When you are incredibly sick, you have to either see your regular doctor, visit the emergency room or walk into a local urgent care center. Since your primary care provides likely requires an appointment and emergency rooms can be crowded, visiting an urgent care clinic may be your best move. These centers are excellent resources for treating common injuries and illnesses. One common sickness that might warrant a trip to your walk-in clinic is a case of food poisoning.
Sometimes it can be difficult to know when to see a medical professional when you have food poisoning. While it usually takes many hours for symptoms of food poisoning to show up, it can potentially take days. The contamination that occurs that causes the food to be tainted can happen at any time during the food production process. However, the preparation and cooking of the food is a common culprit. Somewhere along the way, the food has been contaminated, which can allow bacteria, a virus or a parasitic into your body.
Some of the more common symptoms of food poisoning include:
When it comes to the severity of the symptoms, it will simply depend on the type of contaminant in your body. Also, how much tainted food you ate can affect your level of sickness.
Your body can naturally fight off minor cases of food poisoning. While you may feel sick or be in pain, you will eventually overcome the illness. For minor cases, be sure to drink plenty of fluids since dehydration can occur from multiple bowel movements. Try to get nutrients into your system through sports drinks or vitamin-enriched drinks. Eat simple foods like toast to prevent upsetting your stomach any further.
While it is not always necessary to visit an urgent care center when you have food poisoning, certain symptoms can be dangerous. Urgent care services are necessary when there is blood in the stool, when diarrhea lasts for more than three days or when you have been vomiting for more than two days. Get medical help if you have a fever over 101.5° F or when you are feeling dehydrated.
Urgent care services are also recommended for those who are included in high-risk groups. Food poisoning can cause high-risk people to have severe reactions. High-risk groups include young children, older adults, pregnant women and anyone who has been diagnosed with a chronic disease such as diabetes.
If you think you ate bad food, try to stay hydrated and eat simple foods that will not upset your stomach. If you notice any of the more severe symptoms of food poisoning, then visit our urgent care center. We welcome walk-in patients and can help you overcome the pain, cramps and dehydration caused by the tainted food.
Call us today at (281) 946-1351 for more information from Eldridge Urgent Care & Family Medicine.
Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Read our Yelp reviews.
Wondering when you need to get a health check up? Read on to learn more. Many people avoid seeking medical attention for minor health issues. If the headache disappears in a few hours or your fever subsides automatically after a short while, then there is perhaps no need to visit the doctor’s office for a…
Blood testing can reveal a wealth of information about one’s health. Urgent care and primary care doctors use it to screen, diagnose, and monitor treatment for various diseases. Here is why a doctor may recommend that a patient have a blood test.To perform blood testing, the healthcare provider will take several vials of blood from…
Immunizations, also known as vaccines, are injections that can prevent serious illness and improve individual health. Immunizations and vaccinations have helped prevent diseases that once spread rapidly through communities and killed infants and young children. Children who have had vaccinations against these contagious illnesses show improved health and wellness over time. Their enhanced immunity also…
If you suffer injuries to your ankle, you need urgent care. However, it may be difficult to determine if it is a sprain (a torn or stretched tendon or ligament) or a break. In any scenario, here is what you should remember: A break and a fracture will limit your mobility and cause inflammation, bruising…
Wondering when you need to get a health check up? Read on to learn more.
Here is why a doctor may recommend that a patient have a blood test.
Immunizations, also known as vaccines, are injections that can prevent serious illness and improve individual…
If you have hurt your ankle, do not subject it to further strain. The pain…
Thinking about blood testing? Getting certain blood tests will help you understand your health, which…
Maintaining heart health is one of the most important things that a person can do,…
