Food Poisoning: Symptoms

What are the symptoms of food poisoning?

Symptoms of food poisoning vary depending on the specific type of food poisoning, the amount of infectious microorganisms or toxins ingested, your age, medical history, and other factors.

Classic symptoms of food poisoning affect the stomach and intestines and include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. Symptoms of food poisoning and its complications can also affect other organs including the liver, skin, joints, and kidneys, and other body systems, such as the nervous system and respiratory system. Mild cases of certain types of food poisoning may not cause noticeable symptoms.

Symptoms of food poisoning can include:

• Dilated pupils, redness of the whites of the eyes, or blurred vision

• Dizziness

• Fever and chills

• Headache

• Multiple bouts of diarrhea that may be bloody

• Muscle weakness

• Nausea and vomiting

• Severe abdominal pain and cramps

• Skin symptoms, such as a rash, lesion or abscess

Symptoms that might indicate a serious or life-threatening condition

In some cases, food poisoning can result in serious or life-threatening complications, such as severe dehydration, meningitis, sepsis, stillbirth and miscarriage. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have any of these symptoms:

• Change in alertness or level of consciousness

• Lethargy or unresponsiveness

• Not urinating or urinating small amounts of tea-colored urine

• Seizure

• Severe difficulty breathing or severe shortness of breath

• Severe weakness or paralysis

• Unusual abdominal pain or vaginal bleeding during pregnancy

Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if your infant displays a sunken fontanel (soft spot on the top of the head), lethargy, no tears with crying, and few or no wet diapers.