Welcome to the OutUK series looking at gay men and their health brought to you in association with the NHS website.
Each week we'll tackle a different topic in our A to Z of Gay Health. We'll have features and advice on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. You can follow any of links provided below for more information direct from the NHS website, or view any of our Previous A to Z Features.
You should also know that OutUK has produced a special report about: Coronavirus Covid-19.

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This Week - G : Gippy Tummy

Symptoms of food poisoning

Symptoms of food poisoning include:

  • feeling sick or being sick
  • diarrhoea
  • tummy pain
  • a high temperature
  • feeling generally unwell

The symptoms usually start within a few hours or a few days of eating food that caused the infection.

Sometimes symptoms do not start for a few weeks.

How to treat food poisoning yourself

If you have food poisoning, you can usually treat it at home.

The symptoms usually get better within a week.

Diarrhoea and vomiting can usually be treated at home. The most important thing is to have lots of fluids to avoid dehydration.

Do

  • stay at home and get plenty of rest

  • drink lots of fluids, such as water or squash - take small sips if you feel sick

  • eat when you feel able to - it may help to eat fairly bland simple food

  • take paracetamol if you're in discomfort

Don't

  • do not have fruit juice or fizzy drinks - they can make diarrhoea worse

  • eat or drink foods that are fatty or spicy

A pharmacist can help with food poisoning

Speak to a pharmacist if:

  • you have signs of dehydration, such as dark, smelly pee or peeing less than usual
  • you're an older person, have a weakened immune system, or have other health conditions that increase your risk of dehydration
  • you need to stop diarrhoea for a few hours

They may recommend:

  • oral rehydration powder that you mix with water to make a drink
  • medicine to stop diarrhoea for a few hours, like loperamide

Find a pharmacy

Call 111 now if:

  • you still have signs of dehydration after using oral rehydration sachets
  • you keep being sick and cannot keep fluid down
  • you have bloody diarrhoea or bleeding from the bottom
  • you have diarrhoea for more than 7 days or vomiting for more than 2 days

111 will tell you what to do. They can arrange a phone call from a nurse or doctor if you need one.

Call 999 or go to A&E if you:

  • vomit blood or have vomit that looks like ground coffee
  • have green vomit
  • may have swallowed something poisonous
  • have a stiff neck and pain when looking at bright lights
  • have a sudden, severe headache
  • have a sudden, severe tummy ache
  • have blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue - on brown or black skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
  • are having severe difficulty breathing, or taking lots of quick, short breaths
  • are confused or not responding as usual
Find your nearest A&E

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring any medicines you take with you.

How you get food poisoning

Food poisoning is caused by eating something that has been contaminated with germs.

This can happen if food is:

  • not cooked or reheated thoroughly
  • not stored correctly - for example, it's not been frozen or chilled
  • left out for too long
  • handled by someone who's ill or has not washed their hands
  • eaten after its "use by" date

Any type of food can cause food poisoning.

Find out more about food hygiene and avoiding food poisoning from the Food Standards Agency website.



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We'll have more information and advice next week on another topic in our A to Z of Gay Health. We have covered many subjects in this series and you can catch up with all of our Previous A to Z Features.

If you want to find out more about this week's subject you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.
Photos: LightFieldStudios and one of VladOrlov, Stockcube, darak77, ajr_images or rawpixel.com.

 

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