Signs You May Have Food Poisoning

1.  You feel nauseous

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Nausea is one of the most classic symptoms of food poisoning. The moment you feel it, it's time for you to wonder if you've eaten something dodgy recently. While nausea is usually classed as one symptom, it's actually the name for a bunch of symptoms, including feeling sick in your stomach, having more saliva than usual, feeling weak, and even getting dizzy.

2. You have diarrhoea

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By the time diarrhoea has hit, you can almost always be sure that you have food poisoning. At the risk of being too graphic, we don't just mean having loose stools, either. Diarrhoea will be much worse, and may come with additional symptoms like bowel pain and sweating.

3. You have abdominal cramps

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Food poisoning can start within a few days of eating something contaminated with bacteria, and one of the earliest symptoms you'll get is abdominal cramps. This is a clear sign that you've eaten something that your body is rejecting, and once you do feel these symptoms it might be time to cancel your plans and be prepared for lots of trips to the bathroom.

4. You don't have an appetite

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Loss of appetite is a common symptom when you're 'sick', which could be food poisoning or just generally feeling under the weather. Food poisoning can stick around for up to a week, and not eating anything in that time will just make you feel weaker, so remember to keep drinking lots of water and try and eat dry, bland foods like crackers or chicken soup to keep your strength up.

5. You're throwing up a lot

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We know this sounds pretty obvious - if you're throwing up, you've probably eaten something bad! But vomiting can be a symptom of plenty of other illnesses, and some women will find themselves vomiting for no reason at all, especially if you suffer from other stomach problems.

6. You have a fever

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A fever is another sure-fire sign that your body is trying to fight something off, or that something is off-balance within you. However, if you have some of the other classic symptoms of food poisoning alongside a fever, it may be a sign that your food poisoning is progressing to something that can be more dangerous, so keep an eye out - especially in children.

7. You have a headache

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Headaches are really common - some people get them every day but there's nothing particularly wrong or dangerous about this. However, a headache is also a classic symptom of food poisoning and, like abdominal cramps and nausea, can be one of the first signs that you've eaten something bad.

8. You feel generally sick

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There's no one symptom for 'feeling sick,' and it can differ from person to person. But most people will know when something's off - you feel more lethargic than yesterday, your favorite meal isn't exciting you today, you feel more tired than usual, you slept badly. Whatever it is, you know when something's off, and it could be food poisoning.

9. There's blood in your poo

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This sounds like a dramatic symptom - it's the kind of thing that doctors warn you to watch out for and call them if you see it. However, if you have food poisoning, it can take a huge toll on your body. As a result, you may see some rather dramatic symptoms, including blood in your stool. Of course, if it persists longer than the rest of your symptoms, speak to your family doctor.

10. You feel weak

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There are lots of things that can make you feel weak. Maybe you did a workout the day before, maybe you just slept badly. However, it's also a common symptom of food poisoning, and will usually last throughout the entirety of your illness. In fact, even when your vomiting and diarrhoea, your body may take a little longer to clear that fatigue and weakness.

11. You're bloated

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Bloating is a really common day-to-day symptom, especially if you suffer from something like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, it's important not to confuse this with the bloating you might experience when you have food poisoning. If you don't usually suffer from bloating, this is a sign that you may have eaten something bad recently.

12. You're getting a lot of gas

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Gas is, obviously, very common - we all fart! But excessive gas is usually a sign of something wrong in the stomach department. It's a sign that your stomach is struggling to digest something, which could be as simple as eating too much dairy or eating something that's contaminated with bacteria.

13. You have other stomach pain

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There are lots of different types of stomach and lower body pain. However, none of it is necessarily normal, unless you know you have something like IBS or IBD. So, any discomfort in your stomach or bowels could be a sign that food poisoning is imminent - so get ready.

14. Your muscles ache-but you haven't worked out

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Muscle ache is another general 'sickness' symptom. It could mean that you're fatigued, stressed, or need to chill for a day. However, muscle aches are also common if you've eaten something bad - it's another sign that your body is desperately trying to fight something off. So, hold on, it'll be over soon.

15. You're dehydrated

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Dehydration can be a symptom of food poisoning, but food poisoning can also cause dehydration. Either way, it's important to understand the symptoms of dehydration so you can get help if you're in a serious condition: feeling lightheaded, tired, dark urine, and not peeing as much as normal.

16. You can't swallow properly

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Food poisoning can sometimes cause uncommon symptoms that may be signs that that contaminated food is causing something worse in your body. Not being able to swallow properly might be one of these signs - so it's worth speaking to a doctor as soon as you can. Not to mention, it may prevent you from drinking water, which is vital for recovery.

17. You feel hungover

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Woken up feeling hungover but can't remember drinking any alcohol over the last couple days? This could be a first sign that you've eaten something bad. As with other illnesses, people can experience different 'hangovers', though common symptoms include a headache, nausea, weakness, being thirsty, anxiety, and being sensitive to light and sound.

18. You hurt everywhere

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Sometimes, that odd pain that you get when you're really tired and a bit under the weather can be your first sign that this might be something more serious. Aches and pains can come and go, but genuine muscle and joint pain that lasts can be a really common symptom of food poisoning.

19. You can't get out of bed

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Sometimes, you just wake up knowing something's wrong. You hurt, you're tired, and you don't even have the strength to get out of bed. Well, that could be food poisoning. The caveat to this symptom is that you can very much leave bed as soon as you feel like you're going to throw up. To the bathroom, quick!

20. You're dry heaving

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Vomiting is probably the most common symptom of food poisoning - if your body has eaten something bad, it wants it out as quick as possible. However, if your body has already digested the contaminated food, and you haven't eaten a lot, you might not actually vomit but just experience painful dry heaving.

21. You feel tingling in your arms

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Food poisoning is pretty awful, but it can turn into something even more nightmarish. In fact, what starts as contaminated food can turn into a virus in your body that affects your nervous system - which can cause symptoms like a tingling in your extremities. If this happens, it's worth seeking medical advice.

22. You have a vague feeling of dread

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This isn't an official symptom, but there are actually lots of anecdotes of people who didn't know they had food poisoning, but felt an intense feeling of dread. For some people, this felt like they were going to get bad news, and were anticipating it. However, once common symptoms like cramps and vomiting started, they knew it was just the precursor to food poisoning. So, if you feel like someone close to you is going to die - stay calm, you might have just had some bad chicken!

23. You feel physically uncomfortable-but can't name why

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Aside from a feeling of dread, early food poisoning symptoms can manifest as feeling physically uncomfortable for no reason. Maybe you feel kind of sweaty, hot, or anxious. You may struggle to sleep and have a bit of a headache. All of these can be early symptoms of food poisoning.

24. You feel pressure on your chest

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Pressure on the chest is a common symptom of anxiety, but it can also be a sign of real infection from bad food. This feeling of pressure might appear alongside the early dread feeling, or in combination with any other symptom on this list. If it does, though, it might be time to consider the possibility that you have food poisoning.

25. You have double vision

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Starting to see double? Or experiencing other problems with your vision? Vision troubles are usually a pretty alarming issue, however if you're experiencing this alongside any other common food poisoning symptoms, it may be that the bacteria is beginning to affect your nervous system, so seek medical advice promptly.

26. Your joints ache

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As well as muscle aches - which are fairly common - you might also experience some joint ache when you have food poisoning. This could come in your knees, elbows, ankles, or anywhere else on your body, and is simply a sign that your body is busy trying to fight something that is seriously wrong.

27. Your voice has changed

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This is another neurological symptom that means your food poisoning has probably progressed a little further. Your voice changing is a sure-fire sign that it's time to get some medical advice - you don't want to mess with these viral illnesses. If you live on your own, you probably won't necessarily notice this symptom, so keep an eye out for anything else weird.

28. You've lost movement in your arms or legs

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This one is certainly an alarming symptom, and if you get it you're most likely going to call 911 immediately. You don't necessarily need to be alarmed, though. Food poisoning is a really broad name for a lot of different types of bacterial illnesses caused by toxins in everything from fish to meat. It could be that you just have a different kind of food poisoning.

29. You have a dry mouth

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Have you woken up with a dry mouth? Maybe you just didn't drink enough yesterday, or maybe you actually have the first symptoms of food poisoning. Having a dry mouth is a really common symptom, especially as you're likely to get a little dehydrated through constant vomiting and/or diarrhoea - so make sure to drink water every day, even if you're just sipping it.

30. You're confused

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We all get confused sometimes - especially in our stressful lives. But genuine confusion - when you suddenly forget what you're doing, or even who you are - is a sign of a more severe neurological condition. And this kind of thing can actually happen if you have severe food poisoning - so it's worth staying alert, and asking friends and family to tell you if they notice any changes.