Food poisoning can happen to anyone who swallows contaminated food. Most people recover on their own, but some can become gravely ill. You’re more at risk if you’re pregnant, older than 65 or have a weakened immune system. Young children are also more at risk, especially from dehydration.
Food poisoning occurs when you eat contaminated food. Contaminated means it’s infected with a toxic organism, like a bacterium, fungus, parasite or virus. Sometimes, the toxic byproducts of these organisms can cause food poisoning.
When you eat something toxic, your body reacts to purge the toxins. You may purge through vomiting, diarrhea or both. You may also develop a fever. The uncomfortable symptoms of food poisoning are your body’s way of working to return to health. It usually works in a day or two.
Anyone can get food poisoning if they eat contaminated food, but some people are more likely to get sick from contamination than others. It depends on how much of the toxin they ingested and how concentrated it was.
Your overall health plays a role in your risk of getting food poisoning, too. Your immune system fends off infections all the time, and you don’t even know about it. Even with sanitary food handling practices, there’s usually a small amount of contamination in your food. It becomes “poisonous” when your immune system reaches its threshold.
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It can be hard to tell where an infection came from, especially if it took some days to develop symptoms. You may be able to trace it back to something you ate if:
The most common food poisoning symptoms include:
It depends on the type of infection. Some of the most common bacterial infections can take hold within a few hours. Others need time to incubate in your system before they become toxic. Some infections may take a few days, and some can take a few weeks.
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You get it by eating or drinking contaminated food, water or other beverages. Food can become contaminated at any stage of production, from harvesting to storage to cooking or preparation. Contamination occurs when food isn’t:
Food poisoning occurs everywhere. But it’s especially easy to get it when traveling abroad, where you might encounter germs that you wouldn’t at home. When you get it this way, it’s sometimes called traveler’s diarrhea.
Things that may contaminate food and water include:
There are more than 250 specific types of food poisoning. Some of the most common causes include:
The infection can spread from you to another person if they come into contact with your germs. Germs can spread through tiny particles of vomit or poop that linger on surfaces or on fingers and then transfer to another person’s food or mouth.
You may be more likely to get sick from food poisoning — or have a more severe reaction to food poisoning — if your immune system isn’t as strong as average. Things that can impact your immunity include:
While complications from food poisoning are rare, they can be severe and, in some cases, even fatal. Severe dehydration is the most common risk, but some specific types of infections can cause other specific complications. For example:
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Your healthcare provider will ask you about your symptoms and what you’ve had to eat and drink recently. If you have particular symptoms, they may want to take a poop sample or give you a blood test to check for particular parasites or bacteria.
In most cases, you can manage food poisoning through supportive therapy at home by simply staying hydrated. You lose a lot of fluids through diarrhea, vomiting and fever. Staying hydrated is the most important thing you can do to support your body while it does its work.
Food poisoning treatment may include hydration formulas like Pedialyte™ or any form of hydration that has balanced electrolytes, which can be helpful when you’re sick. These formulas help fluids and important electrolytes stay in your body longer. If you or your child are having trouble keeping fluids down or showing signs of dehydration, you might need to go to the hospital for IV fluids.
Certain types of infections may require antibiotics. Your healthcare provider will work to determine if you have one of these types. Most of the time, antibiotics aren’t necessary. In some situations, antibiotics can even make food poisoning worse.
Healthcare providers don’t typically prescribe antidiarrheal medications for food poisoning because they can prolong the illness. But you may be able to relieve some of your symptoms with over-the-counter (OTC) bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto Bismol®).
Safe food handling practices are the most important way to prevent food poisoning. Those who harvest, handle and prepare food need to be alert at every stage of the process to prevent contamination. For example:
In addition, your public health department makes an effort to control food poisoning by informing citizens of possible outbreaks. Pay attention to public announcements of food recalls. If you get food poisoning, report it.
Most people will recover without intervention in a few days. If you or someone in your care has a particularly severe reaction to food poisoning, you might need medical intervention. The most common reason for this is dehydration, especially in those who are under 5, over 65, pregnant or have compromised immune systems.
Most of the time, food poisoning passes within 24 to 48 hours. That’s how long it takes for a healthy body to purge the infection. It may last longer depending on how much toxin is in your system, if you have a weakened immune system, or if you have a parasite that requires treatment with antiparasitic drugs.
Stay home, if possible, for at least 24 hours after a fever. Make sure to let your school or workplace know about the infection, especially if you or your child got an infection while you were there.
You may want to let your stomach settle for a while before introducing food or drinks. Try sucking on ice chips to stay hydrated without overwhelming your stomach. Fruit juice ice pops or gelatin are other options that can offer you nutrients, electrolytes and calories for energy.
When you feel prepared to begin eating again, start with small bites of bland foods. Some broth and crackers or toast would be a great choice. The sodium and water content in the broth can help you rehydrate, while the crackers can add bulk to your poop.
Certain foods and drinks can make food poisoning worse, including:
Call your healthcare provider if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding (chestfeeding), or if you’re caring for a child under 5 or a person over 65 who’s having trouble keeping fluids down. People in these age groups are more at risk for complications from dehydration. Call if you or your child have any unusual symptoms, like:
A note from Cleveland Clinic
You probably feel awful right now. Diarrhea, vomiting, fever. All of these are symptoms of food poisoning that mean your body is trying to purge the toxin that has taken over. The good news is that food poisoning usually runs its course in a day or two. Just focus on staying hydrated and letting your body fight it off. If your condition persists or you develop more severe symptoms, see your healthcare provider for treatment.
Last reviewed on 06/26/2024.
Learn more about the Health Library and our editorial process.
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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy