Food Poisoning

Food poisoning typically starts suddenly within hours of eating contaminated food, while stomach viruses (gastroenteritis) often develop more gradually and may include respiratory symptoms. Food poisoning symptoms usually focus on the digestive system - nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Our medical providers can evaluate your symptom timeline, recent food exposure, and clinical presentation to determine the likely cause and provide appropriate treatment for either condition.

Mild food poisoning can often be managed at home with rest and fluids. However, you should seek urgent care if you experience severe vomiting lasting more than 12 hours, signs of dehydration (dizziness, decreased urination, dry mouth), high fever, bloody diarrhea, or inability to keep down liquids. Pregnant women, elderly individuals, young children, and those with weakened immune systems should seek medical evaluation sooner, as they're at higher risk for complications.

IV hydration therapy is recommended when you're significantly dehydrated or unable to keep down oral fluids. Our medical providers assess your hydration status through physical examination and vital signs. If you've been vomiting frequently, have decreased urination, feel dizzy when standing, or show other dehydration signs, IV fluids can provide rapid relief and prevent complications. Many patients feel dramatically better within an hour of receiving IV hydration.

Yes, we can order stool cultures and testing when clinically indicated. According to CDC guidelines, testing is most useful for severe cases, bloody diarrhea, symptoms lasting more than 3 days, recent travel, or suspected outbreaks. However, most food poisoning cases resolve before test results return, so we often begin supportive treatment immediately based on your symptoms and clinical presentation.

Most food poisoning cases are caused by viruses or bacterial toxins that don't respond to antibiotics. Our medical providers follow evidence-based protocols to determine if antibiotics are appropriate. They may be prescribed for certain bacterial infections like Salmonella or Campylobacter in high-risk patients, or when symptoms are severe and prolonged. Unnecessary antibiotic use can actually worsen some types of food poisoning, which is why proper evaluation is important.

Bring your photo ID, insurance card if applicable, and a list of current medications. If possible, note what foods you ate in the 24-48 hours before symptoms started and when symptoms began. This timeline helps our medical providers identify the likely source and type of food poisoning. Also mention if others who ate the same food became ill, as this information is valuable for diagnosis.

Visit the emergency room immediately if you experience severe symptoms including difficulty breathing, chest pain, severe abdominal pain, confusion or altered mental status, signs of severe dehydration (no urination for 12+ hours, extreme weakness), bloody vomit, or symptoms after eating mushrooms or other potentially toxic substances. For typical food poisoning symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and mild to moderate dehydration, urgent care provides appropriate and efficient treatment.

According to the CDC, key prevention steps include washing hands thoroughly before handling food, cooking meat to safe internal temperatures (165°F for poultry, 160°F for ground meat, 145°F for whole cuts), avoiding cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods, refrigerating perishables within 2 hours, and being cautious with high-risk foods like raw seafood, unpasteurized dairy, and undercooked eggs. When traveling, stick to bottled water and thoroughly cooked foods. Our medical providers can discuss specific prevention strategies based on your lifestyle and risk factors.