Being hit with a bout of food poisoning can be extremely unpleasant. It can come on suddenly without warning and leave you wallowing in your own misery. While the condition can seemingly appear to come on suddenly, there are a few early signs and symptoms of food poisoning that you should be able to recognize.

Abdominal Cramps

One of the early signs and symptoms of food poisoning you'll get after eating tainted food is having abdominal cramps. These can begin as early as an hour after the meal. In certain cases, these can continue off and on depending on the type of infection you have. However, if the cramping doesn't ease up in a few days, it might be best to seek out medical treatment for help in easing your discomfort.

Identify The Toxin

Food poisoning can come from a variety of sources so knowing the symptoms that each type of toxin can produce can help you to know if you need to seek medical help or not. Common symptoms of food poisoning include vomiting and diarrhea. These will start early on with just about any type of toxin you consume. However, other symptoms may also be evident, which could indicate that a more severe contamination has occurred. Keep on the lookout for sweating, dizziness, excessive salivation, mental confusion, excess tearing in the eyes, and extreme stomach pain. These could be an indication of chemical poisoning or other toxins in the food supply. Common toxins from poisonous mushrooms or similar contaminants will likely produce these additional symptoms.

Botulism

Symptoms of botulism will be quite severe and could quickly develop into a life threatening condition. If you experience a partial loss of speech or blurred vision accompanied by muscle weakness and difficulty swallowing, it could be early signs of botulism. You may also have a dry mouth, muscle paralysis from the head down and vomiting. This type of food poisoning is an extremely rare form and can be very severe. These symptoms are life threatening and you'll need to seek medical help immediately.

When To See A Doctor

Most cases of food poisoning will go away on their own. The bouts of vomiting and diarrhea, excessive sweating, and producing excess saliva are the body's natural way of eliminating the toxins. However, there are cases of food poisoning that will not go away without medical treatment and can be life threatening. Knowing when to get medical help is crucial in these cases. Seek emergency medical treatment if you experience any signs of dehydration; these include dry mouth, dizziness, decreased urination, or sunken eyes.

If you have diarrhea that lasts for more than 2 days for adults or 1 day for children, severe abdominal cramping, an excessively high fever (over 102), or black, tarry or bloody stools seek medical help immediately.

Knowing the early signs and symptoms of food poisoning can help you to get the kind of help you need to have a speedy recovery and knowing the signs of more severe cases help you to know when to seek medical treatment and can actually save your life.