Food poisoning

Contaminated food can lead to serious health problems.

"The belly rules the mind", so goes one saying. In an age when social congregations are the order of the day, catered food is unavoidable and there is every opportunity for an illness to be carried to various people if precautions are not taken.

Disease carrying microbes, bacteria, viruses and parasites are the common infectious agents while chemicals and toxins contaminated with food and, not uncommonly, poisonous mushrooms are the usual suspects. Unclean practices or an infected individual cooking for a group of people can also put people at risk.

Once ingested, the microbes pass through the stomach to the intestine where during the incubation period ranging from hours to few days. They start to multiply and attach themselves to the internal walls. They produce toxins which can pass through to the bloodstream or cause sloughing off of a few layers of the intestine, causing various symptoms.

The usual symptoms are diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting with abdominal cramps. As there is loss of vital salts due to repeated loose motions and vomiting, oral rehydration is attempted. In cases where there is no abating of symptoms, intravenous replacement of the fluids is done. If the stool is accompanied by cramps and interspersed with blood and mucus, the indication for replacement is high.

Treatment

Homoeopathic medicine has good remedies to counter the infection due to these agents, provide antidote to the poisonous effects of certain foods like mushrooms and help the body fight the effects of chemical contamination. Arsenic alb and Nux vomica are forerunners in settling any infection. Aloes helps when there is a bloody, mucus filled stool, Chamomilla in children when the stool is greenish, Colocynth with abdominal cramps in adults and Podophyllum when the stool is watery, profuse and frequent. Ipecac rids one of the nausea and diarrhoea. Veratrum album is the remedy when dehydration has set in as it helps in assimilation. Cuprum met is another remedy to relieve symptoms.