Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is an infection or irritation of your digestive tract that spreads through foods or drinks. Food poisoning is most often acute, and most people get better on their own without treatment. In some cases, food poisoning leads to serious complications, such as dehydration.

Common symptoms of many types of food poisoning include diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, vomiting, pain in your abdomen, fever, and headache. Infections with viruses, bacteria, and parasites cause most food poisoning. Harmful chemicals also cause some cases of food poisoning.

Doctors often diagnose food poisoning based on your symptoms. If your symptoms are mild and last only a short time, you typically won’t need tests. In some cases, a medical history, a physical exam, stool tests, and blood tests can help diagnose food poisoning.

In most cases, you can treat food poisoning by replacing lost fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration. In some cases, over-the-counter or prescription medicines may help. You can prevent some food poisoning by properly storing, cooking, cleaning, and handling foods.

When you have food poisoning, you may lose your appetite for a short time. When your appetite returns, you can most often go back to eating your normal diet, even if you still have diarrhea. Most experts do not recommend fasting or following a restricted diet when you have diarrhea.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conduct and support research into many diseases and conditions.