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Billions of people consume tons of food across the planet – at restaurants, at home, at school, at work, or on the road. As we consume this food, we also ingest microorganisms (germs) that intend to do us in. Not that they’re consciously out there looking for us; they just don’t know any better.
Sometimes the challenge is so mild we don’t even realize it’s caused by food. The Center for Disease Control projects that 75 million people get sick each year from something they eat. However, because our bodies are such great fighters, we often don’t even feel very ill! We might have an upset to our innards with some vomiting or diarrhea. Or we might feel headachy, queasy, or just plain “icky.” And, if we do go to the doctor, it might be misdiagnosed as the common flu or “bug” going around; as long as we get better, we don’t really worry about it.
The answer is complex. It starts with who you are, and what has happened to the food.
In addition, restaurant terminology describes a high-risk group of individuals – people more apt to contract a food borne illness:
First, because sometimes our bodies, especially if we’re in a high risk group, can’t always fight the germs fast enough. This can come from the immune system’s being diverted to other priorities, like fighting a common cold at the time that we ingest salmonella. The salmonella gains a foothold and starts to beat us up in addition to the cold germs that are already there.
Second, as we have improved our food safety preparedness (see the history of food safety by clicking here), we have learned that germs adapt, too. For instance, E-coli burst onto the scene in the 1980s; we had not seen it before in the form that was a risk to us, although we have learned more and more about it since then. Norovirus is often mistaken as the common flu; actually, it's a distant cousin. It's a mutated form of the flu virus, and it came into the spotlight only a few years ago. Science tries to keep up with what the germs are doing and keep ahead of their game. Third, food borne illnesses cost us, both financially and emotionally. A food borne illness means paying the doctor, the pharmacy, the hospital, and worse. It damages your productivity and it puts stress on your relationships. If it is your child or elderly parent who gets sick, the financial costs remain and the emotional costs may be still higher. It’s wise to know how NOT to play Russian Roulette with your food.
Anyone can get sick, but if you are a high risk individual, you have a greater chance of something more serious happening. If you aren’t high risk, you aren’t off the hook. If you, your restaurant, your grocer, or anyone else inadvertently mishandles food, you might find yourself at the doctor's office. In addition, when people do get sick – especially from incorrect handling of food by someone who is responsible for serving it safely – the road to recovery can involve a number of obstacles and challenges. We cover that in our “Should I Call the Health Department?” section.
Enter Our Nightmare Story Competition!Many people suffer from food poisoning and live to tell EVERYONE about it... enter our "Food Poisoning Nightmares" story competition.
Other Stories Entered!Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Sonic Issues... Not rated yet To learn more about how and why food spoils, click here. (Be advised, however, that you shouldn’t do this on a full stomach!) To review food safety in your home, click here. To check out Food-Safety-and-You.com's home page, click here.
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