10 ways to get over food poisoning

Newsflash: It may not be stomach flu.

That bout of “stomach flu” that wiped you out for a week? It might really have been food poisoning. Cases aren’t necessarily tied to multistate outbreaks caused by the dairy foods, meat products, flour and raw veggies most recently investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many episodes are isolated. “Most of the time, it’s a mystery where that food poisoning arose from, or exactly when the infection occurred,” says Dr. Anthony Ng, a gastroenterologist with GI Health, a New York City practice. When food poisoning hits, nurse yourself back to health with these tips.

Getty Images/iStockphoto/Ljupco — **Recognize sudden signs.** Once food poisoning erupts, it hits quickly and hard. “One day or one minute people weren’t sick, and very soon they became ill,” says Ng, who is also an attending physician at both Mount Sinai Beth Israel and New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital. Sudden symptoms include a bloated feeling, extreme abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, cramps, watery diarrhea and fever. (Thinkstock)

Rehydrate and replenish. Food poisoning usually gets better on its own within a few days, Ng says. Drinking plenty of fluid, especially water, is the first line of treatment to replace lost fluid and prevent dehydration. Sports drinks can help replenish important electrolytes such as calcium and potassium. “When you have that type of electrolyte imbalance, you will have muscle weakness and sometimes muscle cramping,” Ng says. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP

Let it flow. People suffering from food poisoning make one common mistake. “They tend to reach for medications like Pepto-Bismol and Imodium in order to cure their diarrhea,” Ng says. “More often than not, that makes the situation worse.” Vomiting and diarrhea are the body’s natural way of eradicating an infection, he explains. (The Monacelli Press via AP)

The Monacelli Press via AP

This April 14, 2014, photo shows fattoush, a salad with pita crumble in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead) — **Avoid sickening foods.** The next rule of recovery is to stay away from certain unhelpful foods. Dairy products can exacerbate diarrhea, and greasy foods are another no-no. “We tell people to avoid foods that can make you sicker,” Ng says. “No sushi or carpaccio; no raw stuff at all.” Salads are temporarily off-limits because of the lettuce and other raw ingredients. “Anything that’s uncooked, anything that is raw or anything that is not hot or not fresh, I generally tell patients to stay away from it, at least for three to seven days,” he says. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

Raw Organic Bunch of Bananas Ready to Eat — **Do the BRAT.** Following the BRAT diet — bananas, rice, applesauce and toast — can keep people comfortable instead of queasy. It’s also a good way to replenish those electrolytes depleted by diarrhea and vomiting. Bananas are rich in potassium, and they also have binding properties, to make stool firmer and quell diarrhea. (Thinkstock)

Call your doctor. If you can’t keep food or fluid down, call your health care provider. “That, to me, is a differentiating critical point for treating the patient at home versus sending them to the hospital or sometimes having them hanging out in our office to give them some I.V. fluid,” Ng says. Patients might also receive medicine to relieve nausea or cramping. The threshold is lower for kids to see their family doctor or pediatrician. “There is definitely more of a risk in children of becoming dehydrated when they fall sick and have vomiting and diarrhea,” he says. (Thinkstock)

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**Show extra caution with seniors.** It’s safer for older adults suffering from food poisoning to see a doctor. “Anybody who is frail and elderly, meaning above 75 years old, who has [coexisting] illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease or kidney disease, should definitely err on the side of caution,” Ng says. (Thinkstock)

Be aware of special considerations. Depending on the cause of the infection, symptom severity and individual health situations, a minority of sicker patients may eventually require antibiotics to get better. Pregnant women who suspect they have food poisoning should talk to their health care providers. Women are more vulnerable to infection during pregnancy, so foodborne illnesses can affect them more severely, potentially causing complications. (Thinkstock)

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