If you’re looking for a fun, family-friendly activity to kick off the end of the summer, a BBQ may be high on your to-do list. Cooking out on the grill is a great way to spend some quality time outside and relax with a home-cooked meal. However, cases of food poisoning are high during the summer season, so it is important to know how to safely handle your food if you’re planning on grilling this summer. This article will review causes of food poisoning, common symptoms, and treatment options so that you can enjoy the last few weeks of the BBQ season.
Food poisoning can cause severe illness. If you’re feeling sick, AFC Urgent Care Medford can help. Our walk-in urgent care clinic in Medford, MA, offers same-day care for common ailments like food poisoning. Our board-certified medical providers are available to provide rapid care on a walk-in basis 7 days a week. Simply walk into the clinic when it’s convenient, or save your spot online in advance below.
What Causes Food Poisoning?
Food poisoning occurs when you ingest bacteria or viruses. This most commonly occurs when you consume undercooked foods, because the cooking process kills off most viruses and bacteria. Your food can be exposed to various contaminants during the preparation, packaging or storage of your food.
Food poisoning symptoms can be severe because your body is trying to purge the contaminant from your body. This usually causes intense symptoms, including:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Chills
- Body aches
- Headaches
- Severe dehydration
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
Understanding the Link Between Food Poisoning and BBQs
Cooking food on a grill can sometimes increase your risk of food poisoning due to a few different reasons. Firstly, improper food storage is a common cause of food poisoning. If you’re grilling meat, always be sure to leave the meat in the fridge until you’re ready to grill. Having the meat outside or left at room temperature for too long can cause it to grow bacteria. Cross-contamination between meats and other foods is also a common cause of food poisoning. Never put a marinade that was used on a raw piece of meat onto a fully cooked item because it could transfer contaminants. Lastly, undercooked meat poses a large food poisoning risk. If you like your meat cooked rare, you aren’t fully heating the meat to a high enough temperature to kill off any potential contaminants.
Treatment Options for Food Poisoning
Food poisoning symptoms typically appear within 24 to 28 hours after consuming contaminated food. Symptoms can be severe; however, they typically resolve very quickly. In most cases, food poisoning symptoms will resolve after 24 hours. If your symptoms are severe or last more than 2 days, you should seek medical care. If left untreated, severe cases can cause dehydration and other complications, which may need medical treatment. Your medical provider will be able to administer fluids and give you medications to control your symptoms so that your body can recover.
Walk Into AFC Medford for Food Poisoning Symptom Treatment
Food poisoning can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms. However, symptoms typically resolve within a day. If you’re experiencing symptoms of food poisoning and need rapid medical care, AFC Urgent Care Medford can help. Our team of board-certified medical providers are available 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm to provide convenient care on a walk-in basis.
Our walk-in clinic in Medford, MA is equipped to provide quality care for most conditions, including cases of food poisoning. We treat patients of all ages, and are open on weekends. Our clinic works with most medical insurance providers, and we have affordable rates for self-paying patients. To learn more, walk into the clinic for same-day care, or give our team a call at (617) 582-2800.
