Warning signs that you have food poisoning during Tet

Tet is the time of the year to gather and eat the most. However, behind the full tray of “specialties”, “homemade items”, or eye-catching colorful foods are countless potential health risks, the most common of which is poisoning.

According to Dr. Doctor Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital, food poisoning is a disease that occurs after eating food containing toxins or microorganisms harmful to health. In essence, food provides nutrients but in many unfortunate cases is a “intermediary” carrying microorganisms, toxins or chemicals that cause disease.

The causes of poisoning are very diverse, but can be divided into three main groups. The first is due to microorganisms and microbial toxins, mainly bacteria – which are the most common group. The second is toxic food, which means the organism itself contains toxins, such as some poisonous mushrooms, puffer fish, or other strange creatures that are rarely used as food.

Third, food is contaminated with chemicals, which can happen at any stage: from production, transportation, storage, processing until it reaches the table. These can be plant protection chemicals, preservatives, food additives, or even chemicals added intentionally or by mistake.

Dr. Nguyen said that the most typical sign of poisoning is that two or more people have the same symptoms after eating the same food, while the person who did not eat does not get sick. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, appearing within a few hours to a few days after eating. However, in many cases, when a person eats it, that person is poisoned.

You need to go to a medical facility immediately if you have severe signs such as vomiting, diarrhea causing a lot of dehydration or vomiting so much that you can’t drink, continuous high fever, severe abdominal pain, or frequent, continuous pain. Symptoms of severe infection or dehydration include fatigue, chills, low blood pressure, and decreased urination.

Symptoms are not digestive and belong to other organs such as nerves (sensory disorders, muscle weakness, paralysis, drowsiness, coma, convulsions…), mental disorders, cardiovascular disorders (increased blood pressure, low blood pressure, heart rate too fast, too slow or irregular), difficulty breathing, hepatobiliary, urinary, jaundice.

Cases can be monitored at home when there is little vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, can drink water on their own, have mild or no fever and symptoms tend to gradually improve.

Doctor Nguyen warns that many families pre-cook, store food for many days, and cook it over and over again, which is a common mistake. Therefore, to prevent food poisoning, try to eat cooked food and drink boiled food. After processing, you should eat it soon, do not leave it out in the environment for too long. After eating, if you want to preserve it, you should boil it again before preserving it.

Raw and cooked foods must be separated, including processing utensils. Store at the correct temperature, do not leave in the refrigerator for too long. Food stored in the refrigerator should only be stored until the next day; if stored in the freezer, it may take longer. Processing and storage areas are protected from rats and insects. Clean kitchen surfaces, clean hands.

Additionally, people only eat popular foods that have been reliably documented to be safe. With strange, rare creatures that few people eat, no one can guarantee whether they are poisonous or not, what diseases they carry, and how to prepare them safely. Not only animals, but also strange trees and fruits also pose similar risks.