How Long Food Poisoning Lasts—and What To Do About Symptoms

How long food poisoning lasts depends on the cause, but most people recover within 12 to 48 hours. Symptoms can last up to more than a week in some people. You may also have more severe and long-lasting complications.

Food poisoning is a condition caused by consuming contaminated foods or beverages. About one out of six people experience some form of food poisoning each year in the United States. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting.

What Is Food Poisoning?

Food poisoning occurs when you consume something that contains a pathogen, such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites. The pathogen multiplies in your body and causes symptoms like diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting.

Food Poisoning vs. Stomach Flu

Food poisoning symptoms can resemble common symptoms of other illnesses, like gastroenteritis (the "stomach flu"). Reasons to suspect food poisoning include getting sick after eating improperly stored food or eating food that smelled "off." Another sign is that other people get sick after eating the same food.

The definitive way for a healthcare provider to diagnose food poisoning is by testing a stool sample. This lab result can take several days or longer to come back. A healthcare provider may begin treatment before a confirmed diagnosis to prevent the worsening of symptoms.

Symptoms

Most people with food poisoning experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• Diarrhea
• Fever and chills
• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Vomiting

You might have symptoms specific to the type of infection or intoxication. Symptoms can resemble an allergic reaction, such as a skin rash, headache, and swelling. Scombroid fish poisoning (histamine fish poisoning) is a reaction to fish contaminated with high levels of histamine. The immune system produces these chemicals produced when you're exposed to allergens.

Botulism is a severe illness that attacks nerves in the body. Possible sources include fermented foods or foods that weren't canned properly. Infants can get botulism from eating bacteria spores in soil or honey.

Symptoms of botulism include:

• Double or blurred vision
• Headache
• Paralysis
• Ptosis (drooping eyelids)
• Skin tingling or numbness
• Slurred speech
  

How Long Does Food Poisoning Last?

You'll likely begin feeling better within a few hours or days after symptoms begin. Symptoms might take weeks to resolve or even become life-threatening. When symptoms begin and how long they last depends on the cause.

Here are some common organisms and their general timelines:

Symptoms also vary based on your reaction to the pathogen. Certain risk factors can make you more susceptible to food poisoning and increase the likelihood of more severe symptoms.

Risk factors include:

• Adults age 65 and older
• Infants and children under the age of 5
• People who have a weak immune system due to a condition like cancer or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• Pregnant people
  

Causes

There are many types of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites, that can cause food poisoning. Some of the most common pathogens include:

• Campylobacter jejuni
• Cholera
• E. coli
• Salmonella
• Shigella
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Toxins that are found in some fish or shellfish
• Yersinia

Some of these pathogens can be contagious. You may catch food poisoning from someone if they don't wash their hands after having diarrhea or vomiting and then touch surfaces. You can contract the virus by touching the infected surface and then your eyes, nose, or mouth.

What To Do if You Have Food Poisoning

Most cases of food poisoning resolve on their own. Symptoms like diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting increase the risk of becoming dehydrated, which can prolong and worsen symptoms. It's important to get plenty of hydration and rest as you recover.

Hydrate

Dehydration is a common complication of food poisoning. It may occur as a result of diarrhea, fever, or because you feel too sick to drink. Dehydration can prolong symptoms and lead to other complications.

Dehydration symptoms include:

• Darker-colored urine
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth or skin
• Fatigue
• Severe thirst
• Sweating
• Urinating less than usual

Infants and children can experience severe dehydration within a few days. Symptoms include tearless crying, significant drowsiness, and irritability.

Drink water, diluted fruit juices, sports drinks, and broths to replace lost fluids and electrolytes. Electrolytes are essential minerals, such as calcium, potassium, and sodium, that help the body use fluids and function efficiently.

Eat Bland Foods

The BRAT diet includes bananas, rice, apples or applesauce, and toast. Bland crackers like saltines are another option. These foods can soothe digestive discomfort and replace electrolytes. Just remember to incorporate nutrient-rich foods back into your diet as symptoms subside.

Consider Medications

Anti-diarrheal medications like Imodium (loperamide) and Pepto-Bismol (bismuth salicylate) can treat diarrhea. Probiotics, which are helpful gut bacteria, might provide digestive support. Always check with a healthcare provider before taking any supplements.

A healthcare provider might suggest an oral rehydration solution (ORS) that contains glucose (sugar) and electrolytes if you have more severe symptoms. A healthcare provider may also prescribe:

• Antibiotics to treat food poisoning caused by bacteria
• Antiemetics to alleviate nausea and vomiting
• Antiparasitics for parasites

When To Contact a Healthcare Provider

Reach out to a healthcare provider if you develop:

• Bloody diarrhea
• Diarrhea that lasts longer than three days
• High fever of 102 degrees or greater
• Signs of dehydration
• Vomiting so much you can't keep any fluids down

Reach out sooner if you or the person you suspect has food poisoning is at a higher risk for complications. You may develop complications from the initial food poisoning that can take weeks or months to resolve. They may even be permanent. Possible complications include brain, nerve, or kidney damage, meningitis, and pregnancy complications.

Prevention

Preparing and storing food safely can help prevent food poisoning. Here are a few steps you can take to keep you and your loved ones safe:

• Clean: Wash your hands before cooking and whenever they touch raw eggs, seafood, poultry, or meat. Wash fruits and vegetables before consuming, cutting, or cooking them. Wash surfaces and utensils that touch raw meat as soon as possible.
• Separate: Keep vegetables and raw meat on separate surfaces. Keep cooked food and raw food on separate surfaces.
• Cook: Use a food thermometer to ensure eggs, seafood, poultry, and meat are cooked to the recommended temperature. Cook meat to at least 140 degrees and poultry to 165 degrees.
• Refrigerate: Place leftovers in the fridge or freezer as soon as possible. Don't leave perishable foods out for more than two hours. Don't leave foods that could spoil for more than one hour if the temperature outside is above 90 degrees.
  

A Quick Review

Most cases of food poisoning are mild and resolve within a week. Other cases are more severe and can lead to complications or even death. Symptoms and severity depend on the cause of food poisoning and your reaction to it. Some people, like young children and adults older than 65, are more susceptible to food poisoning and complications.

Practicing good hygiene and safe food preparation and storage can help prevent food poisoning. Reach out to a healthcare provider if you have severe symptoms, especially if you're at a high risk of complications.