When we go out to eat, we confide in the restaurant to give us a great dining experience for our money, but sometimes it goes wrong. Whether it is poor service or poor quality food, any number of issues can put a strain on your dining experience. But nothing can affect you to the extent that food poisoning can.
Who is at Fault?
While some cases of food poisoning may be minor, upsetting your stomach for a few days, other cases can be much more serious. It is not always the fault of the restaurant, it could be the ingredients that they have bought from a reputable supplier. An example of this is the Great Value eggs recalled in 2019 due to cases of listeria. If a restaurant serves you these items, the fault is not theirs, but rather the food supplier. But what do you as an individual do if you have contracted food poisoning from a restaurant?
Don’t Eat Anything Else
If you feel sick after eating if you are vomiting or have diarrhea, it is important to keep your food intake down and your liquid intake up. Try sipping on ginger ale or an electrolyte-infused drink. One of the worst parts of food poisoning is dehydration, and this can affect you terribly.
By letting your stomach settle and only introducing fluids to recharge your electrolytes, you are giving your body the best fighting chance to recover from the bad food as fast as possible.
If you treat your body right, rest, and replenish your electrolytes, you should be back to normal within a day or two. Keep in mind these are for lighter symptoms, if you are suffering from fever, or intense pain, then it’s time to move on to a different approach.
See your Doctor When you Feel Extremely Sick
It is important to go see your doctor if you have severe and consistent symptoms after eating food. If you suspect you have food poisoning, it is very important to seek medical attention, as you never know what could be making you sick. While many cases don’t have serious health repercussions and often pass after a day or two, there are types of food poisoning that can leave you forever changed, or even possibly lead to death.
Because it is so difficult to tell what you are suffering from, ensuring that a health professional is diagnosing you is of the utmost importance.
Food poisoning can be a horrible experience, and depending on your symptoms, you will need to treat it in different ways. If it is a normal upset stomach, some ginger ale and rest can make you feel right as rain, however, for anything more severe it is incredibly important to see your doctor in a timely fashion, as many food poisoning cases can lead to serious complications and medical issues.
No matter the case, if you are suffering from food poisoning it is important to take care of yourself, and allow your body to rest to fight off whatever it is that is making you sick. Treat your body well and allow time to heal and fight!