You get this illness from eating contaminated food. It may have bacteria, viruses or parasites in it. Or, it may have toxins in it that were created by these organisms. Food poisoning can make you very sick. It can kill you.
Food can be contaminated in many ways. It can happen on farms. It can happen when the food is processed. It can happen when it's shipped or stored. And, it can happen in the kitchen. It's sometimes very hard to trace food poisoning back to its source.
Symptoms of food poisoning depend on the organism involved. You may have nausea, vomiting, and fever. You may have abdominal pain, cramping and diarrhea. And in severe cases, you may have extreme pain, high fever, blurry vision and bloody vomit or diarrhea. Your symptoms may begin soon after you eat the food. Or, you may not have them until days or weeks later.
In most cases, food poisoning gets better on its own after a few days. But if your symptoms don't go away, and if you experience bloody diarrhea or a high fever, you need to get emergency medical attention. You may need to be hospitalized. Your doctor will create a care plan that's right for you.