

What is food poisoning?
Food Poisoning is caused by bacteria and toxins in contaminated food which can result in :
- Nausea / Vomiting
- Abdominal pain or discomfort
- Diarrhoea
- Fever & tiredness
How to treat food poisoning at home
- Hydrate with lots of plain water of isotonic drinks such as H2O
- Helps maintain body balance of water and electrolytes. Isotonic drinks have glucose, this helps to provide you with enough energy to fight the infection even if you are unable to take in any solid food.
- Have smaller and more frequent meals
- Stomach and intestines are inflamed and often bloated. Digestion of the food might be impaired where small amount of food intake is often better tolerated. Taking it frequently can provide a steady source of energy.
- Avoid foods that are oily, spicy or dairy products
- Stimulating food types that can further irritate your digestive system - and hence may provoke more vomiting and diarrhoea or just pure burning, cramping discomfort to your gut.
Get medical attention when...
- Diarrhea has blood
- Persistent vomiting for more than 12 hours
- Giddiness
- Severe abdominal pain
- Persistent fever
By : Dr Chen Yiming
Family Physician, MBBS (Singapore), GDFM (NUS), GDFP Dermatology (NUS)