The doctor gave advice on what to do if after dinner in a cafe or restaurant it became bad

Many people like to visit cafes, restaurants or fast food outlets. But a few hours after eating food in these establishments, you may experience abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting. In some cases, food poisoning manifests itself in this way, but there are other reasons in which the cuisine of the restaurant and the quality of the products are not to blame. Portal “Doctor Peter” discussed the problem with the general practitioner, cardiologist Anastasia Trifanova.

The expert recalled that food poisoning is possible due to a violation of the cooking technology itself or a violation of the storage standards for raw materials, semi-finished products, and other factors.

The most likely signs of food poisoning are:

Nausea and vomiting occurring 1-6 hours after eating. Especially dangerous are foods containing starch, such as rice, potatoes, etc. In this case, poisoning is most often caused by the pathogen Bacillus cereus. The disease can also occur in another type – with cramping abdominal pain and diarrhea, the symptoms in this case appear 8-16 hours after eating suspicious food. The total duration of the disease, as a rule, does not exceed a day.

Another danger is staphylococcal toxic infections. The time after eating in an establishment before the onset of symptoms is usually 2–4 hours, sometimes as short as 30 minutes, rarely as long as 6 hours. These bacteria can cause severe but relatively short episodes of nausea with vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. They last for 12-24 hours and disappear without a trace. Typically, such poisoning occurs due to the use of milk and dairy products, meat and fish dishes, dishes with mayonnaise dressing, products with cream – cakes, cakes and other desserts.

The most dangerous “restaurant beast” is salmonellosis. Symptoms of infection appear on average 12–24 hours after eating, the patient has a fever, chills, weakness, headache, malaise, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The duration of the disease is up to 10 days with a smooth course, and in some cases serious complications can develop, up to death. Poisoning is usually massive, eggs, poultry, meat, fish, milk and dairy products are dangerous.

First of all, you need to call a doctor or, in case of a sharp deterioration in the condition, an ambulance. They need to be told where, when, and exactly what foods you ate. Usually, a complaint is also made to Rospotrebnadzor, which immediately goes to the place with an inspection. A claim can also be made against a catering establishment with certificates from a doctor and an indication of the diagnosis and treatment performed.

If the poisoning was massive, after eating, several people became ill at once, the institution is closed for a thorough check with the taking of food samples, washings from the kitchen, and examination of the staff.

If it was an order for food at home, there are half-eaten pieces of it left, they can be sent for examination to the SES.

Digestive problems or skin rashes after eating out can be a sign of an allergy. Signs of such reactions can be rashes and itching of the skin, watery eyes, runny nose, swelling of the face, neck, lips or tongue, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea. Symptoms occur abruptly, literally a few minutes after contact with the allergen. They can grow rapidly, especially when it comes to anaphylactic reactions. But it is also possible to develop an allergy after 1-2 days. The key feature is a clear connection with one, specific type of food.

Most restaurant dishes are unusual for our stomach and intestines in terms of the composition of products and cooking technologies. In people with sensitive digestion, negative reactions are possible. This is not poisoning, the food will be quite benign, but your digestion may not be ready for the combination of lobster truffles and hazel grouse with red caviar. Signs of such a problem can be general malaise, abdominal pain, seething and bloating, diarrhea. Nausea and vomiting in these types of disorders usually do not occur, although not always. Diarrhea can occur 20 to 30 minutes after a meal, or up to 12 hours later. It usually passes without a trace as the intestines are freed from food that irritates it.