The majority of food poisoning cases are usually mild and will improve in just a matter of a few days even without medical treatment. Our bodies are amazing machines and given enough time they can heal themselves if the illness is not extreme. With food poisoning, the average course of recovery is merely one to three days. But what happens when the condition seems to linger for longer than that? A bout of food poisoning is an unpleasant experience to say the least. If you want to speed up the recovery and at least begin to feel better sooner then you might want to know what are the best treatment options for food poisoning.
What Not To Do
The most common symptoms of food poisoning are vomiting and diarrhea. Both of these can be quite unpleasant and your first instinct may be to get some medication to stop the process. However, if you understand how your immune system works you'll encourage these symptoms to run their full course. Your immune system's sole responsibility is to rid the body of the offending organism and with food poisoning it is expelled through vomiting and diarrhea. Your body is unable to properly digest the contaminant and it is causing irritation to your digestive system. By taking medication to stop this process you are forcing the contaminant to remain in your system where it can do further damage to your health.
Each time you have a spell of vomiting or diarrhea, you will feel noticeably better. But your digestive system is still irritated so you need to avoid causing even more irritation. One of the best treatment options for food poisoning is to avoid taking in anything that can exacerbate the problem. This includes greasy foods, anything caffeinated, and any extremely sweet foods. For some people this may also include temporarily eliminating dairy products from your diet as well.
What To Do
As soon as you are able, you need to begin rehydrating yourself. You've lost a lot of fluids and may be on your way to dehydration but you don't want to gulp down liquids as you may have done before. Start by taking small sips of water or clear liquids until you can drink more often. If possible look for liquids that are rich in electrolytes as they will help to replenish the nutrients you may have lost as well.
Remember the acronym B.R.A.T. It is important to eat plain foods that are rich in nutrients. These include bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. These foods do not have any irritants that can cause a knee jerk reaction to your system and can help you to regain the strength that was lost while you were ill.
If you find that you cannot keep foods or liquids down, even the bland ones, it may be time to seek medical help. Intravenous hydration may be necessary. Getting food poisoning is no laughing matter. Anyone who has ever experienced it knows that it can be a painful and extremely uncomfortable condition. But by making sure that you understand the best treatment options for food poisoning you can avoid having a relapse and get yourself back on your feet again much quicker.