Symptoms Of Salmonella
Salmonella, formally known as salmonellosis, is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the United States and affects over one million individuals per year. The salmonella bacteria can be found in the intestines of many animals, including poultry, pigs, reptiles, amphibians, pets, and sometimes humans. The bacteria’s hosts spread them through their feces, and if water contaminated by those feces is used in crop irrigation, those crops are also contaminated. Nuts, fruits, and vegetables can all be contaminated with salmonella, along with raw or undercooked animal products like meat, fish, eggs, or unpasteurized dairy products like milk or cheese. Unfortunately, contaminated food doesn’t look or smell any different than normal food. Thus, individuals have to check the Center for Disease Control's and Food and Drug Administration's websites for information about salmonella outbreaks and contaminated products.
A few fortunate individuals who get infected with salmonella don’t get ill, but most develop symptoms involving the gastrointestinal tract within twelve to seventy-two hours of getting infected and usually last up to a week. Get to know these symptoms now.
Nausea And Vomiting
Salmonellosis, the disease caused by salmonella, usually takes the form of an illness called acute gastroenteritis and the symptoms can range from mild to severe. Nausea and vomiting are the most common symptoms of salmonellosis. As they can cause dehydration, the patient should drink plenty of water. However, they should avoid drinking water immediately after a bout of sickness, for doing so will likely make them throw up again. It is far more prudent to wait until they stop feeling nauseous and then drink slowly. If the patient does get thirsty while feeling nauseous, they should suck on ice chips or drink small sips.
Continue reading now to reveal more symptoms to watch for.
Fever And Chills
Nearly all patients with salmonellosis develop a fever and chills. In fact, an abnormally high temperature that accompanies the various gastrointestinal symptoms described here can indicate the patient has salmonella poisoning. Dehydration can make this symptom worse, as it impairs the body’s ability to regulate its temperature. While most patients can recover on their own, they should go to a doctor if their temperature gets higher than 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Some species of the salmonella bacteria can cause typhoid fever, which can be lethal. Extremely high temperature is actually one of the symptoms of typhoid fever. Patients should also go to a doctor if they develop joint pain, eye irritation, or painful urination, for such symptoms can mean the bacteria have spread to other parts of the body.
Keep reading for more symptoms of salmonella now.
Cramps
Severe abdominal cramps are another symptom of salmonellosis, and they are usually accompanied by diarrhea. At least two-thirds of patients complain of stomach pain. Not surprisingly, loss of appetite is another common symptom of salmonellosis. There are actually two main forms of salmonellosis: typhoidal and non-typhoidal. Non-typhoidal salmonellosis is both the milder and more common type. Stomach pain, abnormally high temperature, loss of appetite, and head pain occur in both types of salmonellosis. A patient with the typhoidal form will also suffer weakness and a skin rash, and their body temperature will shoot up to 103 or 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
Continue now to uncover more symptoms.
Headaches
A headache is another symptom of salmonella, and the fever accompanying the infection usually causes it. One of the difficulties in treating salmonellosis is many other gastrointestinal ailments have similar symptoms. Doctors will thus take a stool or blood sample to look for the bacteria. They will generally not provide antibiotics unless the patient is extremely ill, as antibiotics can actually make the infection last longer. Even worse, they can make the patient’s 'carrier state' last longer. This is the length of time the patient can infect another person. The doctor can advise the patient as to what medications can ease symptoms like a headache.
It's time to learn about another symptom of salmonella now.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is another symptom associated with both salmonellosis and other types of gastroenteritis. In the former, it can last for several days. It can cause severe dehydration, particularly in patients who are older than sixty-five or younger than two. Many patients also find blood in their stools. Even after the patient has seemingly recovered, doctors may find salmonella in their stools for several weeks after their illness. While most patients enjoy a complete recovery, it can take several months for their bowel habits to return to normal. If a patient’s symptoms prevent them from taking in water, they should go to a doctor. In such a case, the patient may need to be hospitalized and given intravenous fluids.