Seek Urgent Care Treatment if You Have These Common Signs of Food Poisoning
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.
About 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.
Common signs of food poisoning
Some of the more common symptoms of food poisoning include:
- An upset stomach
- Stomach cramping
- An overall feeling of nausea that often leads to vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fever
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.
Treating food poisoning at home
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.
When urgent care is necessary
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.
Are you currently in need of urgent care treatment?
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 (703) 945-1942 for more information from Millennium Medical Care Woodbridge.
Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Urgent Care in Woodbridge, VA.
Recent Posts
Pregnancy testing gives patients certainty about whether they are expecting. If unsure, an urgent care or primary care provider can administer these tests with a smaller margin of error than over-the-counter pregnancy tests. Although the process is straightforward, it is normal to have questions heading into the appointment. Exploring the answers to some of the…
Birth control contains hormones that can serve as contraception, acne treatment, or help manage conditions like endometriosis and PCOS. No matter the reason you are searching for “birth control near me,” you likely have several options to sift through. Knowing the basics of each option and its efficacy can help you narrow down the search…
Urgent care clinics are healthcare facilities that treat immediate medical needs. Sometimes, people have medical issues that, while not emergencies, still need to be addressed right away. An urgent care is the place to go when a nonemergency medical need arises that cannot wait for an appointment.These facilities fill the gap between one’s regular doctor…
People typically start to notice advertisements for the flu shot as flu season approaches, but it is common for many to brush off this recommendation if they are young or feel healthy. However, the flu shot is a vital part of a comprehensive health plan — and anyone, young or old, can be a good…