The Dangers Of Salmonella Poisoning - And What To Do About It:

We’ve all heard about the dangers of things such as under-cooked chicken, and contaminated cooking surfaces. But do you really know why these things are so dangerous, or are you just taking care because you’re being told to? Well - in this article, we will investigate the exact reason why this health and safety claim is so real, and hence what we should do to ensure that Salmonella Poisoning doesn’t catch up with us.

Let’s start off by actually defining what Salmonella is. In its simplest form, Salmonella is a bacteria - found in foods, with can be very dangerous if ingested by the human body. Because of its nature of transfer (food), it is a particularly common bacteria - and it is estimate that over 50% of the population will experience symptoms as a result of it at some time in their life.

Why Is Salmonella Poisoning Dangerous?

Most bacteria that invade the human body are quickly destroyed by the rapid response of the immune system, before they have a chance to multiply and spread. With Salmonella however, the immune system often responds a little bit too late - giving the bacteria time to multiply and hence force its entry in to the blood stream.

This generally happens within 12 - 24 hours of ingesting contaminated food, however the actual symptoms (covered soon), will not appear until about 24 - 48 hours after the initial infection. The good news is that in general, the human body will flush itself clean of any Salmonella Poisoning within a couple of days in most cases. However, depending on the level of infection, and the initial amount of the bacteria ingested - the resulting effect could indeed be death.

Which such an extreme variance in the outcomes of such an issue - it is much better to urge on the side of caution.

What symptoms will I experience with Salmonella Poisoning?:

If you find yourself suffering from any of the following things, think back to what you recently ate - and if necessary, book yourself in to the doctor.

o High Fever
o Nausea & Vomiting
o Abdominal Cramps
o Diarrhea
o Stomach Pain

At the onset of these symptoms, ensure that your fluid intake is as high as possible (a recommendation for almost all acute illnesses), and take a bit of time off to rest.