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If you’re like most people, you know better than to eat those leftovers that have been sitting out too long. You certainly know better than to consume ground beef and other meats that haven’t been cooked thoroughly enough to kill any bacteria in the food. Foodborne pathogens can make you very sick, and it makes sense to steer clear as best you can to protect your good health.
But what happens when foodborne illness strikes despite your best efforts?
Cases of Americans getting very sick from contaminated foods seem to be on the rise. In 2023 alone, the CDC investigated a very long list of foodborne disease outbreaks across multiple states, and some of the offending foods might surprise you – peaches, leafy greens, and even ice cream were linked to listeria, while onions, cantaloupes, and flour were linked to salmonella outbreaks.1
Did you know that even cookie dough can be a problem? In 2023, a salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 26 people was connected to cookie dough that contained bacteria picked up during the manufacturing process. And at the end of the year, granola bars and other products made by Quaker Oats were recalled for potential contamination with salmonella, though fortunately, no illnesses were reported among consumers.
Keep in mind that these outbreaks and recalls are only those that have made the news headlines. Many illnesses linked to bad food can be found in localized areas, such as a group of people who get sick after eating at a certain restaurant on a particular day.
Because many cases are unreported, no one knows for sure how many people get sickened by foodborne illnesses, but the CDC estimates that 48 million people get food poisoning every year. Out of those, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 people lose their lives.
While those who are otherwise in good health can usually weather a bout of food poisoning with no long-term effects, it’s often a different story for seniors and the elderly. Understanding food poisoning is the first step to protecting yourself. Here’s what you need to know.
The Basics of Food Poisoning
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, food poisoning is “an infection or irritation of your digestive tract that spreads through food or drinks.” Most food poisoning is caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites, but some chemicals can also contaminate your food.2
The most common culprits are salmonella, listeria, and E. coli. These bacteria cause similar symptoms so you might never know which one affected you unless your illness is part of a confirmed outbreak that has led to testing of food and the people who were sickened by it. In most cases, what is actually causing the illness doesn’t matter much, because the illness will run its course regardless.
Food poisoning often results in severe symptoms, but those symptoms happen suddenly and last for only a short time. Food poisoning usually lasts a day or two, or perhaps up to a week in more severe cases. Most people recover at home without any medical intervention and are left with only an awful memory to mark the illness.
Basic symptoms might include:
· Diarrhea
· Stomach cramps
· Nausea
· Vomiting
· Fever
· Chills
These usually peak in severity at about 24 hours after eating the contaminated food, but they might linger or turn into something more serious. Fatigue and weakness could result, as well as lightheadedness, dizziness, and loss of appetite.
If you are feeling any sort of symptoms from food poisoning, using a medical alert system with fall detection can provide strong peace of mind. If the illness turns serious, simply press the button to get help fast.
The Complications of Food Poisoning for Seniors and the Elderly
Food poisoning leads to several issues but the most serious is being unable to keep fluids in your body. As you vomit or suffer from diarrhea in the wake of food poisoning, you lose a wealth of fluids and electrolytes. Those fluids must be replaced or you will become dehydrated.
Dehydration can be deadly for seniors. When you’re dehydrated, your body doesn’t work properly – every cell is starved for fluid, and that can lead to organ damage.
Watch out for these symptoms:
· Extreme thirst
· Dry mouth
· Urinating less than usual
· Urine that is a dark color
· Fainting
· Dizziness
· Weakness
· Sunken eyes or cheeks
· Decreased skin turgor (pinch and release the skin; it doesn’t bounce back to normal right away as you would usually expect it to)
At this point, hydration with water and electrolytes can reverse the problems caused by dehydration. But if it gets worse, you might need medical intervention. These symptoms are the mark of a true emergency:
· High fever
· Vomiting that won’t cease
· Watery diarrhea more than six times a day or that lasts for more than three days
· Severe pain in the abdomen or rectum
· Stools that contain blood or pus
· Problems with your nervous system
· Changes in mental state
· Significant fatigue
If these symptoms are present, talk to your doctor right away. If you are wearing a personal alarm button, now is the time to press that button and get help from the trained professionals at the monitoring center.
Other Problems of Food Poisoning
Dehydration can contribute to hemolytic uremic syndrome. This happens when red blood cells are destroyed during illness and block the kidneys from filtering the blood properly. The result can be a sudden loss of kidney function. If this happens, it is usually caused by an infection of E. coli bacteria, though other bacteria might also lead to the condition.
Other problems from different types of food poisoning can include:
· Irritable bowel syndrome that is triggered by viruses, bacteria, or parasites.
· Problems breathing as a result of botulism contamination. This is a rare type of food poisoning that can affect the nervous system and paralyze the muscles your body uses to breathe.
· Reactive arthritis is a form of arthritis that can be triggered by food poisoning.
· Guillain-Barre syndrome is another rare problem that can occur due to certain bacteria or viruses.
These issues require medical intervention, especially for seniors and the elderly, as these conditions can be much worse in older adults. That’s why it’s so important to take any bout of food poisoning very seriously and get to the doctor if you ever feel as though the problem is lasting longer or is more severe than it should be.
How to Avoid Foodborne Illness
The best approach concerning food poisoning is to prevent it from happening in the first place, whenever possible. Though most of us are well aware of some of the basics, such as avoiding eating food that hasn’t been thoroughly cooked, you might be taking some risks that could surprise you.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, the following tips can help you avoid foodborne illness:3
· Wash your hands thoroughly. This might seem like a no-brainer, but many people will forget to wash their hands often as they prepare food. You should wash your hands before you begin cooking, anytime you touch raw foods, or when you switch from preparing one food to preparing another.
· Take care when handling raw foods. Poultry, seafood, and meat are the biggest culprits for potential food poisoning, so always use caution when handling these items and preparing them for consumption. Make sure raw foods never come into contact with cooked foods. That includes taking care not to use the same utensils or plates with raw food as you do with cooked food.
· Use a food thermometer. Make sure your food is cooked to the temperature recommended by experts. For instance, chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and hamburgers should reach 160 degrees inside the patty. A good rule of thumb: If your food is still pink, it’s not cooked well enough to be safe.
· Remember the two hour rule. Food should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours, max. Keep food warm or chilled, depending upon how it’s meant to be served. Hot food should be kept at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or above, while cold food should be kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Be especially careful with foods like rice and potatoes that are known to cause severe illness if not temperature-controlled properly.
That’s what you can do to protect yourself from food poisoning at home. Here are some ways to protect yourself from potential food contamination in packaged items.
· Pay attention to recalls. If a company recalls a particular food, that’s because they discovered a pathogen of some sort that could have contaminated the food during the manufacturing or packaging process. If you have any of the foods subject to the recall, follow the recall instructions on how to handle that – in most cases, you will be asked to throw the food out and you might get a refund if you have the original packaging and receipts.
· Understand what the recall means. Sometimes a food is recalled because it has possibly been contaminated and could make you sick. But sometimes the recall is due to an undeclared ingredient. For instance, a food might be recalled because it contains eggs that weren’t listed on the ingredients summary. But if you aren’t allergic to eggs, this recall won’t concern you – your food is safe to eat.
Finally, remember that food poisoning is often “invisible” and cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted, so it can occur even if you take the best precautions. This is especially true if you are eating at a restaurant, where you have no control over the preparations. If you begin to show signs of food poisoning, immediately begin drinking more water to stay well-hydrated and take steps to feel better. Now is the time to rest as much as you can and pay close attention to how you feel.
A medical alert bracelet or wristband is always a great idea at any time for seniors and elderly adults, but it can truly be a life-saver in the event of emergency. If you are dealing with food poisoning and fighting some of the side effects, such as feeling dizzy or weak, pressing the button can provide you with peace of mind that help is on the way.
