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By Dr. JoshbrPrickett, Medical Director, North Tarrant E-Care EmergencybrCenter
A food borne illness such asbrfood poisoning is typically defined as an infection or an irritation of thebrgastrointestinal tract, commonly referred to as the GI tract. It usuallybrresults from eating or drinking something that has a harmful virus, bacteria orbra parasite.
While these types of illnessesbrcan be extremely troublesome and require a trip to a local emergency center, symptoms usually subside on their own after abrcouple of days. However, in some instances they can result in seriousbrcomplications. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, more than 48brmillion people suffer some sort of food borne sickness each year. Approximatelybr325,000 people have to be hospitalized and about 5,200 people die.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that consumers can do a great deal tobrhelp prevent these illnesses from occurring. Here are some steps you can takebrthe next time you shop for food to reduce the chances you’ll get sick.
You Can't Be Too Careful
Any time you shop at abrstore, take a good look around to make sure it not only looks clean, but smellsbrclean as well. This will make it much more likely that the retailer handlesbrfood properly and follows all safety precautions. Closely look at any jars andbrcans you're about to buy to make sure they aren't dented, cracked or bulging.brThese could be signs that the food is contaminated because it wasn't processedbrproperly. If, for instance, the lid on a vacuum-packed jar of pickles is loose,brthat means the seal has been lost and contamination may have occurred.
Frozen Foods
Don't ever purchase any sortbrof frozen food item if you can see any sort of damage to the package. Look forbrany tears and check to see if any of the edges have been crushed. Pay attentionbrto the frost line in the store freezer and don't buy any packages that arebrabove that line. If the front of the package is transparent, look for icebrcrystals or other signs that frost has occurred. The reason is that the foodbrmay have been stored too long, or it may have even thawed and been refrozen.
You should make sure thatbryou purchase frozen foods or any perishable items last on your shopping trip.brEggs, fish, poultry and meat should be placed in separate bags so there's nobrrisk their drippings will contaminate other foods. W
Once you get back home, putbryour perishable items in the refrigerator or freezer first. The FDA recommendsbrthat shoppers follow the “two-hour rule,” meaning perishables should not remainbrat room temperature for more than two hours. The reason is that harmfulbrbacteria can quickly form on items that are not promptly and properly stored.brIf you have to make other trips after you go to the grocery store and youbrbelieve you may not be home for an hour or more, bring an ice chest to keepbryour perishables cold.
By taking just a few simplebrprecautions, you can greatly reduce the chances that you'll experience nausea, stomach painor any of the other nasty symptoms of a food borne illness.
If you would like to learn more about preventing thebrspread of food borne illnesses from doctors near Southlake, call E-Care Emergency Centers at 817-281-7277 If you ever needbremergency or urgent care, use this convenient form to check inbronline.
JoshbrPrickett, MD, is currently medical director for the North Tarrant location of E-Care Emergency Center in NorthbrRichland Hills.brDr. Prickett graduated from the University of Oklahoma Medical School and hasbrbeen practicing emergency care in Oklahoma, Minnesota and Texas sincebr1989. He has been married to his wifebrCarin for 30 years. They have a son Jonathan, a daughter Whitney, and abrson-in-law John. Dr. Prickett and his family are actively involved in helping abrlocal church get started and love being a part of the Southlake community.