Food poisoning headache is any illness caused by eating food or drink that is contaminated with certain types of bacteria, parasites, viruses or toxins.Sometimes harmful or dangerous substances affect our food. If we eat such food, it can make us sick.This is known as food poisoning and food poisoning headache occurs when the severity of the crisis result in head aching or Food poisoning headache.
Practically, all Infectious organisms or their toxins can contaminate food at any point of processing or production. Contamination can also occur at home if food is incorrectly handled or cooked. Food poisoning Headache In Nigeria is very common, the symptoms starts by affecting the upper part and it runs down to other part of the part.It is always advisable to maintain healthy Food Sanitation and Hygiene
Causes of food poisoning headache-Food poisoning headache can be caused by any of the following:
- Leaving food uncovered which attracts flies and other insects to perch on them and transfer germs on to the food
- Using contaminated or dirty water to prepare food
- Leaving a food around for a long time before eating it, makes it stale or rotten and germ infected
- Using dirty kitchen utensils to prepare food
- Allowing cockroaches and other pests to touch or feed on food items
- Eating with dirty hands or cutlery, like folks, knives, spoons, etc.
- Preparing food in a dirty environment
- Consuming expired food and drinks, e.g, milk, biscuits, butter, etc.
Here is a table summarizing the causes of food poisoning headache or otherwise food poisoning;
Food poisoning headache is very common in Africa. Although it doesn’t occur naturally except uncured by certain substances. Food poisoning headache and the Contamination of food can happen at any point of production: growing, harvesting, processing, storing, shipping or preparing. Cross-contamination — the transfer of harmful organisms from one surface to another — is often the cause. This is especially troublesome for raw, ready-to-eat foods, such as salads or other produce. Because these foods aren’t cooked, harmful organisms aren’t destroyed before eating and can cause food poisoning.
Many bacterial, viral or parasitic agents cause food poisoning. The following table shows some of the possible contaminants, when you might start to feel symptoms and common ways the organism is spread.
| Contaminant | Onset of symptoms | Foods affected and means of transmission |
|---|---|---|
| Campylobacter | 2 to 5 days | Meat and poultry. Contamination occurs during processing if animal feces contact meat surfaces. Other sources include unpasteurized milk and contaminated water. |
| Clostridium botulinum | 12 to 72 hours | Home-canned foods with low acidity, improperly canned commercial foods, smoked or salted fish, potatoes baked in aluminum foil, and other foods kept at warm temperatures for too long. |
| Clostridium perfringens | 8 to 16 hours | Meats, stews and gravies. Commonly spread when serving dishes don’t keep food hot enough or food is chilled too slowly. |
| Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 | 1 to 8 days | Beef contaminated with feces during slaughter. Spread mainly by undercooked ground beef. Other sources include unpasteurized milk and apple cider, alfalfa sprouts, and contaminated water. |
| Giardia lamblia | 1 to 2 weeks | Raw, ready-to-eat produce and contaminated water. Can be spread by an infected food handler. |
| Hepatitis A | 28 days | Raw, ready-to-eat produce and shellfish from contaminated water. Can be spread by an infected food handler. |
| Listeria | 9 to 48 hours | Hot dogs, luncheon meats, unpasteurized milk and cheeses, and unwashed raw produce. Can be spread through contaminated soil and water. |
| Noroviruses (Norwalk-like viruses) | 12 to 48 hours | Raw, ready-to-eat produce and shellfish from contaminated water. Can be spread by an infected food handler. |
| Rotavirus | 1 to 3 days | Raw, ready-to-eat produce. Can be spread by an infected food handler. |
| Salmonella | 1 to 3 days | Raw or contaminated meat, poultry, milk, or egg yolks. Survives inadequate cooking. Can be spread by knives, cutting surfaces or an infected food handler. |
| Shigella | 24 to 48 hours | Seafood and raw, ready-to-eat produce. Can be spread by an infected food handler. |
| Staphylococcus aureus | 1 to 6 hours | Meats and prepared salads, cream sauces, and cream-filled pastries. Can be spread by hand contact, coughing and sneezing. |
| Vibrio vulnificus | 1 to 7 days | Raw oysters and raw or undercooked mussels, clams, and whole scallops. Can be spread through contaminated seawater. |
Anyone can come down with food poisoning. Statistically speaking, nearly everyone will come down with food poisoning at least once in their lives and food poisoning headache is the worst case scenario.
Symptoms of food poisoning headache
- Frequent vomiting
- Constant pains in the body
- Continuous stooling
- Nausea
- Weakness of the body
Effect of food poisoning
- Food poisoning headache can cause dysentery
- Poisoned food can cause, leading to severe loss of weight and even death
- Serious cases of food poisoning could cause severe pains, which may lead to death
How to prevent food poisoning
Food poisoning or food poisoning headache can be prevented by:
- Not drinking contaminated or dirty water and maintain Perfectly Healthy Eating
- Keeping the kitchen clean to avoid certain health hazards
- Keeping food covered, to avoid flies and other insects from perching on it
- Not eating stale, rotten or expired food
- Keeping utensils clean and germ free before and after use
- Keeping cutlery and germ free before and after use
- Washing fruit properly before eating them
- Cooking food properly before eating them
- Not eating with dirty hands or cutlery
- Not consuming expired food or drinks
Review question on food poisoning headache
- What is food poisoning?
- Mention four causes of food poisoning
- State three symptoms of food poisoning
- List three effects of food poisoning
- State four ways of preventing food poisoning
Activities on food poisoning headache
- Find out from home, other causes of food poisoning
- Ask your teacher about more symptoms of food poisoning
- Describe to your class the symptoms of food poisoning
- Discuss with your friends how food poisoning can be prevented
