1-2 capsules and 3 more an hour later. Drink lots of water. This is also a diuretic.

7. Charcoal- If you don't have any around, toast some bread dark, and eat dry slowly with a lot of water.

In general, food poisoning cure-alls involve plenty of hydration and electrolyte replenishment, rest, and a clear liquid diet for a few days. When beginning to eat food again, go slowly at first, and with mild, bland foods.

No comments:

Post a Comment